Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while taking levetiracetam

Levetiracetam and pregnancy

You can take levetiracetam during pregnancy if it's needed to keep you well. It is important that epilepsy is well treated during pregnancy, as seizures can harm you and your baby.

Do not stop taking levetiracetam if you become pregnant. Talk to your doctor, as they may want to review your epilepsy medicine and may need to change the dose.

If you're trying to get pregnant or have become pregnant while taking levetiracetam, it's recommended you take a high dose of folic acid (5mg a day). You can get this from your doctor or midwife.

Ideally it's best to take high dose folic acid for 3 months before you start trying to get pregnant and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Do not worry if you have not taken it before you get pregnant, but start taking it as soon as possible once you know that you are pregnant. It helps your baby to grow normally.

Your baby may need extra monitoring for a few days after they're born. This is because they can sometimes have withdrawal symptoms from levetiracetam.

Levetiracetam and breastfeeding

If your doctor or health visitor says your baby is healthy, you can take levetiracetam while you're breastfeeding.

If you were taking levetiracetam during pregnancy, your dose may need to be reduced once you have given birth.

Levetiracetam can pass into breast milk in different amounts (it is usually small but occasionally it may pass into breast milk in larger amounts). However, there is information to show that the amount your baby gets is very small.

There have been some reports of side effects in breastfed babies, including feeling drowsy, vomiting and not feeding well. This usually happens when you have taken other epilepsy medicines at the same time. But in most cases, babies do not get any side effects.

It's important to keep taking levetiracetam to keep you well. Breastfeeding will also benefit both you and your baby.

If your baby's not feeding as well as usual, or seems unusually sleepy or irritable, or you have any other concerns about your baby, talk to your pharmacist, health visitor, midwife or doctor as soon as possible.

Levetiracetam and fertility

There's no evidence to suggest that taking levetiracetam causes fertility problems in either men or women.

Speak to a pharmacist or your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant. They may want to review your treatment.

Find out more about how levetiracetam can affect you and your baby on the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPS) website.