jbalsa2's keppra thread

[jbalsa2]

Hey guys, just wanted to start this thread as I've started taking a generic form of levetiracetam (keppra) just over a month ago. 

We started dosing at 250mg twice daily, then moved up to 500mg twice daily, and are now at 750mg taken BID, once at 8 am and once at 8 pm.

I should note that with my hppd I experienced quite allot of effects that would be considered schizzoaffective; unusual and uncontrollable thoughts which I had no ability to regulate, involuntary body and eye movements etc.

I've been through the ringer with different meds that I've been on in the past, ultimately it took allot of convincing for my psychiatrist to finally be willing to let me try levetiracetam. However after showing him the case study that was done on keppra, he was willing to let me give it a go. 

The first month that I was on it, I initially felt an increase in psychotic symptoms, and irritability etc. However about 3 weeks in, and after my dosage increase to 1000 mg these symptoms began to stabilize, and I started getting used to the medication.

Now we are about a month and a week into treatment, and are at 1500 mg a day. I no longer have uncontrollable schizzoaffective symptoms, and am now pretty much in complete control of my thoughts. Depersonalization and derealization have improved by 70-80%, and visual symptoms are improved by an easy 50%. 

I sometimes supplement with either Klonopin, alprazolam, or zopiclone, however this is never done at a frequency of more than once or twice per week.

Moreover I've completely ceased the use of any other drugs or medications, sticking to a clean regimen of strictly levetiracetam and minor spaced out use of benzos.

Il keep this thread updated, fingers crossed that my symptoms continue to improve over the course of the next year, as they have been steadily

Don't give up guys, my life has become easily livable with the regimen that im on now, which is something I could not say about the last 2 years of my life that I've been affected by hppd.

[jbalsa2]

Quick update - still on 750mg twice daily. I've just switched to keppra brand (UCB) 750mg tabs. Im excited to find out if I notice a difference between the generic and name brand versions and will post the results here, though I think differences will be negligible.

With income support covering 40% of the cost of the med, im only paying around $140 a month for the name brand version of keppra.

 

My improvement is still very much prevalent. A week later and my visuals are seeking to calm down quite a bit. The intensity, depth, and hold on my anxiety that the visuals have are much reduced. 

Here's to hoping that after a year or two on this med I can rid myself of the V.S. completely, as it's one of the only effects of hppd that I currently experience to much extent anymore.

 

[jbalsa2]

Started taking the UCB brand name pills (Brand name Keppra)

Oddly enough I found that there are significantly less negative side effects with the brand name version.

Notably less tension, and headaches/head pressure that I'd get from the generic version. Which is odd considering they should be identical.

Just thought I'd note it.

[jbalsa2]

Update!

Brand name Keppra is continuing to work wonders for me. Just a couple of things I've noted since being on it, and more specifically the brand name version.

One of the side effects of hppd I've always experienced was icons on my phone screen or letters on my phone's keyboard would always appear to be floating or shifting around. On keppra this effect has almost completely subsided. Letters and icons now appear completely stationary - glued in place if you will.

Another effect I've noticed - I can drink alcohol regularly again without it having severe consequences on my hppd. Alcohol just flows freely as it did before acquiring hppd, both in terms of how the alcohol effects me during my period of drinking, as well as the day after. My hangover feels like just an alcohol hangover, and not a full blown flare up of my hppd symptoms as it normally is. When I wake up the next morning, my hangover is specifically an alcohol hangover while my hppd symptoms pretty much remain at baseline.

Exciting stuff!

Edited July 30, 2018 by jbalsa2

[jbalsa2]

Well then. Have to make this note for anyone whose interested in trying either generic levetiracetam or keppra.

For me, there is a tremendous difference between the generic brand of keppra that I used (manufactured by Aurobindo) and the UCB name brand keppra.

Generic - Made me feel really stimulated and restless, always had to be moving around allot and never felt tired on it. 

Name Brand - Only been on it for 2 and a half days, but the name brand version has carried none of the stimulation that the generic has, and has actually made me extremely tired, to the point where I feel the need to nap mid day. This never happened with the generic - although sources say that the tiredness you'd get off keppra typically only lasts for 7-14 days before your body adjusts.

 

Just thought I'd note this information, as the name brand and generic versions of keppra feel like completely different drugs to me... In a way that's very easily distinguishable between the two.

[jbalsa2]

Reacting allot better to name brand today - none of the tiredness that I got yesterday. Can confirm name brand keppra is significantly better for symptoms than generic.

Still getting a little bit used to the adjustment from generic to name brand.

[Onemorestep]

Very exciting stuff! I hope it’s still working out for you  

 

keep a watch out out for increased hair shedding, connective tissue problems, and paradoxical vitamin deficiency symptoms (levels seemed fine, but body wasn’t utilizing them). These were the main ones I experienced. 

[jbalsa2]

11 minutes ago, Onemorestep said:

Very exciting stuff! I hope it’s still working out for you  

 

keep a watch out out for increased hair shedding, connective tissue problems, and paradoxical vitamin deficiency symptoms (levels seemed fine, but body wasn’t utilizing them). These were the main ones I experienced. 

It is; in the 2 and a half years that I've had hppd, I've never stayed on any one drug for longer than a couple of weeks, besides benzodiazepines. My luck would have it that lamotrigine gave me extremely crippling cerebellar ataxia. I've been on keppra for roughly 2 months now, and it seems to keep me on the good side of symptoms and keeps my psychological drive to keep going up, whereas before I'd always be depressed and resort to using benzos, opiates, or just generally not having a want to keep on living.

 

Now if only I could deal with my spasticity/involuntary psychologically concurrent muscle movement disorder - I think I'd have a pat down foundation built for being able to live a happy and consistent life, without having to worry much about how or when my hppd and other symptoms will stop me from being able to live and have a positive outlook on my future.

[scaredhuman]

Great to hear it's working for you!!

How's it going now?

Considering trying it myself, and intense visual snow too is my worst symptom.

[jbalsa2]

On 8/27/2018 at 4:01 AM, scaredhuman said:

Great to hear it's working for you!!

How's it going now?

Considering trying it myself, and intense visual snow too is my worst symptom.

Continues to work, if you try it you'll know after about 2-3 months what it's doing for you. 

[jbalsa2]

Had to stop taking keppra as it was causing cerebellar ataxia. Have switched to naltrexone which has worked incredibly well.

[palinoptical panopticon]

Man that sucks. How are you doing now? Is this this common with Keppra?