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Levetiracetam Patient Tips

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 23, 2025.

1. How it works

2. Upsides

3. Downsides

If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, take no other medication or have no other medical conditions, side effects you are more likely to experience include:

Note: In general, seniors or children, people with certain medical conditions (such as liver or kidney problems, heart disease, diabetes, seizures) or people who take other medications are more at risk of developing a wider range of side effects. View complete list of side effects

4. Bottom Line

Levetiracetam is an anticonvulsant used to treat certain seizure disorders (epilepsy) such as partial onset, myoclonic, or generalized tonic-clonic seizures, either alone or in combination with other anticonvulsants. It may cause drowsiness, but has fewer drug interactions than other anticonvulsants. Levetiracetam is usually taken 1 or 2 times a day and is available as oral tablets, an oral solution, and in an injectable form.

5. Tips

6. Response and effectiveness

7. Interactions

Medicines that interact with levetiracetam may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with levetiracetam. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed.

Common medications that may interact with levetiracetam include:

Alcohol may enhance the sedative effects of levetiracetam.

Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with levetiracetam. You should refer to the prescribing information for levetiracetam for a complete list of interactions.

Related/similar drugs

References

Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use levetiracetam only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

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