Briviact (brivaracetam): Reviews and patient testimonials

It did not work for me. Made me tired, increased seizures and irritable.

I've been on Briviact now for about 12 weeks. I'm now being weaned off it in the next 3 weeks. I take Pregabalin and phenytoin with it.

It's made me feel exhausted, irritable, emotional and depressed. I still have focal seizures every 7 days or less. It's not helped much.

Taking Briviact did initially reduce my seizures further from 5 a month to 2.  As a 3rd AED add on for complex partial absences, I hoped at least I would have no more than 2 seizures a month.  However,  I continue to have every other month the same number of seizures ( up to 5 ) as when I took Epilim and Clobazam which I still take.  As a result I am becoming increasingly fed up and frustrated,  given that I have also had brain surgery to reduce my seizures. 

I continue to have learning difficulties in understanding complex instructions quickly, and this undermines my self confidence as a 40 year old male who is barren and married nearly 14 years.  

My condition has had a profound impact on my marital relationship with wife and also with my immediate family. 

I can write well or average but I quite often mince or forget the noun or verb for what I want to say e.g forgetting the word cabbage or cauliflower. Then correcting myself. My verbal communication skills is ok but very poor to perform in the workplace.

I will discuss this with my Epilepsy Specialist in 2 weeks as my wife feels I'm getting worse. 

I don't think there is any other solution to treat my epilepsy. I fear losing my sanity at times.

Following on from the previous comment on Briviact,  I have taken a turn for the worse, averaging 3 to 4 seizures a month since October 2020 and 3 Jan 2021. Despite taking Epilim and Clobazam. 

Taking Briviact has reduced my seizures and in July and August 2019 I had zero seizures. I take it in conjunction with Epilim and Clobazam. 

However  I had 3 complex partial absences in Sept ember as I overexerted myself at the gym.

I had gone to South Africa for 3 weeks in August to visit my in-laws with my wife and gained almost 3 stone. 

I was concerned as my BMI was in the Obese category so I over did it.

To date I've had 2 seizures over 2 days (6 & 7th October) caused by tension and anxiety in the family.

I hope to calm down as I see my Epilepsy Specialist on 17th and feel disappointed to have to report ongoing seizures,  despite taking 3 medicines instead of 2 to treat my seizures. 

I was prescribed Briviact in January 2019 at a dose of 50mg twice daily starting from 25mg once daily and steadily building up to the current dose.

I have been taking Epilim chrono 1,900mg a day (1,000am & 900pm) and 10mg Clobazam at at night. Since March 2014, when I was prescribed Clobazam,  I had 4 to 5 seizures a month. This is much lower than 144 complex partial absences i had each month since birth before 3rd April 2012 when I had surgery. I'm turning 39 this year.

Since taking Briviact,  my seizures have been well controlled but I wish to come off Epilim. I will need to observe my seizures for several months before my Epilepsy Specialist considers taking off Epilim.  I will ask if I can come off Epilim steadily and increase  Briviact to 100mg twice daily. 

I was told by epilepsy nurse that drowsiness,  and in particular mood changes such as irritability has been reported in Briviact. Fortunately I have not noticed these symptoms at all.