Levetiracetam is a medicine used to treat epilepsy.
Seizures are bursts of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affect how it works. Levetiracetam slows these electrical signals down to stop seizures.
Levetiracetam is available on prescription. It comes as tablets, a liquid and granules.
Key facts
- You'll usually start taking levetiracetam once a day and increase to twice a day.
- The most common side effects of levetiracetam are headaches, feeling sleepy and a blocked nose or itchy throat.
- Levetiracetam can make you feel sleepy, tired or dizzy when you start taking it or increase your dose. It can also affect your vision. If this happens to you, do not drive, ride a bike or operate machinery until this goes away.
- It can take a few weeks for levetiracetam to work. You may still have seizures during this time.
- If you have epilepsy, you're entitled to free prescriptions for all of your medicines, not just your epilepsy ones. You'll need a medical exemption certificate to claim your free prescriptions.