Levetiracetam and Mood Swings: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Out...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 4, 2023

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Avoid. I am 24 years old, and I had my first seizure almost two years ago. I had another one a month after that. Grand mal seizures, to be exact. Both seizures were very violent, waking up to blood on my pillow, a black eye, and bitten tongue and lips. I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I got prescribed Keppra extended-release. I take 1000 mg at night. The side effects are horrible. Horrible mood swings, irritability, anger, rage, the list goes on. It has ruined relationships around me in my life. I am finally switching medications, there are better options out there. I advise you to look at the options. Take it at your own risk."

• Rya...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 16, 2016

Levetiracetam for Seizures "My brother had a tumor 15 years ago removed after having a seizure. Takes 1000 mg Keppra a day. He has mood swings, diarrhea if he does eat before, and delusional. Still effective. I started having anxiety attacks and seizures at 24 years of age. Neurologist prescribed me Keppra 500 mg daily and 2 mg Xanax a day when needed, usually, I break Xanax into pieces as you can because they have little bars to do so. I don't have any side effects besides feeling sleepy at the end of the day. I don't take Xanax until after work at the end of the day as Xanax does make me sleepy. Keppra deserves a 10 for me. But my brother rates it a 7. Everyone is different. I know this is for Keppra, but Xanax is not for anyone, a lot of people can't handle the drug and can't control themselves. Let the doctor determine."

• spy...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 26, 2019

For Seizures "Been on levetiracetam for around 9 years for my seizures, and the side effects were harsh the first year: bad mood swings, severe depression, and migraines daily. But over a couple of years, the side effects decreased. Plus, the levetiracetam controls my seizures caused by brain surgery very well, I only had 2-4 seizures in 9 years. Very happy with this medication."

• Pac...
• November 18, 2017

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "As a 42-year-old female, I have had seizures my entire life. I have taken 14 anti-convulsants at one point or another in an attempt to control my complex partial seizures, but Keppra is the WORST medication I have EVER taken. The side effects are horrible. Although it's the only medication that has been able to stop my seizures, the side effects are so terrible that it's not worth taking it. I couldn't string together a coherent thought, had short-term memory loss, had awful mood swings, and suddenly hated life. Everything was difficult, I couldn't think straight and felt emotionally raw all the time. I could barely keep it together while on this medication. Every day of life was AWFUL while on this medication. I will NEVER take it again."

• 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!"

• 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."

• 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."

• Mom...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 17, 2020

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Son was diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy at 12 years old after 2 tonic-clonic seizures. He was given 250 mg Keppra twice a day. He had a 3rd breakthrough seizure after forgetting to take 2 doses. After that, he was seizure-free for three years, including a trip from the USA to Europe. The doctor recommended a weaning process after a normal EEG, which we followed to a T. He relapsed and had a tonic-clonic seizure and is back on Keppra, 500 mg twice a day. He has a reminder to take it at 8 am and PM, and that helps moderate side effects. His side effects are mostly sleepiness and emotional swings, but being physically active helps a lot. We are hoping Keppra works as well the second time around as it did the first."

• Doo...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 12, 2020

Levetiracetam for Seizures "At the age of 48, my brother was diagnosed with epilepsy seizures. At that time, he almost died because nothing would stop them. After multiple seizures back to back, like 20+, the only thing that would even help control them was name-brand medication (Keppra). They started him out at six 500 mg daily. Many different symptoms with this I've noticed over the years, so I will list a few: mood swings, anxiety, depression, memory loss of dates and time, agitated, lies. Talked to the doctor about the amount of seizures he experienced since the last visit, and at times he gets violent. This medication still doesn't control them like it should, but by taking it, he at least has a chance."

• Pri...
• March 23, 2017

Levetiracetam 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."

• 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."

• Dan...
• April 11, 2011

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I have only been on Keppra for about a month, but I'm noticing mood swings, shakiness, and the medicine makes me sleep a lot. I haven't had another seizure, thank God, but the mood swings are awful. I hope after I have my brain tumor removed, things get better."

• mer...
• April 15, 2009

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I find that Keppra has reduced my seizures - Grand Mals - but I occasionally lose the ability to reason, wonder where I am. It also has considerably increased my weight. I am on Lamictal also. There is the odd mood swing, but I attribute that to Lamictal. My headaches are just about the same. No significant change in using it. I've been on it five years now."

• Daw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2017

Levetiracetam for Epilepsy "Neuro recently added Keppra to my seizure medication regimen. I have absence seizures, and the 600 mg (the recommended max) of Lamotrigine I'd been on for 16 years was no longer as effective. Being middle-aged and female, my seizures developed a catamenial (hormonal) aspect to them. My absences would skyrocket at certain times of the month, as many as 60 a day. Been on Keppra for 2 weeks and have only had 1 absence during that time! As for the side effects: near-constant irritability, sometimes a sense of hopelessness, apathy, and mood swings. More often than not, I feel detached from the world...like I'm just watching a movie and I'm not a part of what's going on around me. I'm weighing the trade-off: no seizures or constant crazy? Gonna give it a little more time."

• Ton...
• October 3, 2015

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I was on Decadron and Vimpat (Lacosamide, another anticonvulsant), and I'm pretty sure the Vimpat was compounding the side effects of the Decadron (mood swings, weight gain, blood sugar issues, I'm also diabetic). Plus, I was still having seizures, especially when I tried to work out (mostly running, but sometimes on an elliptical machine). I asked to be put back on the Keppra I had taken for 6 months prior to being moved to the Vimpat. I've been able to run again and am having fewer seizures (although I had one this morning after doing the ADA diabetes step-out 23-mile walk and sprinting the last half mile to get to a restroom). I definitely feel like the Keppra is more effective against seizures still and doesn't compound the side effects."

• 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."

• Eps...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 20, 2023

Levetiracetam for Seizures "Overall, the medication did indeed stop my seizures, but the side effects were unbearable. To this day, I don’t remember those first few weeks on it but still get to hear about how cranky, irritable, and foggy I was."

• Not...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 13, 2021

Levetiracetam for Seizures "I started taking Keppra 6 months ago… now taking 750 mg morning/750 mg evening. Worst drug I've ever taken. I'm a different woman, I've split up with my partner because of my dreadful mood swings. I feel awful, cry all the time, get angry very quickly. Lost weight. Memory issues, bad! And getting my words mixed up very easily, and I'm only 23! My neurologist is now changing me to a better drug! Gosh, don't take this, it's an awful drug, I'd say! On the good note, it has stabilized my seizures, been seizure-free for 6 months!"

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• November 6, 2011

For Epilepsy "I began having simple partial seizures in my adolescent years, not knowing that they were actually a type of seizure but rather a result of lack of sleep and stress. I had two seizures in the last fifteen months and was terrified of ever having one again. So I started taking Keppra at 750 mg twice a day and have not had a grand mal or simple partial seizure since, which is a big plus. Was drowsy and slept a lot the first couple of weeks, but now I'm back to normal. The only major downside is the extreme mood swings; I was always a happy girl and found joy in everything, but now I can barely go a day without something upsetting, deeply upsetting, or angering me. Hoping to overcome this eventually; I guess it's the price I pay to be seizure-free."

• Rac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 28, 2015

For Seizures "If it was possible to give this a 0, I would. I've had the hiccups for almost a year. My neurologist thinks they're 'a strange presentation of clonic seizures in the brain stem.' Weird, but okay. I've been on 500 mg for four days. In that time, I've lost consciousness twice, had three nosebleeds, been dizzy and lightheaded, had constant trouble breathing, had ridiculous mood swings from angry to crying in the blink of an eye, and been unable to walk a straight line. I feel drunk. It's horrible."

• 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."