can kepra cause vitamin d deficiency and muscle problems ?

[cardinalsin]

hi i have been taking kepra for 11 years to treat my epilepsy . it has controlled my fits but after 6 months of taking it i started having muscle pains and slight pins and needles/numbnes in my hands and forearms.

my gp was no help he didn't listen to me. when i told him i thought it could be a side effect of kepra. he told me to take some anti inflammatory tablets and to stop playing guitar. the anti inflammatory had no effect and i was sure the pains had nothing to do with me playing guitar.

i eventually got to see my specialist. he wasn't sure if it was the kepra. blood tests showed i was  deficient in vitamin b6. my specialist said he thought this was the problem so i had b6 injections.
after about a year the b6 injections were stopped as my b6 levels where back to normal

the vitamin injections had no effect on the muscle pain and pins and needles/numbnes in my hands and forearms . i have had many tests over the years to check my nervous system is ok and everything comes back fine

over the last 4 years i had had a few muscle injures in my arms and wrists which i think are connected to me taking kepra .then  2 months ago i injured my middle finger on my left hand.

i visited my gp hoping he could help me. i mentioned to him about my concerns regarding kepra. i asked for a blood test to check if i was low on vitamin d' as i had read online that kepra can drain vitamin d from your system. i had the blood test and the results came back showing i was vitamin d deficient. so i am now taking vitamine d supplements

is there any one who has had similar symptoms/side effects while taking kepra ?
i can't find any solid evidence linking vitamin d deficiency with kepra. has any one been told that kepra can cause vitamin d deficiency ?

like i said before I'm sure the muscle injures are connected to taking kepra so if you have had a similar experience please let me know

[Mariesa1021]

From what I know of working in the medical field Keppra is a secondary Epilepsy medication. I have had Epilepsy for 11 years now and always needed 2 medications to keep them at bay. Recently because of a sodium deficiency from Trileptol they decided to put me on Vimpat. Which lead to heart issues that I already had and there was a warning on the label. (Do doctors not talk at all??)  Now I am being treated on straight Keppra and am feeling the same things,tingling and numbness plus severe tiredness and weakness. All of my levels are normal though. Also feeling severe emotions,maybe it's just depression from the lack of being able to function? Have any of you noticed that most of the epilepsy medications are for mental disorders? Which neurologically makes sense but I get the effects that the meds are supposed to be treating for what they were meant for.
Sorry for the rant,just want to know what others have felt on this medication,my seizures we better than this and tired of being like you stated, "a lab rat". All very frustrating..
Please keep sharing your story,all information helps!

[cardinalsin]

hi thanks for the replies. i had an appointment with my neurologist yesterday. i had phoned the hospital 2 weeks ago to make sure i would be seeing my neurologist and not one of his regastras. i was told my neurologist only sees new patients so i had to see one of his understudies.

as expected the woman i saw was no help at all. even though the leaflet that comes with keppra now states it can cause muscle pain joint pain and paresthesia. she was still talking as if it was unlikely that kepra was causing my problems which is stupid. as i have had loads of nerve conduction tests and other tests that have proved there is nothing else causing the pain and pins and needles in my hands/lower arms
when i said i was vitamin d deficient and i thought keppra had caused it. she didn't say anything so i presume it must be due to the medication i am taking.

i have written a letter to my neurologist. stating how annoyed i am with the monitoring of my treatment and that i wish to see him so i can find out more about how keppa is effecting my system so i can make an informed decision as to wether to continue taking it or not

the thing is i have tried pretty much every other anti epileptic medication and none of them stopped me having seizures. so i am kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. but I'm getting to the point where i might have to consider stopping taking keppra. i also can't change neurologist as the guy i see is the only neurologist that specialises in epilepsy in my part of the country


midlifefit your symptoms sound similar to some of the side effects i have had.are you taking any other tablets for the seizures ? i have always been told keppra works best as a add on to other medications.

it sounds like your gp is doing the right thing. the tests should rule out anything else. then if there are on other problems picked up you can try changing your meds

2000mg sounds like a realy high dose to me I'm only taking 500mg of kepra and 250mg of lomtrogine a day. might be worth trying to lower the dose and try another med with it. like i said I'm no specialist but might be worth mentioning.  

I'm no specialist but i have had a lot of experience taking various meds over the years and basically being a lab rat :o)

[midlifefit]

I had my 1st seizure this past Nov. and started Keppra right away.  We've been all over with the dose.  I've been on it just shy of 3 months. In the last month I started having numbness/tingling in 2 of my right fingers.  It started to move into the side of my right hand, traveling into my forearm.  Then it started in my left hand in a similar fashion.  Then on the right side of my face.  Then, though not as bad, my feet.  
Now most of my scalp feels numb and tingling and I'm getting random itchy spots where I have the numbness on head & face, but also in my back & stomach.  It's not like regular skin itching, it feels more like almost a little spot that "vibrates" then itches.  I scratch and it'll go away for a second to minutes and then come again.  It feels crazy.  
In this last month I went from the max 3000mg of Keppra daily down to 2000mg b/c I was experiencing extreme head pressure.  Since going down the extreme head pressure is more like daily headache.  However, all of the neuropathy symptoms started.  My neurologist is not any help either, so I went to my GP for another neuro doc recommendation and he is doing a ton of lab tests plus neck & spine MRI, because in the same time frame I have also started to have a lot of pain in my tailbone & low back, plus  its seems to be affecting my bladder/bowel a bit.  However, my seizures seem almost gone?  
My GP is looking for MS, thyroid issues & vitamin deficiencies too.  It'll be interesting to see results.  Some of it sounds similar, however you have been on Keppra so long.  I would try switching that at the very least, doctors too:)  
I will let you know, pls keep posted too.

[teddybears4ever2]

Maybe you should look into other medication to control your seizures.  If you are having such trouble that might be a good place to start.  I am not a doctor, so this is something you should discuss with someone who is.  Please come back and update us on how you are doing.