Tuesday, July 14, 2009

[epilepsy] Brand-new with Keppra questions...



Hey, everyone. :)
 
I am a 42 yo mom who has had epi since infancy. For about 1/2-2/3 of my life, I have been on phenobarb, which has always controlled my GMs 100%, thank God (when I was on it), but I also have simple partials (which rarely generalize to GM; haven't in 3 years! :) ). My SPs will cluster from triggers like weather fronts, hormonal yin-yang, or disturbed sleep. Phenobarb, unfortunately, has never controlled them. I started taking magnesium a year and a half ago, and it helps, but it can take the cluster down to about 12 szs from what were as many as 30 or 40 over a period of a day to a day and a half. My post-ictal blahs are generally not as bad as they were prior to starting daily mag, but I just had a bout with a cluster on Saturday, and I have only slept about 3 hours a night since! :(
 
I know the sleep disruption is a classic manifestation (for me, at least) of these things, but it has never been this long before. I also get a fever and pasty/metallic taste in my mouth with decreased appetite and occasional nausea/vomiting after they end or are ending. The fever can last a couple of days, and the crappy taste in my mouth generally will last 2-3 days. Sleep disruption would usually be only a night or so, but this has been (pardon the French) HOLY HELL. I have hardly slept since!!!
 
I called my doc (a neursurgeon; I have hydrocephalus), and for the third time, he suggested I consider Keppra. I have been reading up on it, and I know all drugs can be very good or very bad as well as in-between. (I had a nightmare experience with Tegretol!)
 
So...I come to you and ask: What are your experiences with it? Good? Bad? Ugly? Awesome?? I want it all. :)
 
Thanks muchly!
 
LIZ in RI, where we have SUN--at last!!!!!!!!!

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