Before I tell you some things about keppra (all good), I just want to tell you don't be bummed. Seizures are pretty extensive, and while some few of them come from one part of the brain, many DO NOT. They involve an excitation that can come from many sources.

About Keppa: it is a great medication. The only thing that might cause a problem is a llack of B vitamins. If you take a good multi-vit. daily, you shouldn't experience any of the negative ( i.e. emotional or aggression symptoms) that are sometimes mentioned here on this list. Good luck to you! Dimmie

Thanks for your reply. Does Keppra make you really groggy? Do you know anyone or anything about how a person will feel weaning off of Primidone to Keppra? I guess my biggest fear is that a seizure could occur in the process of the transition.

I take Keppra and have liked it so far; however it really hasn't done what I went on it for.
Before Keppra I was taking Valproic Acid (or also known as depakote) and some of the side effects that really frustrated me were really bad shakiness and (excuse me) a lack of sexual desire.(hard on a marriage)
I did some reading up and keppra was a med that was good for both, so I talked with my doc about switching from the Valproic Acid to the Keppra...
Well, it did help both, I was really happy about that, but the bad part to that was that after 2 yrs. of no grand mals I started having them again.
I should have just gone back to the VA, but I didn't and so now I have been on it for over 6 yrs., I am still having grand mals and because of the length of time I have been on it the other has worn off. I am back to being shakey and my sex life wasn't doing well either, but I found out that I was going into pre-menopause. With that I started taking HRTs and it brought the sexual desire back; however, I had to go off that, but found a vitamen for pre-menopauseal women (Estroven) that brought it back.
At one point my neuro had me try another med called Vimpat, but that really threw me for a loop, so I asked if I could go back onto the Valproic Acid, but while trying to go from Keppra/Vimpat on to Valproic Acid it all made me so sick that I couldn't get out of bed and just decided to stick with my keppra.
I am now on my Keppra and Lamictal and yes I am still having occasional grand mals and petits, but I can at least walk and see straight, where with the others I could not.
Now, you have to realize that all these meds do not affect everyone the same way. There are several out there who can handle Vimpat where as I could not.
For me the only cure to not having seiz. is to have surgery. The meds just help so that I don't have them all the time.
I hope that the Keppra does work for you.
Good Luck

Thanks for sharing your experience on Keppra. Are you a candidate for the surgery? Like I said, it was wonderful!! Two seizures in 10 years is not bad.

Good luck to you also, it's a very frustrating illness.

Keep Smiling
Maureen

I've been on Keppra for about a month now & I take more at night so hopefully my brain can calm down in the day When I'm not waking up in such bad shape from the night seizures & maybe have less day seizures. We (me & my amazing Neuro.) are still trying to get the dose right. Had seizures for so long...20 or so yrs. that it's gonna take awhile. I have "Complex Partial" & "Myoclonic" epi. as well as highly probable MS. so I'm sure the neurological damage adds to making my Epi. a little trickier to control when more symptoms are present than just the Epi. symptoms. Not that I'm saying I am worse off than anyone else, just more symptoms & conditions to combat all at once. I'm sure allot of us can identify.

Take care,
Stay sane!

Thanks everyone for your advice on Keppra. So far so good. I'm on week 2 of adding Keppra to my coctail and weaning off of primidone. I did find out that my insurance covers the slow release Keppra, so I can take them all at night!! I won't be a zombie during the day.

Actually, I have been on the same meds. for so long that I really don't know what side effects my drugs bring on.
When I first found out I needed to have surgery done my husband and I decided that was what we were going to do, but then one thing after another started happening.
My son ran away from home, my daughter had been in an accident, other medical bills were piling up, so we decided to hold off for a little while; however, my siez. started coming on more...I'm sure stress played a BIG part in all of that.
I had watched a thing on the news about a girl who had epilepsy and needed surg. so she checked into different Clinical Trial Research programs and found one that she qualified for.
I decided to try that too and found one. They are comparing a temporal lobectomy (which is what I need to have) to a gamma knife surgery.
I called them and have qualified to have it done. I first got a hold of them almost 2 yrs. ago, but they still had to get things authorized in order to start this research progect, plus we were waiting for them to come to Seattle, Wa. I live in Spokane, WA.
Well, they are in seattle now and so I am waiting for them to call me. They haven't yet, so I am going to be calling them soon
I am really looking forward to having this surg. done. I hate having all these stupid seiz. and stuff.

Good Luck with the surgery, you will love it after you have recouperated. It has changed my life completely!!

I had to come off of Keppra due to side effects but I won't go into detail as they must work for the majority of people. However check the leaflet that they come with if you notice anything. All the best.