Medications caused my kidney stones!

As some of you know, I dealt with painful kidney stones last week...one having to be removed via lithroscopy at the hospital on Friday. Since this makes four stones in three years (resulting in two surgeries), I asked my urologist if my AVM meds could have anything to do with this recurring problem. Sure enough, they can be a side effect of TOPRAMAX!

I went to see my neurologist (she is new to my case since I fired that loser who was over-medicating me) yesterday. It turns out that I'm on two meds that can cause them. ZONEGRAN has an even higher incidence of kidney stones!

She took me off the ZONEGRAN, which I'd been taking to prevent seizures, and switched me to a time-released KEPPRA XR(the prescription label says LEVETITRACEM). She wants to see how I do on that...hoping it won't make me too sleepy. I go back to her in three weeks and then we address the TOPRAMAX issue.

Sorry to hear about your kidney stone issue. However, I think its fantastic that you found out that those medications and your AVM DON'T mix. Thank you for bring it up on your post, so that others can also benefit from your discovery. Keep us updated!! Be well Connie.

The saga continues...after taking what I thought was Keppra XR 250 mg yesterday afternoon, I kept falling asleep all day. I was so tired! I did have a very bad headache yesterday, so I didn't really think about it...figured my poor head needed the rest anyway. lol

Then I slept till 11:15 this morning and had a hard time dragging myself out of bed. I took my morning meds, including the 250 mg of Keppra that I'm supposed to take once a day. Started thinking about how sleepy I've been and called the pharmacy to make sure they had given me the extended release Keppra XR. Sure enough, this prescription is REGULAR Keppra!

I was on regular Keppra 250 mg twice a day for a month six years ago and was taken off it because of how tired it made me. The whole reason my current doctor was ordering the XR 250 mg was so that I wouldn't get too sleepy and risk falling and breaking my neck again! I called my doctor's office; turns out the XR is only available in 500 MG & 750 MG...so that's why she ordered the regular one. Would have been nice if she'd told me!

In light of my constantly falling asleep, she told me to take it at bedtime for the next five days and see how I do. Since I already took it an hour ago, I'll start that tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Good luck finding the right combinations of medicines, Connie. Thanks for the reports -- they should be very helpful to others trying to figure out their medications. I hope your energy comes back soon, without added kidney stones!

My goodness, this medication story continues...exhaustion continues, along with irritability, tearfulness, and nastier-than-usual headaches (which could also be weather-related). Called my neuro and she took me off the Keppra. I'm back on the Zonegran for now. I guess we will rehash this issue along with the Topramax at my appointment on the 18th.

"Sleepy, bewildered, and confused",
Connie