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| Pronunciation |
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 (lev
e tir AS e
tam) |
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| Brand Names |
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| Keppra® |
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| Therapeutic
Categories |
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Anticonvulsant, Miscellaneous |
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| Reasons not to take this
medicine |
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- If you have an allergy to levetiracetam or any other part of the
medicine.
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| 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.
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|
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| How does it work? |
|
|
- Levetiracetam prevents seizures from spreading in the brain. It quiets
the brain's abnormal activity.
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| How is it best taken? |
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- Take with or without food. Take with food if this medicine causes an
upset stomach.
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| What do I do if I miss a
dose? |
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- 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 taking medicine without talking with
healthcare provider. Can cause
seizures.
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| What are the precautions when
taking this
medicine? |
|
|
- Wear disease medical alert identification for seizure condition
- Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor) and other medicines
and herbs that slow your actions and reactions. This includes sedatives,
tranquilizers, mood stabilizers, or pain medicine. Talk with healthcare
provider.
- You may not be alert. Avoid driving, doing other tasks or activities
until you see how this medicine affects you.
- Tell healthcare provider if you have ever had a history of depression
or ideas and 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.
- 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 you are
breast-feeding.
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| What are the common side effects
of this
medicine? |
|
|
- Feeling sleepy, tired, dizzy, or weak. Avoid driving, doing other
tasks or activities that require you to be alert until you see how this medicine
affects you.
- Headache. Mild pain medicine may help.
- Risk of infection.
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| What should I monitor? |
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- Seizure control. Is it better, worse, or about the same?
- Follow up with healthcare
provider.
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| 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.
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| How should I store this
medicine? |
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- Store in a tight container at room
temperature.
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| General statements |
|
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- 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,
including over-the-counter or natural products (herbs,
vitamins).
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