Posted by Ritch on May 13, 2005, at 23:57:34
In reply to Re: Length of time for Depakote (ER) trial? » Ritch, posted by SLS on May 13, 2005, at 15:59:20
> > Oh BTW, I had to stop the Keppra experiment-it was making me horribly irritable. I slept better and my working memory was much improved, but couldn't tolerate the irritability.
>
> Ouch. Irritability seems to be a common complaint with Keppra. Did it provide any antidepressant effects beyond the cognitive improvement?
>
>
> - ScottHi Scott, yes it did *seem* to provide some AD effects, but I think the improvement in working memory is what I'm associating the AD effects with. IOW, I don't feel like it had a "true" AD effect, just an opinion. I feel so much better now that I'm off it (friendly again and non-hostile). The whole idea of even taking it was simply to get me to sleep. It worked great for that. It also worked well for my restless legs that I've got. I'm beginning to think that my sleep disruption is an RLS symptom that *may* be aggravated by Depakote. I know, things are pretty complicated. The Keppra seemed to help the RLS, and helping "that" helped me sleep better and longer.. sleeping better and longer allowed my working memory to improve.. thus a seemingly AD effect (JUST MY THEORY). When I first quit the Keppra I went from sleeping 7-8 hrs. to just 4-5 hrs. right off the bat (and that's just stopping a 125-375mg dose per day). I felt sleep-deprived, fatigued, nasty memory, but... the irritability was fading. Another thing... I've had restless legs all along (mild).. and I've got family members with the same problem.. also family members with somnambulism and sleep talking.. but when I stopped the Keppra.. I realized that it was *helping* the RLS symptoms.. because some of my postures and constant fidgeting started up and I realized that I had been doing that all along and it was suppressed when I was taking the Keppra. So.. to get the needed sleep I just doubled up on antihistamine and added a little trazodone (25mg) at bedtime and I feel much better. I'm still a little dulled out.. but I don't feel hostile or grouchy.. if I can just get the sleep I need! -- Mitch
poster:Ritch
thread:496997
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050510/msgs/497581.html