Will I have withdrawal from Keppra?

[joejoe10]

Hey guys.

I'm thinking about asking my pysch for keppra. Will I have withdrawals when I decide to quit? How bad are the side effects at first? Also, I have lorazepam. Should I take lorazepam for a while to help with the beginning side effects? I took Lamictal but it didn't help me.

Currently, I'm only taking ashwagandha, an adaptogen, and I also drink one mushroom elixir tea in the morning, also adaptogens.  I take a lorazepam every one or two weeks when shit hits the fan. Really wish I had klono, but no one will prescribe it to me. I need some relief bad right now.

If you have any other helpful info on Keppra please comment. Thanks.

Edited September 2, 2018 by jamesjoe10

[Onemorestep]

Yes unfortunately you can have withdrawals from keppra. It’s such a complicated drug; it interacts with tons of systems—serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, opioid. It even has effects on the immune system. It’s a drug best tapered. That being said, it isn’t as bad as benzo withdrawals or “hard” drugs. It just should be done properly and slowly. It is an antiepilectic after all. Never good to abruptly discontinue usage of those kinds of drugs. 

 

My experience with keppra eas it was pretty easy to come off as long as I went slow. Going fast was very intense. Individual mileage may vary however.

[Onemorestep]

Also I don’t think you will need to take lorazepam to deal with starting keppra. It’s not likely to make you anxious. Going off keppra however, you could take lorazepam to soften the glutamate spikes that come with going off antiepilectics. I don’t recomend this though. All benzos should be taken sparingly if at all. 

 

Mince again it’s a very weird drug. I couldn’t sleep for three days when I started it the first time. I took a single dose of Benedryl and was able to sleep though. After the third day sleep resumed normalcy and even improved over time. 

 

If you are anxious about the medication, you can start on a very low dose. I took 75 mg for the first week and then bumped it up to 500. Worked my way up to 1500. It was the closest thing I’ve felt to a cure when it was working. However, after a single dose of methylphenidate, it stopped working for whatever reason. Moral of the story—if it works and you feel cured just stay sober.