Keppra and Hallucinations: What Users Say

• Nel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 1, 2019

For Seizures "Absolutely horrible experience. I was prescribed this after having a breakthrough seizure as part of trying new meds. On Keppra, my personality changed 100%. I was despondent, hated life, had no motivation, and cried at the drop of a hat. Finally, I knew it was time to go to the doctor to transition off when I hit such a low low. Also started hearing voices. Never once did such dark thoughts occur to me until this - I imagine this is what it’s like to be possessed."

• Jen...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 23, 2016

For Seizures "I've been on every seizure medication invented. Keppra or generic Levetiracetam is by far the worst one I've been on. The side effects have ruined my life. I gained over 45 pounds the first year on it. I am now almost 70 pounds heavier than I was before I started taking the medication. I can't work anymore because I have severe depression, anxiety, & insomnia. I tell people off for the craziest things & am super paranoid all the time. Despite that, I take antidepressants, anxiety & sleeping meds. I used to be a terrific nurse, winning awards & receiving all kinds of gratitude. Now I can no longer do anything. I am terrified to leave the house, take a shower, clean, or go anywhere. I have no life, I just exist. Can't wait to get off this!"

• Ban...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 3, 2020

For Epilepsy "Worst drug ever in my opinion!!! Here were my side effects- irritability, paranoia, anxiety, nausea, loss of appetite, numbness and tingling in my arms and legs, it would make my aura seizures come more often than they normally would without medication, felt dizzy and lightheaded, which would worsen during an aura seizure. Made me get aura seizures when I was still asleep and it would wake me up! Made me feel suicidal also. I took the medication for about six months and have had more than enough of it. Was tired each day, I could barely get up to do normal things, even to cook. I decided to wean off myself, I decreased dose to half a tablet in the morning, hoping it would stop at the very least my aura seizures in my sleep, but it didn’t help. I then thought after a few months - enough is enough. After taking half a tablet in the morning for a few months, I stopped taking it completely. Never felt better. Wouldn’t go back on it if my life depended on it."

• Rev...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2020

For Epilepsy "Being on Keppra gave me side effects like living a real-life nightmare. I heard voices in my head. I saw demons. People's faces shifted, and everyone was out to get me. This drug twisted reality and turned my world upside down in only 11 days. Now my seizures are out of control, and my life will never be the same."

• Nes...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 29, 2019

For Seizures "I was taking Xanax 10 mg for severe anxiety and Ambien 10 mg from suffering from insomnia after having my daughter (10 years ago). I've never had issues with sleep, but unfortunately, anxiety runs in my family. Both stopped working for a while, so I decided to take 1 ½ bars a day and 1 ½ of Ambien a night. One day I decided to stop taking my Xanax and had run out of my Ambien for about a week. That's where the nightmare began! Horrible withdrawals, feeling useless, hallucinating, kept myself locked up for days, then suddenly I began to have seizures and ended up admitted to the hospital about 7 different times. After trying several different anti-seizure meds, Keppra finally worked for me, and I haven't had a seizure since. Thank God!"

• JME...
• November 1, 2015

For Seizures "I am 16, I have had Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy for almost 2 years now and have been on Keppra ever since. I experienced some weight loss, extreme depression, hallucinations, and memory loss. I've only had one other grand mal seizure while on this, and I do not jerk anymore. Though it works, I wish I felt alive and awake during normal daily tasks. If you can seek other medications for physiological and behavioral reasons, I suggest it."

• Dia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 10, 2015

For Seizures "I had my first seizure in February 2014 and was prescribed Keppra. I took it for a while and experienced all the symptoms as everyone else: depression, fatigue, mood swings, hallucinations, etc. You name it, I had it. I had no energy, and all I could do was sleep. I got tired of living like that and one day decided to stop taking them, bad move. It was fine for 4 days, I was energized and happy, but on that day, I had another seizure. I told my doctor, and he changed my prescription to Trileptal. I have been on it since that day, and the only side effect I think I have would be hair thinning."

• 17...
• February 22, 2009

For Seizures "I'm 17 years old and have been taking Keppra for three years now. Keppra has stopped my seizures except on three occasions where I missed a dose. Although it works very well, I have been experiencing some side effects including moodiness, irritability, anger, rage, confusion, and hallucinations. Although I have side effects, I like the overall results of being a well kid."

• sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 1, 2023

For Seizures "Had a grand mal seizure last May and was prescribed Keppra. The drug made me have a full-blown psychotic episode and NDE (near-death experience) where I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. This medication landed me in the mental hospital for a week. I couldn't sleep, had auditory and internal hallucinations within my mind that led me to lay down in the middle of the street trying to get anyone to listen to me. Was switched to Divalproex and have been okay. Still reeling from almost breaking up with my husband of 18+ years, who will now never see me the same ever again, thanks to this crazy drug... Do not recommend anyone try this. Only as a last resort! Unless you want to risk your life never being the same."

• sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 1, 2023

For Seizures "Had a grand mal seizure last May and was prescribed Keppra. The drug made me have a full-blown psychotic episode and NDE (near-death experience) where I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. This medication landed me in the mental hospital for a week. I couldn't sleep, had auditory and internal hallucinations within my mind that led me to lay down in the middle of the street trying to get anyone to listen to me. Was switched to Divalproex and have been okay. Still reeling from almost breaking up with my husband of 18+ years, who will now never see me the same ever again, thanks to this crazy drug... Do not recommend anyone try this. Only as a last resort! Unless you want to risk your life never being the same."

• bee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 27, 2023

For Epilepsy "I have had a bad experience taking Keppra. The longer I took it, the worse my symptoms were. Aside from epilepsy, I have depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Keppra made me paranoid and suicidal, and I heard so many voices in my head. I thought these side effects were related to my bipolar disorder, it did not occur to me that the changes in my thoughts and behaviors were related to Keppra. It wasn't until I had a nervous breakdown and my parents told me I need to talk to my doctor about switching medications that I realized Keppra was only heightening my mental disorders. I do not recommend Keppra at all if you experience any mental health issues."

• bee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 27, 2023

For Epilepsy "I have had a bad experience taking Keppra. The longer I took it, the worse my symptoms were. Aside from epilepsy, I have depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Keppra made me paranoid and suicidal, and I heard so many voices in my head. I thought these side effects were related to my bipolar disorder, it did not occur to me that the changes in my thoughts and behaviors were related to Keppra. It wasn't until I had a nervous breakdown and my parents told me I need to talk to my doctor about switching medications that I realized Keppra was only heightening my mental disorders. I do not recommend Keppra at all if you experience any mental health issues."

• Pri...
• March 23, 2017

For Epilepsy "So I had times where I'd black out and have amnesia. Basically, it would scare my parents, and after the second time it happened, they took me to the doctor. We went through all the tests, and they all came back normal except for my EEG. It came back abnormal. I was immediately put on Keppra and hated every second of it. I started off with 500 mg, 2x a day. After the first dose, I was hallucinating and very confused. The four-hour mark was the worst. I was super loopy and couldn't focus for nothing. The medicine caused me to have mood swings and go into a deep depression. My advice, if you have any sort of mental illness, DON'T TAKE IT. I've struggled with bulimia, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder for years. Seizures stopped. Wasn't worth it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 15, 2020

For Epilepsy "DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION. I would give it zero stars if I could. I lost 4 years of my life because of Keppra. Did not help my seizures, I almost killed myself 3 different times. I had a personality disorder, extreme anxiety and paranoia, anxiety attacks daily, if not more than once a day. Anger, rage, I was a completely different person. The same thing happened to two other people I know that were on this drug as well. And the withdrawal seizures have been HORRIBLE and have almost gone into status epilepticus twice. But I am so thankful I found LAMICTAL. All of the Keppra symptoms are now gone, and it actually helps me be happy and joyful."

• Hal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2021

For Seizures "This is the worst drug I've ever been on. I was only on it for one week, and the whole time I wouldn't leave my room and was reportedly having hallucinations of people trying to kill me, according to my family. Safe to say the doctors quickly changed my treatment."

• Den...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 25, 2022

For Seizures "Successfully controls seizures. Eliminates involuntary hand tremors from prior long-term usage of Depakote. More expensive than Depakote. Twelve-hour half-life requires regular use every 12-13 hours. If I skip a dose, I get nightmares and hallucinations. Overall, better than Depakote."

• Kep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2016

For Seizures "Within a week, suffered suicidal thoughts, psychosis, hallucinations, rages, and self-harming acts!"

• Kep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2016

For Seizures "Within a week, suffered suicidal thoughts, psychosis, hallucinations, rages, and self-harming acts!"