I went to go see Dr. L today with Dave to check to see how I'm doing after starting the Keppra. I told her I'm feeling great. Honestly, my mood has completely changed - and probably not in the way she expected. Keppra is known for causing something called "
Keppra Rage." There are scary stories of people breaking things, screaming for no reason and being completely out of character. I, on the other hand, got a new perspective on life. My life is good. I am happy.
She did a few simple tests (following her finger, having me walk, etc - I have terrible balance, lol) and we talked about what my next steps were with my medication. Was I go to stay on the Zonegran? What should we do with the Keppra since I was so tired? What did I need to do next? She must feel very confident though that we found the right combination because after a year of telling me that we shouldn't have any more kids, she brought up that Keppra is good for pregnancy and that I would be safe. Unprompted. Not saying that's what I want, but it's the first time she's done it.
So after all is said and done, my dosing will look like this:
· Lamictal XR 225mgs 2x/day
· Keppra XR 1250mgs 2x/day
· Zonegran 25mg at night
She's switching me to the XR of the Keppra for two reasons. First, so I don't have to be on such high of a dose. Second, she thinks my body will react better to it (not as tired, steady dosage, etc). Literally the only reason that
I still will be taking the Zonegran is because it has worked so well for my migraines. That's why it's such a low dosage (I originally was on 150mgs 2x/day). If I'm migraine-free for an extended period of time, she will stop it completely. She also talked about lowering the Lamictal eventually. I think her primary goal is to have me solely on Keppra XR in the future. I was maintained on monotherapy for so long. She msg think that with the right drug that it's possible again.
Also, I am going to begin to start taking 400mg of Magnesium supplements since certain over the counter meds and foods can deplete your Magnesium levels, which can actually trigger seizures.
She asked me to hold off on driving until I see her again in early August. Legally, I'm allowed to drive. She just wants to play it safe with all the changes we are making.
I think that this is a good start. We will get this all figured out. I feel I'm getting healthy. I'll update as I make the changes ans let you know how I'm feeling.
