Composition: Levetiracetam 250mg, 500mg and 1,000mg.
Presentation: Film-coated tablets, 250mg blue, 500mg yellow, 1,000mg white.
Action: Antiepileptic.
Indications: Adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial onset seizures with
or without secondary generalisation in patients with epilepsy.
Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to active substance or excipients.
Dosage and administration: The tablets must be swallowed with a sufficient quantity
of liquid and may be taken with or without food.
Adults and adolescents (16 years and over), initially 500mg twice daily. Depending
on clinical response and tolerance, the daily dose can be increased up to 1,500mg
twice daily. Dose changes can be made in 500mg twice-daily increments or decrements
every two to four weeks.
Elderly (from 65 years), adjustment of dose is recommended in elderly patients
with compromised renal function.
Renal impairment, daily dose must be individualised according to renal function
(see SPC dosing adjustment table). Assessment of renal function recommended
before dose selection.
Mild to moderate hepatic impairment, no dosage adjustment required. In patients
with severe hepatic impairment a 50 per cent reduction of the daily maintenance
dose is recommended when the creatinine clearance is <70ml/min (see SPC).
Children (under 16 years), insufficient data to recommend use.
Pregnancy, should not be used unless clearly necessary.
Lactation, not recommended; no data available.
Overdosage: No serious adverse effects reported by healthy volunteers after
single doses of up to and including 5,000mg. There is no specific antidote for
levetiracetam. Treatment of overdose is symptomatic and may include haemodialysis
(see SPC).
Precautions: If levetiracetam is to be discontinued it is recommended to withdraw
it gradually (eg, 500mg twice daily decrements every two to four weeks).
Drug interactions: No known interactions (see SPC).
Side effects: Very common undesirable effects (>10 per cent) include asthenia,
somnolence. Common undesirable effects (>1 per cent, 10 per cent) include
accidental injury, headache, anorexia, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, nausea, amnesia,
ataxia, convulsion, depression, dizziness, emotional lability, hostility, insomnia,
nervousness, tremor, vertigo, rash, diplopia.
Net price: 60 250mg £27, 500mg £69.50, 1,000mg £94.50.
Supplier: UCB Pharma, 3 George Street, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 0UH. Tel
01923 211811, fax 01923 229002.
Legal class: POM.
| Correction The price of 60 500mg Keppra tablets is £49.50. |