How And When To Take Levetiracetam

NHS medicines information on dosage for levetiracetam, how to take it and what to do if you miss a dose or take too much.

Dosage

The usual dose of levetiracetam to treat epilepsy in:

• adults and older children (aged 12 years and over) is 250mg to 3,000mg a day, taken as 1 or 2 doses, but the exact dose may depend on your weight
• children (aged 1 month to 11 years) varies depending on their weight

Changes to your dose

To prevent side effects, your doctor will prescribe a low dose to start with and then increase it over a few weeks. Once you find a dose that suits you, it'll usually stay the same.

How to take it

You can take levetiracetam with or without food.

If you take it twice a day, try to space your doses evenly through the day - for example, first thing in the morning and in the evening.

How to take tablets

Swallow your tablets whole with a drink of water, milk or juice. Do not chew them.

How to take liquid

You can take your liquid dose of levetiracetam by itself or mixed into a glass of water, milk or juice.

Liquid levetiracetam comes with a syringe to help you measure it. If you do not have a syringe, ask your pharmacist for one. Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as it will not measure the right amount.

How to take granules

You can swallow levetiracetam granules straight from the packet or mix them with food or water. Do not chew the granules because they can sometimes taste bitter. Drink some water after you have taken your dose.

How long to take it for

If you have epilepsy, it's likely that once your illness is under control you will still need to take levetiracetam for many years.

If you're taking levetiracetam for epilepsy, stopping it suddenly can cause seizures. Coming off levetiracetam should be done very slowly and may take a few months.

However, if you do get a serious side effect, such as a severe skin condition, your doctor may tell you to stop taking levetiracetam straight away, even if you have epilepsy.

Important

Do not stop taking levetiracetam without talking to your doctor first.

If you forget to take it

If you take levetiracetam once a day and miss your dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it's less than 12 hours before the next dose is due. In this case, leave out the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time.

If you take it twice a day, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it's less than 8 hours before the next dose is due. In this case, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time.

Do not take 2 doses at the same time. Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one.

It's important to take your medicine regularly. Missing doses may trigger a seizure.

If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

If you take too much

Taking more than your prescribed dose of levetiracetam can cause serious side effects.

Contact 111 for advice now if:

If you need to go to A&E, do not drive yourself. Get someone else to drive you, or call for an ambulance.

Take the levetiracetam packet or the leaflet inside it, plus any remaining medicine, with you.

Call 999 or go to A&E now if:

If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.