Medication and symptoms

[Kendra99]

I have started on keppra again and also im on lacosamide at the same time i take them morning and night and have started with depression and what i think is insomnia i also struggle with blurred vison where i cant reas things properly and have to strain my eyes i went to check my eyes they said i needed glasses but even with glasses i have the same problem is this down to my tablets? Also im getting crucial back pain since ive started the lacosamide is this normal? I also thing the keppra is making me suffer with headaches all the time as im getting them regular now where as i hardley never got them. Does anyone else have similar problems like this and can help?

[bevA]

Hi Kendra, I am on the same 2 medications as you, started on the Kepra which did control my tonic clonic seizures but then had partial seizures so then started on lacosamide, both made me feel really sick and drowsy and clumsy, I still get frequent headaches to my right side but not sure if its affected my vision as I do wear glasses for reading and distance, think this is just down to age, I'm also going through my menopause so I get lots of grumpyiness but again not sure if this is due to medications as well, I have my down days where I just want to cry but I do try to get out and about which does help being with around others, stops you dwelling on how you are feeling, I do belong to a epilepsy coffee and chat group and this has helped only meet once a month but makes you realise what others suffer with and that makes me consider myself one of the lucky ones. If you feel you are suffereing with depression I would suggest you speak to your GP or epilepsy nurse, I did have lots of side effects when I first started with the meds which took about 3 months to settle each time they were increased. I hope you get sorted and that it improves for you.

Best of luck

bev

[Kendra99 in reply to bevA]

Thankyou for your help x

[Claymatrix in reply to Kendra99]

I found a great relief with an organic multi vitamin, or bio active b xomplex vitamins. Getting enough calcium and magnesium is important with keppra. You will find the manic feeling, deppression, bad moods, etc.go away with healthy supplements and diet. Keppra effects calcium and vitamin deficiency, so it may be your answer like i found out. I almost quit Keppra but im glad i didn't . Garden of life probiotics are good, with about 34 strains you will see your gut is part of your brain, research this too. I'm doing good on 2275mg a day. And alcohol and nicotine are very bad mixed. Medical CBD oil is an option as an add on maybe.

[Morrisbecki in reply to bevA]

Try Lamotrogine! I have been seizure free now for 5 years.

Prior to that I was on Keppra which not only made me really depressed in that I had no extreme emotions about anything, just felt numb all the time and you begin to think this is normal fir you but it just st isn’t.

My GP slowly weaned me off keppra and onto Lamotrogine 100mg twice daily.

Anyway it seems to do the trick!!!

😁

[trevor1954]

Kendra

This is weird. I am on Keppra 1500mg twice daily and also on Vimpat, (lacosamide) 200mg twice daily. I have had to get new specs for work as I cannot use computer with my ordinary glasses. Years ago I didn`t get a headache one year to next. Now I am getting them at least twice a week if not more. At the moment I am currently having treatment for anxiety and depression. I go to see a councillor every other week. Hope you feel better soon.

Trevor. xx

[Kendra99 in reply to trevor1954]

Thankyou, yes i was on keppa a year ago but they took me off for depression but now want to try me again so been on it for a few months but because of seizures been frequent they added lacosamide and ive been to a councillor in the past but it didnt help much so now im just trying to be more open with my parents and partner and best mate which can help relieve stress and how im feeling. X

[blackpony]

I take 700mg of lamictal for 16 years with no problems....until August 8 2016 when I had a seizure and total my car. I woke up at truma unit at VCU/MCV from accident and had to learn how to use my right leg again,still messed up. Had to go to my neurologist and he added 500mg of keppra to go with my lamictal. Guess my body was getting use to the lamictal. Had a harder time getting my drivers license back,have to get doctor fill out DMV papers every 6 months or I'll loose drivers license again. Was told by wife I was depressed because I have crying spells without knowing it. I still deny it but she keeps with her story.

[SallyHobson]

Hi Kendra - I take high dosages of Keppra & Lacosamide twice daily. And since my initial diagnosis back in Jan 2014 also taken substantially amounts of other seizure control medication. Over the past 12 months i’ve worked hard to reduce this amount of additional medication, aiming to just leave myself on the Keppra/Lacosamide prescription. I have to admit this hasn’t been an easy journey, i’ve had a noticeable change in the side effects I experienced towards all medication but still i’m moving forwards. Each time my medication mix is altered I have an overwhelming change in moods, I often find it hard to describe to others, I have a period of “dark days”, when every negative aspect of my condition seem to catch up on me and I can’t find a single happy thought to hold onto. Despite knowing this to be a chemical reaction, that i’ve been here before and these feelings will pass, at the time it just makes me feel resentful of all those out there who’ve never had a seizure and ever had to take this medication.

I’ve made these changes so often that I know almost exactly, even to the day, how long these negative feelings will last - but at the time it takes complete control and I can’t seem to escape.

Whatever your situation I wish you the best. If your position is similar to mine then I can speak from experience and promise it can and will only get better. I made some medication mix changes at the beginning of this year, spent huge amounts of time last week reflecting on my life, missed my nephew first birthday party at the weekend as I didn’t feel up to it. Yet today, out of bed and at Yoga class by mid-morning - everything had changed.

Take care, don’t let the side effects of these nasty medications get the better of you, you’re stronger than that.

[Kendra99 in reply to SallyHobson]

Thank you for that it makes me feel better in a way knowing that I’m not alone with the side effects and I can relate to your dark days as well I sit and think about all the things that people can do that I can’t because of the epilepsy but like you say it passes and my family, friends and partner helps bring my spirit back up the best they can

[JennyWren1988]

Hi Kendra,

I've just started lacosamide after having a bad reaction to lamotrigine. I find it gives me palpitations, dizziness, dry mouth and strange aches and pains. What dose are you on?

Hopefully your feeling slightly better now. Fingers crossed ✌

Jen 🤗

[Kendra99 in reply to JennyWren1988]

Hi I had to take myself off the tablet as my body wasn’t agreeing with it and it was making my depression really bad and since I’ve been off it my mood is better than it was and now I’m back on lamotrogine 1000mg twice daily

[Kendra99 in reply to JennyWren1988]

Hi Jenny, I am now on 1250 in a morning and 1000 at night of lamotrogine slowly boosting them back up again and just hoping I don’t get the side effects I used to get a couple years ago when I was on them again I thought I would just give them a second chance and try to push past it and deal with them again so hopefully all goes well.

[Hidden]

Hi Kendra

I take maximum doses of lacosamide and Keppra twice a day. I have suffered from headaches since I started and now have to wear reading glasses. I work at a port I lost all my licences at work and feel my life has come crashing down, at my lowest point I just wanted to kill myself, but I have recovered slightly from this, I see the cranes I used to drive every day and suffer from daily low feelings sometimes I get tearful looking and seeing those cranes and suffer from daily headaches. I’m seeing a councillor at the moment but feel like it’s not working at the moment. I’m due to see the specialist next week and hope he can help.

[Kendra99 in reply to Hidden]

Hi dazza, yes I understand completely where you are coming from I was under counciling as well however I left as when you go to counciling some people you get on with and some you don’t and the person I had I didn’t feel a bond with them and felt a little awkward letting my emotions out infront of them so instead this might sound weird to some people but I don’t like letting these horrible dark feelings out to family or my partner because I just feel like they won’t understand and think I’m weird but not actually tell me that to my face however I started doing that and realised it went better than I thought it would and now I’m always talking to my partner about my gloomy days where I feel so low and just feel like what’s the point anymore and then he always has something to say that cheers me up and most importantly having him cuddling me while we’re talking about it makes me feel even better as it makes me confident that I know he’s there with me. Good look with specialist and let me know how it goes

[Hidden]

Hi Kendra

I have been seeing a specialist for 2 months now and things are getting better. They have taught me to write down my problems and read them back and look at what I would say if it was someone talking to me about them. It has helped and I have learned to listen to myself and talk to my partner which I didn’t do because I didn’t want to worry them with my problems

[Kendra99 in reply to Hidden]

Hi dazza, that’s great news glad everything is going okay and I’m glad you are feeling better I bet that’s a big relief for you

[Hidden]

It would be a big relief but I am getting laid off from work because I am epileptic, I am now looking into what steps I can take to sue the company for discrimination

[Kendra99 in reply to Hidden]

Yes that is a horrible feeling as i was going through that aswell but then I discovered that the job centre have people who can support others with disabilities on getting jobs and that’s been a big help for me as I’m now doing a few days at a dog groomers which has been my dream forever and that’s what I studied in college it took me a while to find out that the job centre could offer great help like that but before no one would take me on because of the epilepsy which is discrimination and it makes you feel as low as anything and that you can’t do anything and won’t be able to do anything and just what’s the point basically that how it made me feel anyway but don’t worry dazza it will get better but yes I do agree with what you have said and you should deffo go ahead with suing them

[Hidden in reply to Kendra99]

Thanks for the support and advice will try everything in my powers to do something

[Kendra99 in reply to Hidden]

Good luck and your welcome

[Claymatrix]

Yes, since going up in Keppra. While in Trileptal, in order to change meds and quit Trileptal. I HAD similiar side effects. Depression was bad, thoughts were challenging, headaches, vision wierd, etc. I found it to go away after being on it for 2-3 months. Mixing meds with Keppra I think is alot of the blame. Triletal with Keppra was tough. Now im taking less than 1/3 of the trileptal, and symptoms and my mood is good. Research vitamins and Minerals with Keppra. And also probiotics!