Which do people prefer...

[Monkey_1495]

Keppra or Carbamazepine?

[LDAutie]

Hi!

I’m on three meds For my epilepsy in cluindgg carbamazepine and keppra,I was swapped from epilim to carb./tegretol at 19 which was a long time ago,but I remember the side effects were brutal,same with the gabapentin (my other AE,taken for both my epilepsy and nerve damage)

With Keppra,It seems Like a ‘cleaner’ AE to me,I only get really bad headaches nothing else, I’ve coped with a lot worse With all my meds,like going psychotic on SSRis.🤬😣

[Monkey_1495 in reply to LDAutie]

Thank you for replying! What do you mean by cleaner AE?

[GillyA]

I’m on keppra, with no side effects and it controls my seizures well (previously on valproate, problems with weight gain and seizure control). Each of us is different though and has to find our own balance between control and side effects.

[Hidden]

Hi I have been taking carbamazepine for the past 30 years and 19 of them have been seizure free. I was born with a cyst of some sort it does have a name but off the top of my head I can’t think what it is called on my right temporal lobe which was the most probable cause of my Epilepsy. The only side effects for me are bone thinning in my hips (‘osteopenia) which I have to take daily vitamin D and how it affects contraception leaving me only able to use two methods Depo Provera or the mirena coil which has been a right pain as I also have Endometriosis but that’s a different story for a different group lol. I have never tried Keppra as I believe that a newer drug. I think it is a case of finding what works for you and controls or reduces your seizures.

[Monkey_1495]

OK what about topiramate or Keppra 👀?

[GillSans]

I was on a large dose of Keppra, with increasing side effects, so was switched to Briviact, I feel better, but seizures are very short, sudden and dangerous.

Always a balance, some side effects are worse than the epilepsy.

[TabbyT]

100% Keppra. Safest drug going for pregnancy (along with Lamictal).

[Adlon57 in reply to TabbyT]

Watch out for Lamictal a dentists disaster medication, I was on it for 7 years, my teeth were literally falling out! If you take lamictal take it with another epilepsy medication, not on it's own!

[Carlos68]

I’m taking carbamazepine and primidone for 36 years.. I didn’t have a seizure until 2017 ( work stress,) after that no seizure since then..