Levetiracetam and Anger: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Tpa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 22, 2022

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I was on 3000 mg per day for complex partial seizures, mainly having absence variation. It only took a week of taking this stuff before horrific nightmares started occurring. Normally a very peaceful person, and virtually nothing could upset me. On Keppra, more like a ticking time bomb. I distanced everyone from myself and went into complete isolation so that when the Keppra rage came on, no one was around. When it would hit, it was literally like the rage and anger seen from the Incredible Hulk. Extreme anger, and I felt I could destroy anything. Normally, it hit during the night, so I would grab onto the mattress tightly, sweating profusely in a rage. Many times, that would follow the horrible nightmares. I wound up quitting my job because I couldn't function in the workplace while still having absence seizures and going in and out of consciousness. Don't let your neurologist convince you to go on this drug. It can have devastating effects, and they will make no mention of that beforehand."

• Tpa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 22, 2022

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I was on 3000 mg per day for complex partial seizures, mainly having absence variation. It only took a week of taking this stuff before horrific nightmares started occurring. Normally a very peaceful person, and virtually nothing could upset me. On Keppra, more like a ticking time bomb. I distanced everyone from myself and went into complete isolation so that when the Keppra rage came on, no one was around. When it would hit, it was literally like the rage and anger seen from the Incredible Hulk. Extreme anger, and I felt I could destroy anything. Normally, it hit during the night, so I would grab onto the mattress tightly, sweating profusely in a rage. Many times, that would follow the horrible nightmares. I wound up quitting my job because I couldn't function in the workplace while still having absence seizures and going in and out of consciousness. Don't let your neurologist convince you to go on this drug. It can have devastating effects, and they will make no mention of that beforehand."

• jsh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 19, 2022

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "For us, Keppra was not the right medicine. My son started on this medication at 6 months old and was on it till about 2.5 years old. It didn't seem to help with seizures and also seemed to cause aggression issues. Once we removed this medication, his overall attitude changed for the better. I will say that while on it, one thing that helped with the aggression was B6 vitamin."

• Bec...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 10, 2016

For Epilepsy "I was diagnosed with epilepsy at 25 and have been taking generic Keppra for 2.5 years. I started the drug to control grand mal seizures. It has been largely effective at controlling the seizures (I've only experienced two since starting the meds). However, the side effects are less than ideal. I originally experienced intense feelings of anger and depression and would break down on a nightly basis. I tried taking the recommended B6 supplement and experienced little to no relief. My short-term memory suffered horribly, and I'm able to recall very little of the first year in which I started taking the medication. I now take Zoloft to combat some of the side effects but still experience feelings of anger, depression, fatigue, and memory loss."

• Kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 22, 2021

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Worst medication I've ever been on. I am naturally a very calm, kind, and easygoing person. On Keppra, I suddenly became an aggressive and angry person. I did not realize this at first, but soon realized I was yelling at everyone and had explosive anger towards the smallest circumstances. I was on this for about a month. I have had amazing experiences on Lamictal (Generic: Lamotrigine)."

• Kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 22, 2021

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Worst medication I've ever been on. I am naturally a very calm, kind, and easygoing person. On Keppra, I suddenly became an aggressive and angry person. I did not realize this at first, but soon realized I was yelling at everyone and had explosive anger towards the smallest circumstances. I was on this for about a month. I have had amazing experiences on Lamictal (Generic: Lamotrigine)."

• Kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 22, 2021

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Worst medication I've ever been on. I am naturally a very calm, kind, and easygoing person. On Keppra, I suddenly became an aggressive and angry person. I did not realize this at first, but soon realized I was yelling at everyone and had explosive anger towards the smallest circumstances. I was on this for about a month. I have had amazing experiences on Lamictal (Generic: Lamotrigine)."

• Mim...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 20, 2021

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I have been on Keppra for 10 months post-craniotomy to prevent seizures. Initially, I was taking 1000 mg per day and then was reduced to 500 mg per day. I had my neurologist lower the dose because I was becoming very aggressive. I was very mean and spoke with no filter. I have not had any seizures, it's more of a preventive measure. I hope I can get off this medication soon."

• Pet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2022

Levetiracetam for Seizures "It is for my son. He is more aggressive, and he will not eat. He had not had a seizure when he was put on Keppra. It was given to him instead of Tegretol. He has cerebral palsy and autism and cannot depend on himself. I tried to get in touch with the doctor several times regarding this issue and had no help. He has barely eaten in two weeks."

• Nic...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 8, 2021

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "This 'Med'/Keppra/Brivaracetam has always been Neuro's 1st choice since diagnosed in 2008 for 'Opiate induced Epilepsy' @30 (3000 mg). Not helped 'Absent' or 'Nocturnal Seizures'! Would take any 'Med' to avoid Sleep-Wandering, biting mouth to shreds & various injuries when awakened. Keppra = No thanks. The SIZE of the tabs are scary enough, increased anxiety, zombified 24/7, terrible lethargy, that KEPPRA RAGE & negative feelings as others have described. (Tegretol, Clobazam + Zebinix are helping more, tbh.) The gut feeling with others' experiences on this 'Med' confirms suspicions. Bless all.."

• Liv...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 26, 2021

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "I started Keppra XR in 2010, 2250 mg daily, and have been seizure-free to date. The first month was a bit rough as I felt disoriented and fatigued. I had a bit of a hiccup when my not-so-usual doctor switched me to immediate release generic. That was terrible! Suicide ideation, anger, and hostility. Life was really awful within 24 hours on that crap! I even got in trouble with the law by day two! Knowing that wasn’t me, I went back to my regular and much-loved doctor. Although not covered under my HMO, I needed my doctor and Keppra XR brand. I have no side effects other than I sometimes feel a little euphoric about an hour after my morning dose. Very satisfied with the results and living my best life."

• Liv...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 26, 2021

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "I started Keppra XR in 2010, 2250 mg daily, and have been seizure-free to date. The first month was a bit rough as I felt disoriented and fatigued. I had a bit of a hiccup when my not-so-usual doctor switched me to immediate release generic. That was terrible! Suicide ideation, anger, and hostility. Life was really awful within 24 hours on that crap! I even got in trouble with the law by day two! Knowing that wasn’t me, I went back to my regular and much-loved doctor. Although not covered under my HMO, I needed my doctor and Keppra XR brand. I have no side effects other than I sometimes feel a little euphoric about an hour after my morning dose. Very satisfied with the results and living my best life."

• Anonymous
• August 26, 2011

For Seizures "I had my first grand mal at age 35. I started taking 500 mg of Keppra 1x a day and eventually worked down to 250 mg 1x a day without any seizures. My doctor and I decided to take me off the medicine as there has been no epilepsy detected in all the testing I have done. After being off the medicine for 30 days, I had another grand mal. So, I started taking the minimal dosage of 1/2 of a 250 mg pill once a day. It has been over a year now, and I have not had another seizure. I do experience dizziness at the beginning of my day before I take my pill. After a few hours, I feel fine. I also sometimes experience drowsiness, tiredness, agitation, anger, anxiety, depression, irritability, and occasional panic attacks. I'd rather have these than seizures!"

• Say...
• September 29, 2015

For Seizures "I had every side effect, even pain in my temples, which was so painful that I thought they were going to bust and was ready to go to the ER. When I decided to look my meds up online, I found that Keppra was causing these side effects, and people were going to the ER for this. Also, I was having so many memory problems I couldn't remember anything from 2 minutes prior. I had agitation, anxiety, angry outbursts. I had to go. I mean go. I couldn't stay still. Sometimes I felt like I had to leave, it was crazy. I was losing my mind. I had no control. I was very angry, lots of outbursts, and I couldn't control it! When I looked up all of the side effects, I couldn't believe how I felt was right there. It was me right there."

• coc...
• December 2, 2011

For Epilepsy "My 9-year-old daughter takes this 500 mg 2 times a day, and it does lower the seizures by a few, but not enough for the major mood swings she has been having. She is happy 1 minute, and like the flip of a switch, she is so angry and hard to reason with. Six medicines and not one has made a change for the better."

• Hur...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 8, 2021

Levetiracetam for Seizures "Had first seizure at age 73. MRI didn't reveal anything. Dr. prescribed 750 mg twice a day. Questioned such a high dose, and he said some people take 3000 to 5000 mg a day. Have not had a seizure in 3 years, but side effects are horrible. Lightheadedness, weakness, anger, shortness of breath, loss of balance, drowsiness, ear infections. I am ready to reduce dosage and try to stop taking it altogether."

• Jus...
• January 28, 2010

For Seizures "My 4-year-old son started having seizures a few months ago. All the tests have been run, and still, they cannot find out what is causing them. They diagnosed him with epilepsy and started him on liquid levetiracetam (Keppra). Side effects were hyperness, not focused, anger, rage, frustration, hard to fall asleep at night, out of control. His UCLA pediatric neurologist prescribed him lamotrigine (Lamictal), starting with a really low dose and increasing every week. So far, with decreasing the Keppra, I can see a difference, and so can his teachers at preschool. This month, January 2010, he has only had 2 grand mals and a bunch of petit mals. So far, no side effects from the lamotrigine. It's a day-by-day process."

• Jus...
• January 28, 2010

For Seizures "My 4-year-old son started having seizures a few months ago. All the tests have been run, and still, they cannot find out what is causing them. They diagnosed him with epilepsy and started him on liquid levetiracetam (Keppra). Side effects were hyperness, not focused, anger, rage, frustration, hard to fall asleep at night, out of control. His UCLA pediatric neurologist prescribed him lamotrigine (Lamictal), starting with a really low dose and increasing every week. So far, with decreasing the Keppra, I can see a difference, and so can his teachers at preschool. This month, January 2010, he has only had 2 grand mals and a bunch of petit mals. So far, no side effects from the lamotrigine. It's a day-by-day process."

• 210...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 26, 2022

For Seizures "The worst experience of my life. Never go on this drug even if it works the best. I lost 20 pounds and still losing weight. I can never eat, sleep, or feel relaxed. My anxiety got worse and worse. I’ve never been this depressed in my life. I’m always tired and angry. Even when I get enough sleep, it never works. I’ve also never had angry outbursts before. I’ve had full-on mental breakdowns I haven’t ever had before. Please never go on this drug."

• 210...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 26, 2022

For Seizures "The worst experience of my life. Never go on this drug even if it works the best. I lost 20 pounds and still losing weight. I can never eat, sleep, or feel relaxed. My anxiety got worse and worse. I’ve never been this depressed in my life. I’m always tired and angry. Even when I get enough sleep, it never works. I’ve also never had angry outbursts before. I’ve had full-on mental breakdowns I haven’t ever had before. Please never go on this drug."

• ALa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 25, 2022

For Seizures "My husband was put on this drug 8 months ago, and they keep upping the dosage to where he was 1500 mg twice a day. He still has seizures with no evidence of an underlying cause as to why. His condition is getting worse and worse with each day. He already had trouble regulating his mood, and this has become a nightmare. This Keppra rage everyone talks about is real, and I am terrified he might hurt himself or others. He’s getting nosebleeds, he’s angry all the time, pins and needles all over his body, bad headaches, and has been absolutely unreasonable. I want to get him off this stuff ASAP, but the doctors keep going the dosage and don’t listen to me when I tell them about the terrifying side effects."

• kte...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 9, 2021

For Seizures "I went on levetiracetam about 10 years ago after being identified with focal continuous seizures. After seizuring for 65 hours, Keppra was the only medication that made it stop. For a month afterwards, I found myself, a usually calm, patient person, totally grumpy and aggressive. I did not like myself anymore. I talked to my GP, and she put me on Citalopram Hydrobromide, 20 mg once a day. She felt it was anxiety and would take 4-6 weeks to help. Within two days, I was back to my old self. I have continued to take both ever since and have had no side effects from either. I told my new neurologist about this. He was interested."

• bjo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 16, 2021

For Epilepsy "I have been taking Keppra for almost 19 years, and it saved me, but at a funny cost. After the first Keppra rage, strange thing, everything is fine, and then I would get feelings of anger, and whenever it did, I had no reason to feel angry, like standing in line, etc. After 4 months of taking 1000 mg twice a day, I became seizure-free and have been for over 18 years. Never had any good control on any other medications in the past, but when I would suddenly get feelings of anger, I began to see that Keppra was speeding up my thinking and made me realize I now had more time to think. Auras started about 3 months ago, see if the doctor wants to up my dose, age may be due to this. Amazing drug, though, works well."

• Emo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2021

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I was put on this medication after one seizure with no history of seizures of any kind. This medication is horrible!!! I plead with anyone who is taking this to ask for help, and if you have a loved one on it, know that they need your help. It causes severe confusion, nosebleeds, aggression, bad dreams, and irritability to name a few. My doctor was adamant that I needed it, but when I finally forgot to take it one day, I had a moment of clarity and looked up its side effects. I was floored that I was ever put on it. It was by far the worst experience I have ever had with a medication, especially one I didn’t need! I weaned myself off of it and worry about long-term effects from taking it for so long. I implore everyone to find something else if you suffer from seizures and ask a loved one to help you if you are having any of these horrific side effects. God bless you and good luck to you all! I give it a scale of 10 on effects for very negative side effects."

• Kit...
• August 26, 2013

Levetiracetam for Seizures "Been on Keppra for 1 month. No seizures but very tired, depressed, and angry. 500mg morning, 500mg evening."