Levetiracetam and Anger: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• January 30, 2016

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "I was diagnosed at 13 years old with grand mal seizures due to my period. Was put on Keppra 250 mg twice a day. I'm 21 now and still take it. It does control my seizures (though I still get auras once in a while), and I have experienced all the side effects. My parents and friends will be the first to tell you how drastically I have changed from this medication. It makes you very irritable, tired, depressed, crazy mood swings, and short-tempered. Through the years, I've learned to handle it better. When I was 15, I stopped taking them to see if I grew out of it, suggested by my neuro, and had 3 seizures in 3 days. Have been taking it every day ever since. Keeps me living a normal life, like driving a car and going to school!"

• Ano...
• October 20, 2011

Levetiracetam for New Daily Persistent Headache "Keppra made me very sleepy, and my hair came out in chunks-worse even than the hair loss from Topamax and Verapamil. I was also very angry and had no patience with my family. All these side effects, with very minimal help-my headaches began later in the day than normal. I went off of it and am now waiting on my insurance to approve Botox since I have tried all the others with no help except Topamax-which also made me too hostile and lose chunks of hair."

• Anonymous
• September 17, 2019

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "I have been taking 200 mg of Keppra twice a day after my second seizure, which was 4 months ago. For the first month, roughly, I had constant mood swings and almost no appetite. It wasn't uncommon for me to randomly start feeling depressed, and those phases could last up to multiple days on end. I would also have random anger that seemingly came from nowhere to the point where I would start fights with my family over the dumbest things. Even after that first month, which is supposed to be when your body gets used to the drug, I continually had mood swings and random depression. Although it has stopped me from seizing, I highly do not recommend."

• dat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 7, 2022

Levetiracetam for Seizures "Do not take Keppra if you have any psychiatric issues. It may stop seizures, but with the terrifying risk of Keppra rage. There is no need to take the risk. Try a different AED, this drug was a nightmare. I lost my job because of Keppra rage."

• Nes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 13, 2016

Levetiracetam for Seizures "Our daughter was diagnosed 7 years ago and is now 10. She has tonic-clonic and partial seizures, sometimes up to 15 in one day, bless her. We've tried Epilim, which was great for about 4 years, then they crept back up, so we tried Tegretol and Lamotrigine together. They didn't work at all, so now she's on Keppra. After just 3 days, she had fits and was a very happy girl. (She has severe developmental delay), so it is hard to judge how she is feeling, but now she isn't eating and seems very, very aggressive. We don't know what to do for the best?!?!?!?"

• Twi...
• April 3, 2018

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "When my Keppra was wearing off, I would start to twitch! I couldn't stop twitching, and I was becoming more and more aggressive! My body felt more unbalanced, and I fell twice. I encourage you to speak to your doctor to thoroughly investigate what meds are out there that don't make you mean and walk like a twitchy drunk!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 30, 2019

For Epilepsy "Horrible experience on this drug, yes, it works to stop seizures, but I don’t think that outweighs the cons of having mood swings, anger, depression, anxiety, and really dark thoughts that could put me in prison. And it also makes you lose your friends and family due to these side effects."

• REF...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 17, 2023

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I had my first two seizures just after my 21st, they then diagnosed me with epilepsy and tried to put me on medication, but I refused as I don’t want to be dosed up on drugs. I know it’s beneficial in the long run, but I really didn’t want to be on any meds. I then had my third seizure at 22 and started taking Keppra. I feel like I’m going insane. I’m not an angry person, but this drug makes me evil. I’ve only been on it for a week and a half, and I took the week off work to rest, and thank god I did. I’ve been bedridden all week, I wake up in tears every morning with the feeling of wanting to rip all my teeth and hair out of anger. I can only describe it as feeling as if I’m on a withdrawal of some sort of drug even though I’m on Keppra. I’m asleep all morning and all night. I want to rip my skin off and scream and cry all day. In fact, I wake up crying my eyes out for hours. Please refuse it."

• Ben...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2023

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Let's just say that taking Keppra increased my aggression drastically, and it ended up with a lot of the people around me getting hurt, and it didn't help with my epilepsy in the slightest. This was back when I was 16."

• xar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2020

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "I was always a very happy person with a lot of energy, but since I started Keppra, I became violent, with uncontrollable rage, depressed, tired, dizzy, and I attacked my cat for almost doing nothing. I don't recognize myself. I just want to lie down all the day and stay in bed."

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

Levetiracetam 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."

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

Levetiracetam 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."

• Bog...
• March 26, 2017

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Extreme rage. Angry a lot. Quick to snap at minor things. Seizures have stopped for 2 1/2 years with a price to pay. I'd just like to try something else, but this is the first medication that works after trying 3 others."

• Bog...
• March 26, 2017

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Extreme rage. Angry a lot. Quick to snap at minor things. Seizures have stopped for 2 1/2 years with a price to pay. I'd just like to try something else, but this is the first medication that works after trying 3 others."

• CTI...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 9, 2018

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Keppra was terrible for me. The worst was the mood swings that were uncontrollable for me. I'm a nice guy, but I literally hated everyone. Fired from jobs for misconduct and anger issues. I had surgery in 2012, and it improved my situation, but I still take Vimpat, Lamotrigine, and have my medical marijuana license as well. Looking and feeling like the best meds combination for me."

• Anonymous
• December 4, 2009

Levetiracetam for Seizures "Keppra alone did not do anything for me except make me depressed and have 'Keppra rage.' I was up to 1500 mg 2x a day and would still have a grand mal about every 4 months and absence seizures in between. My neuro switched me to Topamax, Depakote, and everything else, but would break out in rashes or have horrible diarrhea and every other side effect. Back to Keppra, I am 2000 mg 2x a day (400 mg a day total) now, weighing 175 (hell of a dose), and got put on Lamictal as well, up to 100 mg 2x a day of that. 1 month since the addition of Lamictal and a higher dose of Keppra and no seizures yet. We shall see."

• Day...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 9, 2021

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I took these as a kid. My parents instantly had me stop taking them because I would always feel angry and tired while taking them, and my doctor would always increase my dosage every time I saw him. As an adult now who always feels tired no matter how much sleep I get and feels very unmotivated to do things still, I can’t help but wonder if taking these as a kid has affected me mentally. I was always shy but a very hyper kid who liked learning new things, and after taking these, I just remember turning into a quiet kid who didn’t do much, and that’s stuck with me for years. I'm currently trying to fight this, but I wonder if there’s anyone else out there who’s taken this medication and feels this way years after they’ve stopped?"

• Anonymous
• August 19, 2009

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I am currently on Lamictal and Keppra. I've been through lots of changes in medicine since pregnancy and had brain surgery on the injured part of the brain due to being in a coma as a child. I'm still having seizures, not as often, but when they hit, they hit in numbers, not just one! I want more options and no more surgery! And my family and I want the mood swings, anger, agitation, and racing thoughts to be gone!"

• Bgo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2017

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 13. Due to my cerebral palsy, I had been taking Zonegran since then. I had weaned myself off of my medication when I got pregnant and had been seizure-free for almost 7 years. I recently had a relapse and began seeing a different neurologist. She put me on Keppra. THE WORST three months of my life. My moods would go from 0-60 in a matter of seconds and for no valid reason. I had trouble remembering things, even trouble with communication. It’s true, I also began to have suicidal thoughts and became too much to handle, even for myself. I would randomly cry, then get angry. I recently was referred to another neurologist, who asked me about these symptoms, and then it clicked. I DO NOT recommend this medication to anyone."

• Kyl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 10, 2020

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "I have sadly had a love/dislike relationship with Keppra. Almost right away after starting it after being diagnosed with simple partial seizure epilepsy, almost all symptoms I had been dealing with were gone. Within a week, it was amazing to have a day without constant headaches, feeling dizzy, seeing flashes of lights, etc. Starting Keppra, it was discussed between my doctor and me and my spouse that it has a common side effect of causing what she referred to as 'Keppra Rage.' Fortunately for me, I did not experience that. Unfortunately, it did cause me crippling anxiety to the point I couldn't sleep with a blanket and would commonly feel the urge to run outside because it felt like what I would guess a panic attack would feel like. Without that one side effect, Keppra would be my best friend. I would encourage people to try it if offered, however."

• Not...
• June 9, 2020

For Epilepsy "I've been on levetiracetam for about 6 years now, and it's controlled my seizures, which started when I was 22 years old. The depression, anger, mood swings, and general numbness are too much. I've lost friends and nearly lost a partner. I never used to get panic attacks, and now I do. I mistake them for auras sometimes, which just heightens the sense of dread. Occasionally, I accidentally miss a dose and wonder why I feel so happy that day, then it hits me... I feel like reading these reviews has helped me to come to a decision to change, so thanks, everyone. That being said, I'm sure this could work for some people, so don't be scared of it as a medication. Just be aware that if your mood changes or you start feeling depressed, that it's not just you turning into an awful person and could be the medication. Also, I'm in the UK, so NHS will change my meds for free, no qualms."

• Zac...
• November 8, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with type 2 bipolar disorder in March of this year. A few months later, I had my first seizure, followed by a couple more in my sleep. I was then diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and prescribed a regimen of levetiracetam 750 mg tablets twice a day. Over the past 5 months, I've had positive results regarding my seizure disorder, although I have experienced an increase in irritability, hostility, depression, and suicidal ideation. I'm in the process of seeing my neurologist to determine whether this is the best treatment option."

• Lau...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 4, 2016

For Epilepsy "I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 12 years old (I am now 27). I have been on lamotrigine and topiramate (separately) in the past, and they both worked to control my seizures. This year, my neurologist has changed, and she wanted me to try Keppra, but I was happy on the topiramate, so I said no until I had a grand mal seizure. However, the seizures have gotten worse since taking the Keppra, plus the side effects are awful. At the start, I was so tired I spent all day asleep. After the dosage has increased to 3000 mg per day, I have started to get mood swings, anger, depression, irritability, plus suicidal thoughts and have become a completely different person - I never used to cry, but now I don't stop."

• Jok...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 29, 2021

Levetiracetam for Seizures "Keppra did not work at all, in fact, it made my life a living nightmare while I was on it. All I wanted to do was sleep, my seizures were actually worse. It made me very angry at everything and also landed me in the psychiatric hospital twice."

• lab...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 7, 2016

For Epilepsy "Have reduced my seizures from about 15 a year to only 3-4 a year, however, the side effects greatly outweigh the benefits. Currently suffering and have been for about 6 years now... extreme fatigue, mood swings, high up and down rapid changing moods, anger with extreme anger outbursts where never in my life was I an angry person, shaky hands, extreme memory loss like 2-4 month gaps, unable to concentrate, irritability, can't even remember simple names of things like cup or brush, which is very frustrating because I used to be a grant writer and loved to write poetry, can't anymore. Stuffy nose, exaggerated fears, swollen glands, depressed, social anxiety, I rarely leave my home anymore, I don't answer the phone, Dr. doesn't care."