Levetiracetam

Brand Names

Therapeutic Categories

What is this medicine used for?

• This medicine is used in adults to control partial seizures. It is used in combination with other seizure therapy.

How does it work?

• Levetiracetam prevents seizures from spreading in the brain. It quiets the brain's abnormal activity.

How is it best taken?

• Take with. or without food Take with food if this medicine causes stomach upset.

What do I do if I miss a dose?

• Take a missed dose as soon as possible.
• If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed one. Return to your regular schedule.
• Do not take a double dose or extra doses.
• Do not change dose or stop medicine. Talk with healthcare provider. Can cause seizures.

What are the precautions when taking this medicine?

• Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor) and other medicines that slow your actions and reactions. This includes sedatives, tranquilizers, mood stabilizers, and pain medicine. Talk with healthcare provider.
• You may not be alert. Avoid driving, doing other tasks or hobbies until you know that this medicine does not affect you.
• Tell healthcare provider if you have ever had a history of depression or ideas or attempts at suicide.
• Tell healthcare provider if you have ever had delusions, hallucinations, or are being treated for schizophrenia or psychosis.
• Follow laws about driving with a seizure condition. Talk with healthcare provider.
• Wear disease medical alert identification for seizure condition
• Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, throat; or any other symptoms involved.
• Tell healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant.
• Tell healthcare provider if breast-feeding.

What are the common side effects of this medicine?

• Feeling sleepy, tired, dizzy, or weak. Avoid driving or doing other tasks or hobbies that require you to be alert. Wait to see how this medicine affects you.
• Headaches. Mild pain medicine may help.
• Risk of infection.

What should I monitor?

• Seizure control. Is it better, worse, or about the same?
• Follow up with healthcare provider.

Reasons to call healthcare provider immediately

• Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing, tightness in the chest, fever, itching, bad cough, blue skin color, fits; swelling of face, lips, tongue, throat. Behavioral changes including hallucinations, delusions, lack of interest in life, difficulty sleeping or sleeping all the time, anorexia, depression, suicidal thoughts or a plan for suicide.
• Fever and/or chills.
• Too tired or sleepy.
• Any rash.
• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.

How should I store this medicine?

• Store in tight container at room temperature.

General statements

• Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's medicine.
• Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
• Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, herbal/supplements, vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physician assistant).
• Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine.

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