Levetiracetam (Keppra) — Another Possible Potassium Channel Modulator?

Ummmmmm...Maybe yes, maybe no! I mean, just for fun, get a load of this:

Levetiracetam at concentrations of up to 10 µM did not demonstrate binding affinity for a variety of known receptors, such as those associated with benzodiazepines, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), glycine, NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate), re-uptake sites, and second messenger systems. Furthermore, in vitro studies have failed to find an effect of levetiracetam on neuronal voltage-gated sodium or T-type calcium currents and levetiracetam does not appear to directly facilitate GABAergic neurotransmission. However, in vitro studies have demonstrated that levetiracetam opposes the activity of negative modulators of GABA- and glycine-gated currents and partially inhibits N-type calcium currents in neuronal cells.

So no GABA stuff, no NMDA, (our T favorites), no Na+ or Ca+ action (synaptic???), etc....yet it does oppose negative modulators for GABA and N-type Ca currents, etc. which I could phrase maybe as = "Hey you lot, I'm not going to affect you unless you try and affect me, so bugger off OK!"

Sheeeesh! So what's left??? Maybe all that's left is that it's a Kv modulator...Ha ha!

I need to re-read all the main studies again I figure, but hell's bells maybe the easiest thing would be to just have more people try this drug. I want to spend time looking at other Kv's that may be hiding in plain sight.

Best, Michael

 

My dearest TT friends;
In the next days probably weeks i will not able to have internet connections then i can't write/read any posts. I hope to solve it quickly. Anytime...happy new year to all!
Best wishes
Ivan

 

Ok, Ivan! Hope to have you back on here son! By the way, is keppra helping the tinnitus volume? And is it still helping with the H? Because mostly, I think getting something for my H is important.

 

Dear @Danny Boy i have big improvement in H but i cannot say that if it is related to this drug. There aren't officially study or evidence to suggest it. I hope better for you and all members.
you are really great!!!

 

Happy new year, I wish to everyone silent nights and days to come!
My friend Ivan, hope you come back soon, the place is not the same without you. You aren't going to have ultra sound surgery yet are you?

 

No, he will have just ambulatory diagnostic in February.
The surgery (if indicated and agreed upon) is scheduled for a later date.
There is also, of course the small matter of coughing up 25 thousand Euros.

 

Thenk you @skoupidis! Happy new year you too. I agree with @dan . I have only clinical examination, and if i result positive for TCD, i will go on HIFU surgery after 3 or 6 month.
All the best
Ivan

 

Wishing you all the best, I hope 2015 is the year when you are the first to be totally cured! And may the rest of us follow...

 

@Viking , so in the end, did keppra provide any benefits in terms of Tinnitus?

 

Unluky not! I'm on 2000mg and i have only benefit on hiperacusys. Nothing of releavant about tinnitus. Keppra can help to control the crisys and migraine but on tinnitus only 10% of work. I will continue until 20 Jan then i slowly decrease dosage and i will update about the hiperacusys mistery.

 

The day of truth for this drug (On me) with the most low side effect profile is arriving: sincerity, my dear friends, this drugs seems to helped a lot in hyperacusis (made to ascertain for good) and violent headaches. In my opinion, no significant effect on tinnitus. Trobalt is, in my opinion, the most valuable antiepileptic I've ever tried. Too bad I can not take it. I wanted to take it in small doses, but from what I understand it would be useless. Considerations: I was alone to try the Keppra and my tinnitus is very catastrophic (in fact I hope Jeanmonod can do something for me), so maybe if on me has had a 30% maximum of stable results, may I say just might be suitable for someone who lives in countries where Trobalt is not approved and want to make an attempt with an antiepileptic without serious side effects. Unfortunately this was the best I could do. If you have any questions I am always here at your disposal. This drug is not powerful and promising such as Trobalt. It gave me only max 30% of relief instead 70% of Trobalt. Don't forget an important aspect: I'm chronic and reactive!
A big hug to all and thanks ever for the support!
Ivan

 

As Thomas Edison once said - “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

It was a good idea, and it's too bad it did not end up being effective for your tinnitus. Sounds like it does affect audio pathways in the brain since it helps with hyperacusis.

 

Dear friends: I'm finally tapering off the drug Keppra. As a final consideration regarding antiepileptics with probable effectiveness in the "symptom" tinnitus, these are my impressions:
Keppra (Levetiracetam) 2000mg + 1mg Clonazepam 20 max 30% stable on tinnitus relief. No spyke. No side effect (very good) ... the mystery of the disappearance of hyperacusis. Very useful for headaches and migraines.

Tegretol (Carbamazepine):30 to 50% (subjective but effective) of relief but too many side effects (some are even riskier). I know people that use with success this drug by many years and menage better the tinnitus. If you have neurovascular problems, it can work reducing the simptoms of 100%. It is old but really important drug!

Tolep (Oxcarbazepine): no relief and few side effects. Many doctors say that this drug is the optimized version of
Tegretol. I do not think that this statement may have value about tinnitus. Carbamazepine is much more effective.

Trobalt (Retigabine / Ezogabina): more than 70% of relief with minimal doses, unfortunately I could not use it because it seriously affects my kidneys, although I have only 34 years.

Gabapentin: useless, if it is used individually. It has a partial effect if it is combined with 0.25mg or max 0,50mg of clonazepam. Example: Gabapentin 300mg + 0,50mg Clonazepam ... effectiveness discreet ... questionable ... not for
all.

Lyrica (Pregabalin): improved formula of gabapentin, with no effect on tinnitus. Only annoying side effects. Strangely, even wanting to combine it with Clonazepam ... nothing changes.

Topamax (Topiramate): 10% effectiveness on tinnitus. Major side effects. Very useful for severe headache. Anxiety skyrocketing even though I took a few drops of anxiolytic (AVOID)

Sabril (vigabatrin): 30% improvement in tinnitus but vision problems since the first dose. I could not use it for more than a week. I hoped it would pass, instead worsened. abandoned

Benzodiazepines: are all the same. Provide temporary relief and they get you creating dependency (I'm addicted) ... AVOID IF YOU CAN!

Unfortunately by the time I developed considerable intolerance to drugs, this makes me a tester unreliable for further experiments.

But one thing I am sure, and I do my best wishes to those who (really brave people) use Trobalt, I had never experienced so much relief as when I used it in a few days.

My best wishes to the heroes of the Team Trobalt!

Thanks to @NGC891 @Zimichael (always immense) @attheedgeofscience for theyr availabilty in research

You are all and always in my prayers!

Ivan

 

@Viking You are an awesome and brave person to try all this stuff! This makes me more excited for Autifony's product, since it's directly targeting tinnitus channels. Hopefully it still works very effectively for you my friend.

 

Ivan, thanks for the updates and your thoughts on antiepileptic drugs.
You are a more valuable source of information than any doctor I've ever seen.

 

@Viking thanks for the updates, you are a brave person!
How is your H doing since tapering off keppra? If anything it might be a viable option for H patients?

 

Dear friend, i'm not able to provide a hint on a scientific basis on this drug. Currently I'm coming out and I do not suffer more than hyperacusis and mastoid back pain (tensive pain). The main goal was to test a possible effect on tinnitus, but was low. The hyperacusis is gone. Currently I'm listening a whole album of Opeth before going to sleep with headphones. The horns of cars does not make me more mad. The same applies to public places very crowded. 5 days I will be completely off the medication and I can tell you more, but I think the "Chapter hyperacusis" is concluded. Unfortunately tinnitus continues to destroy me.

Best wishes

Opeth - The Moor (HD 1080p, Lyrics)

 

Hang in there my friend, let's hope we hear some good news from the autifony trials.
How many days total did you take keppra?

 

Damn... Opeth is my favorite band ever, and Still Life is my favorite album ever. I haven't listened to them enough (or music in general) since I got tinnitus and I should change that. Love it Viking

 

I have took Keppra by 15/12/2014 starting with 500mg. Go on slowly to 2000mg and now tapering off. 1 month...
No adverse effects. Only nervousness first days
No significant effects on tinnitus!

 

Gooooooooooo @Champ Goooooooooooo

Don't be never scared by music! Tinnitus is the sound of hell...destroy it!

Opeth - Bleak

 

My favorite song by them.. also the first one I ever heard from Opeth

 

Final update:

i'm out from Keppra by 18/01/2015 and i still have not hiperacusys. I don't know if is a chance or lucky or psycological... i really don't know.

Sometimes I have headaches in the afternoon (surely because I am very stressed), and Keppra helped a lot with headaches.
I'm not able to recommend this drug for the treatment of tinnitus or hyperacusis as there are no scientific evidence.
In any case, this drug is very quiet and had no side effects. (I am very susceptible to side effects, so I'm sure of this)

I take this opportunity to thank all the friends of the forum, praying and hoping that soon we can all get a bit of relief from this debilitating condition.
A big hug to all

Your friend

Ivan

 

thanks for all the updates Viking! yes lets hope autifony is our cure!!

 

I'm pretty convinced this shit doesn't happen by chance. Your auditory system, whatever was broken with it causing the hyperacusis, seems to be fixed, and it's related to the Keppra.

I really think that as we age, our brain has more trouble adjusting to issues and these new potassium channel modulators will be super helpful getting the related brain systems back in order after dysfunction because of errors with related systems (cochlea in our case).

 

I agree, but i think also that hiperacusys is an emotional/tensive status (then psicological....it is only a my opinion), then i don't want to give false hope to people who suffer of this condition. Tinnitus + Hiperacusys................

 

Yah man I agree, I think stress overloads neurons in the brain and helps give rise to hyperacusis and tinnitus. I used to have mild hyperacusis and it's gone it away on it's own, because I made a point not to let myself get worked up over loud shocking noises when they happened... definitely something related to all this junk.

Just me guessing as usual

 

@Viking thanks for the updates,

Does the effect you described applies only to the subjective perception of noise levels, or can you tell us if you feel that your tinnitus since your Keppra treatment less reactive to external sounds?
It's really encouraging your results and I wish you more silence for 2015, hoping as much about looking around potassium channel.

 

The "behavior" of my tinnitus is unchanged. They are fluctuating bastards .Lucky i got a minimum of relief in the fact that I haven't spykes caused by noise even as minimum wind noise.
Before the 28 december 2014, even the simple sound of dishes on the table, or the fountain could drive me crazy. Now I can use this noise to mask in part and for short time the tinnitus when i have bad days.

 

Thank you for this answer @Viking
This is a remarkable improvement for you and I'm happy for you. Maybe i should begin a Keppra trial after Trobalt!