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Need help with keppra


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Hi I seriously want to give keppra a try. I'm 15 and I feel like I shouldn't be dealing with this hit right now and I'll do anything to get past this, but I don't want to get addicted to benzos. Do you guys know if I can be prescribed keppra at my age and if hppd is enough to be prescribed it, thanks

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Hi man. Keppra is often prescribed to kids much younger than you for epilepsy so presumably there aren't any significant age-related concerns about it. Because HPPD is uncommon, opinions on what is and isn't appropriate for treating it vary widely. Prescription laws in the US seem to be more lenient so I think a GP can prescribe it which'd be much less of a hassle for you than seeing a psychiatrist or neurologist, but a lot of it's down to luck. It may well be beneficial to see a specialist; if your GP's skeptical/stubborn you could either ask them to consult a neurologist or to just refer you straight to one. Just familiarise yourself with the drug, be certain to print out all the information about HPPD and the use of Keppra in treating it, stress that it can't be abused, isn't addictive and is generally quite well tolerated with no lasting side effects. I've actually compiled (somewhat shoddily) a bunch of information on HPPD (ICD and DSM excerpts) as well as the Keppra study and numerous testimonials (many of which were lifted from a post by user "HBB" made a while back) in a Word document so I'll upload that to the Downloads section in case it'll be of use.

 

EDIT: uploaded it here. http://hppdonline.com/index.php?/files/file/71-hppd-summary-keppra-study-and-testimonials/ you might want to add stuff or change it around or whatever.

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Also, presumably you'll have to see a specialist with your mother? Surely she's aware you've got /something/ going on and should be more than willing to take you. I'd strongly suggest that if you think you could tell her without a significantly detrimental fallout you should; it'll be much easier in the long run for her to understand exactly what's going on. Otherwise, say you've got anxiety or are just feeling quite out of it lately - if you're experiencing DP/DR you might just say that those popped up out of nowhere a la Depersonalisation Disorder, or something - and just want to make sure everything's okay. Then once you're there ask if you can speak to the doctor privately for a bit. Parents generally understand that there are things kids want to keep from there parents and hopefully she'll respect that. I'm not sure due to your age if doctors are legally obliged to keep what you share with them confidential but most will respect that often there are things that can do more harm than good if out in the open and trust your judgement in that regard.

 

I'm not sure if you have health insurance of some sort so from what I understand your mum might have to fork out a fair bit for whatever you get prescribed. That's another reason that you want to be as open with her as possible about this. 

 

Hopefully you have a relationship where she loves you and accepts that you will make mistakes. The initial upset and frustration and acceptance period of telling her you used drugs and wound up with this is scary, but you have to compare that to trying to keep her in the dark when she's going to be the one taking you to appointments, buying your meds, witnessing and dealing with your anxieties and so on.

 

Best of luck dude.

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