Keppra & Depression

Hi,
i'm just starting on keppra today and have concerns about side effects too. If I experience anything, particularly "down times" as you say, i'll be sure to be in touch. Hope all is well!
Kathy

Hi,
i forgot to mention that i've done some reseach on keppra and did read that depression is a side effect, usually in the beginning. I have dealt with depression before, which was caused by post partumm but became really obvious after I had a seizure. There was a process I had to go through to deal with it, so I can imagine what you're going through, despite being caused from something else. No matter how mild or severe you feel you may be depressed you should talk to your doctor asap. I'm sure that if there is some way you can be treated without having to suffer, everyone involved would be anxious to find it. Good luck!

My doc. Took me off keppra because of my mood swings and because of short term memory. My boyfriend of 5 years goes w/ me to my appts. And tell my doc, all about my moods etc. Have your person go w/ you thats around you all the time, it helps. Take care jamal

My doc. Took me off keppra because of my mood swings and because of short term memory. My boyfriend of 5 years goes w/ me to my appts. And tell my doc, all about my moods etc. Have your person go w/ you thats around you all the time, it helps. Take care jamal

It's been a wonder drug for me. I also take 300 mg carbatrol. The changes I have noticed that are positive have a billion times outweighed the negatives. That being said, since taking keppra, I have noticed:
- an emotional russian roulette after seizures. 90% of the time, i'm crying, sobbing, etc. But, since adding keppra in 2003, I also have another 10% that is black depression, some suicidality, and not paranoia... Just a feeling that everyone hates me and is out to get me. Lol... Maybe that is paranoia? It fades within a day. Though the first time it happened really freaked me out. Now, I just deal with it.

Coping... I let people know and I crack jokes, try to keep things light and I wait it out. It always passes.

For me, above 1500 mg of keppra per day and I get so spacey I can't hardly think. I might as well be sleepwalking for all I remember and the intelligence of my actions. I swear it knocks my iq down by at least half. I know some other people who have had some degree of mild depression on keppra, but it passed very quickly.

Ok maybe I am not crazy. I have been on keppra a year and I have never been more depressed..Moody..Irritable..In my life and even worse is I have these horrible feelings of doom along with anxienty. Has anyone else experienced this?

Dear rainbowchristi, I started on keppra in july of 2004, and have found that it does in fact cause depression and sometimes short-term memory loss in some instances. Prior to using keppra, I used depakote for 15 years. Since depakote is also used for people affected with bipolar/schizophrenia disorders, I never had that problem with it. Keppra, however, does seem to cause frequent depression and downtimes where I have even felt like comitting suicide. Due to this side effect, my neurologist prescribed celexa as a emotional upper. Although it causes some gastro-intestinal disorders, the celexa does work for keeping me uneffected by the depression bouts. I wish you the best of luck and god bless.