My son has epilepsy and takes Keppra to prevent seizures. He has been taking it for 6 months now and since he started I have seen him go from throwing a couple of tantrums a week to nonstop crying, kicking, punching, yelling, spitting, destroying...you name it he does it. I have talked to the neurologist about it but he wants to stay on the current course of meds since they are working. I am at my wit's end. If I can't stop these fits by his next visit to the neurologist I have to ask him for a different medicine. In the meantime, I want to try everything possible to help my son. He is having some problems in school, but not throwing the tantrums like he is at home. The tantrums always start because he doesn't get his way. Here's an example: He doesn't want to finish cleaning his room so that he can get extra time to play outside. I try to help him clean it but end up doing it all on my own. Instead, I tell him to finish it himself and he can play outside the rest of the day. This is where he goes haywire. He starts yelling at me that I'm stupid and he doesn't have to do what I tell him to. Then he starts hitting and kicking the walls. When I confront him, he starts hitting and kicking me. I try to hold his arms down but this does not help. I eventually just walk away and leave him to destroy his room. I have holes in each wall in his room that I now have to patch. I know that much of this probably has to do with my inability to stand my ground and follow through, but I feel like it's too far gone to start over. He does not get this anger from me, I do not portray this type of behavior to my children which is why I'm at such a loss. I just need some advice...how do I help him control his anger? How do I help him see that he has to be punished for his tantrums and bad behavior? Am I a bad mom for wanting to teach him responsibility through chores? Please help!
Well, I was able to get my son in to see the neurologist today and he agreed that it was time to change the medicine. We will be slowly decreasing his Keppra and placing him on Trileptal. I have not heard anything about this drug but he seems optimistic that this is the right medicine for him. We will continue to monitor his suicidal tendencies and I will take him to a therapist if it continues after the other medicine. I am praying that this will work. I know that finding the right medicine will be a process but regardless he's my son and I just want to make him better! Thanks for all the encouraging words and advice. This certainly meant alot!
Video tape one of his tantrums and show it to the doctor. He may not know how extreme things got once he started the meds.
Ditto Dawn B.
Geez... get him off the Meds.
Tell the Doctor.
Or get a new Doc and a 2nd opinion.
ASAP.
.
It's easy for the doctor to say these meds are "working" when he isn't there in your home. Take pictures of the holes in his walls and go see a different doctor. Or as many doctors as you need to.
Get a second opinion.
I don't think it is ever too far to start over. I have a friend who went through a nasty divorce and because she was trying to overcompensate with love for the daddy her son was missing she just let him get away with things. He eventually started acting just like this. If he is able to function at school without breaking walls then it is not the medicine. It is almost always a matter of us as parents being too "kind" or too tired to stand our ground. I can only imagine the frustration and sadness this is bringing you, and I hope it is something you can change for you own sanity. Just remember it will take longer to untrain this sort of behavior than it took to train it.
Keppra has a black box warning about psychological side effects. It can be very good at controlling seizures but at what cost? Almost 10 years ago my brother had a psychotic break that was influenced by him being on Keppra. I have also know of several families in my psychology practice over the years experience similar issues to what you describe. I really want to help you. Where are you located? If you are in Ga I can recommend a second opinion for a neurologist. I also recommend you sharing the extend of what he is doing ( destruction, rages, etc) rather than "tantrums". Please send me a direct email if you want to talk further. My other advice would be to let up on his demands for a while. Make it easier for him to be successful so little things aren't stressing him to this degree. He will not turn into a spoiled monster, he just has more to contend with than most 7 year olds. Good luck... A.
I'm confused if you feel the tantrums are connected to the seizures and meds since you mention both.
If they are straight up discipline episodes, then Back to Basics Discipline by Janet Campbell Matson is great at tantrum prevention. There are some books for older kids like, The Angry Child: Regaining Control When Your Child is Out of Control-though I haven't read that one so I'm not endorsing it, just mentioning it.
Sometimes kids are angry when they haven't had enough discipline, and if he's been handled gently due to medical issues, this could be the case.
Did you know Bipolar and Epilepsy are comorbid(or seen together).Ask the neuro for physciatrst referral.My oldest child is bipolar is rages/tantrums are alot like what you describe.Was he doing this before the Keppra.Drugs could be causes if not.Mysoline made me a B@@@@ mom got me off it quick.I had seizure surgery in 87.,If I hadn't we would have never known I was bipolar.The theraputic dose for my seizures was also treating it.I'm now back on same dose 800mg .Did you try Tegretol?It is really good with aggression.My son is much butter just taking 200mg a day.If you have questions my email is ____@____.com
Could some of it be since he dones't have control over his illness the tantrums are something he knows he has control over. I mean imagine being a kid not totally understanding an illness that can control you, meds that can affect your feelings, etc.
Would it help to maybe talk with a counselor for children to see with this illness and he's meds how to help him get his behavior under control?
maybe to understand his behavior is something he has control over maybe giving you and him the tools to work this out, could a counselor help?
You aren't a bad mom at all I think like medication, works different for different folks. Learning some behavior tools for your situation with your son could help. I don't think that what's in some basic books about childrens behavior works for every child.
I think he can do this it's just finding the right buttons to push on him to make this work in his behavior.
Talk to your doctor about Vitamin B6 and how much would be safe to give your son. My son is an adult on Keppra. The doctor warned it could make him cranky. He was for several months but seems to have evened out now. He also told us a certain amount of Vitamin B6 would be helpful, but you can overdo....... so check with your doctor. His words were "anecdotal evidence that this is helpful."
As the mother of a child with seizures I understand. It's hard to know what to do. I urge you to talk to your doctor about the B6, and other options if the keppra is too much for your boy. His emotional state is just as important as his physical. Maybe a lower dose would do the job.
See if Amen Clinics can help. Go to http://www.amenclinics.com/clinics/information/9-principl... and also click on "ways we can help" to see if one of those (perhaps "aggression") is the area that describes best what you are dealing with. It could be that your son is dealing with more than epilepsy or that the epilepsy was wrongly diagnosed and he really needs a different treatment. A trip now to one of the clinics might make a huge difference in your son's life.
Wow! I need answers, too! My son is 9 years old and is on Topamax, Dilantin and Depakote for his epilepsy. Recently the depakote and Dilantin were increased as his seizures have increased. He, also, throws fits when he does not get his way. I'm struggling with this, too! I guess he's the worst for me, his mother. He is a tv addict and I would almost like to throw the tv out, but I wonder how I'll keep him busy then. Any suggestions!
When your son injures himself punching a hole in a wall, will the doctor still say then that the med is "working"? Your son clearly needs a seizure med but not THIS one. Tell the doctor he can work with you or refer you immediately to someone who will. Yes, you also will need to have a solid, consistent method in place to handle your son's reactions when you say no, but you would have to have that for any seven-year-old, with or without a medical issue. Try books by Jo Frost, the Supernanny, who is very good about consequences and parental consistency without spanking etc.
And meanwhile, call the doctor first thing Monday and say your child's personality is altered by this med, and you must find an alternative. Your son is still suffering -- just not from epileptic seizures.
Meds clearly working on his emotions and hormones negatively.
Go to another doctor today -- Don't pay him anymore and don't wait to "get permission" from a Dr that's clearly not listening to your family's needs.
Good luck!:)
I am an Epileptic who has had horrible experiences with Keppra. I took it for many years and it changed my personality. I'm a generally happy person, but found myself acting in very depressed and suicidal ways. Dramatic mood swings occurred and I started cutting myself. My doctor, who was on the BOD of the Keppra company, kept increasing my dosage because I was having "break through" seizures.
Finally, I found a doctor who took me off Keppra altogether. My life has changed dramatically. Again, I am a happy person.
Keppra was singled out as the cause of both my mood swings and increased seizures. I have been seizure-free for a number of years now - Depakote and Lamictal are my new best friends. Depakote is actually a drug that is also used to control mood swings in non-Epileptic patients. I can't sayit will help your child, but it certainly did help me
