Epilepsy Medicine Question?

[cello]

Has anyone had their dog prescribed Keppra for seizure control? My friend Joan, the one who almost lost her big boy Luke earlier this month to uncontrollable cluster seizures, has been told that Luke needs to be on the drug Keppra in addition to phenobarbital and potassium bromide. This drug is HUGELY expensive running at about $15 per DAY if the brand name is used. I have found a generic version in Canada called Levetiracetam that runs $7.74US per day. If you have used this drug, did it help control the seizures in your dog, and were you able to find a more affordable source here in the USA?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Carol Ann

 

[rycezmom]

Keppra is widely used in humans. Never priced it before. Most generics are just as good. There are some doctors who will require non-generic for certain drugs. Tegretol, which is also used for seizures (and a few other things) is one of those. It just happens to be their preference as the original gives a better steady blood level than the generic. It all depends on which studies you look at. Now that I have throughly confused the subject, check around and see where you may be able to get the equivelent, be it Australia, Canada and do your homework on it. Let us know what you find.

http://www.canadapharmacy.com/cart/index.c...;productid=2523

 

Edited July 18, 2007 by rycezmom

[Guest Peanut]

Its a very expensive medication. My Natalie (seizure pup) participated in the study of the use in Keppra for seizure pups. The Keppra was not effective for her. Although, the study did show it to be effective in other canines. You could check with Dr. Thomas at the University of Tennessee. That is where the study was conducted at...

[TheFullHouse]

My son was on it and it didn't work for him, not to mention the cost! I agree with Gen, get in touch with Dr. Thomas, you can reach him on the University of Tennessee Veterinary School website. He's an expert on canine seizures. If I remember right, you can't use Tegretol on dogs, that's if my memory is right of course.

[rycezmom]

Tegretol is also a helluva lot cheaper.

[LBass]

Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide are the primary, first tier meds used for controlling seizures in dogs. Some dogs, like my Piper, still have problems on those 2 meds and need something more. There are several meds used as "add ons" to the Pb/KBr and Keppra is one of them. From posts on the Epil-K9 email list, it seems that when you get to these "add on" meds it is a matter of trail and error to find which, if any, will help any particular dog. All of them work great for some individuals and not for others. Doctors have preferences based on their own experiences, but the bottom line is that it is individual to each dog which medication will give the best results.

 

One of the problems with these add ons is that a number of them are heart-stoppingly expensive. Last summer, my vet consulted with a veterinary neurologist who suggested Zonisimide. At $400 a month, I just couldn't afford Zonisimide. With the add ons, it makes sense to me to start with the least costly ones and work up through the pricier ones until you find the one that will work for your particular dog. My vet was very willing ot approach it that way and we are giving Gabapentin a try.

 

Dr. Thomas at the U of Tennessee is a great resource and kindly contributes to the Epil-K9 list.

 

FWIW, even the Gabapentin that Piper takes is quite costly depending on the pharmacy. These seem to be drugs for which some pharmacies decide to take a big mark up and others don't, so it pays to shop around. I found Gabapentin at Eckerd for $123 and at Costco (mail order) for $30. It really pays to shop around for there meds.

 

Best wishes to your friend in finding something that will work for her dog.

[GreyWrangler]

FWIW, even the Gabapentin that Piper takes is quite costly depending on the pharmacy. These seem to be drugs for which some pharmacies decide to take a big mark up and others don't, so it pays to shop around. I found Gabapentin at Eckerd for $123 and at Costco (mail order) for $30. It really pays to shop around for there meds.

 

Best wishes to your friend in finding something that will work for her dog.

 

 

using your AAA card can get you a discount on some meds too. I use it when I get Red Dog's Pb.

I am lucky that is all he is on at this point and he tolerates it well. We are thinking his seizures

may be food induced.

 

Gabapentin does come as a generic.