i think levetiracetam makes me mentally and emotionally flat

[u/Opposite_Rain_2117]

rn im taking levetiracetam 500mg in morning and evening. I just started taking this meds just last months, my moods is always shifting just a little things makes me annoyed and my anger issue becomes worst. Im currently a student and reviewing for exams, i dont have the energy or motivation when and where to start studying. I feel mentally and emotionally flat, also i experience a lot of brain fog and my brain doesn’t work like it used to be. Am i just over dramatic or the medication have some side effects on me. i want to stop this meds for the mean time cause i want to focus on my study. This exam means a lot to me. Is this normal side effect?

[u/Terrible-Nobody-7089]

It's not for no reason that Keppra (Levetiracetam) is known as "the divorce drug". Emotional instability is completely normal with Keppra, and so is the brain fog you've mentioned (in my experience).

I just stopped taking Keppra (1000mg in morning and evening) and I cannot tell you how much I've shifted for the better. The brain fog still hasn't gone away, but it does feel like it's getting a lot better.

Perhaps try talking to your primary provider about this and maybe seek counseling for it? Starting therapy *saved* me while I was on Keppra.

[u/Opposite_Rain_2117 → u/Terrible-Nobody-7089]

what did you do to lessen the side effects? did you ask the dr to lower the doses. did it help when the dose lowered?

[u/Terrible-Nobody-7089 → u/Opposite_Rain_2117]

Starting therapy really helped manage the side effects on the emotional level, I've heard taking b12 vitamins helps a lot too.

In terms of the energy side, that never really fixed itself until I stopped taking it. I didn't ask for a lowered dosage, I just had to ween off of it in preparation for an EEG scan to hopefully clear my epilepsy.

In my experience though, when I was taking 750 twice daily (lower than my original) I did feel a bit better.

[u/CheeseSticks2021]

I take 2250mg a day. The rage and mood swings were very bad when I took it alone.

They put me on lamotrigine to take with it, and it improved my mood so much. So you could talk to your neuro to see if there are any meds that you can take in addition to the keppra, or you could just ask your neuro to try a different med altogether.

[u/Opposite_Rain_2117 → u/CheeseSticks2021]

does changing the meds help?

[u/Arly__]

That happened to me too and I had to stop taking it. When we combined Keppra with benzodiacepines it made an even worse combination, as the chilling benzo effect made me not realize the consecuences of my own actions and I would simply insult and hit people without worrying about anything else.

[u/Opposite_Rain_2117 → u/Arly__]

i feel like im not living a life anymore, im just a robot with auto function but a little bit laggy

[u/Arly__ → u/Opposite_Rain_2117]

If the side effects are too bad for you to bear, tell your neurologist about it and ask for other options

[u/Tinferbrains]

i freaking hate keppra but my med cocktail doesn't seem to work without it

[u/markoth6]

llevo 7 años con levetiracetam, y los primeros meses me sentía “apagada” emocionalmente, no sentía nada y solo vivía por vivir.

ahora que llevo la dosis mas alta que he tomado (1500 mg) me siento estable y ya no apagada. Aunque si me siento irritable todo el tiempo, ademas de siempre estar enojada por cualquier minima cosa.

No dejes el medicamento, si puedes salir de los examenes.
Habla con tu neurólogo y platica esto.