Levetiracetam Orion
Levetiracetam is a medicine used to treat epileptic seizures.
Form
tabletti, kalvopäällysteinen
Strength
1000 mg
Active Ingredient
Levetiracetam
Manufacturer
Orion Corporation
How to Use
Dosage
The recommended dose for adults and adolescents (over 12 years old, weighing over 50 kg) is usually 1,000–3,000 mg per day. Your doctor will often start with a lower dose and gradually increase it over two weeks.
Method
Swallow the tablets with enough liquid (e.g., a glass of water). You can take them with or without food. Take Levetiracetam Orion tablets twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, at approximately the same time each day.
Important
The maximum recommended daily dose is 3,000 mg.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Inflammation in nose and/or throat
- •Sleepiness
- •Headache
- •Loss of appetite
- •Depression
- •Hostility or aggression
- •Anxiety
- •Trouble sleeping
- •Nervousness or irritability
- •Seizures
- •Balance problems
- •Dizziness (feeling unsteady)
- •Lack of energy or enthusiasm
- •Uncontrolled shaking
- •Spinning sensation (vertigo)
- •Cough
- •Stomach pain
- •Diarrhea
- •Indigestion
- •Vomiting
- •Feeling sick (nausea)
- •Rash
- •Weakness or tiredness
RARE
- •Low number of blood platelets
- •Low number of white blood cells
- •Weight loss
- •Weight gain
- •Suicide attempt and suicidal thoughts
- •Mental disorders
- •Abnormal behavior
- •Seeing or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations)
- •Anger
- •Confusion
- •Panic attack
- •Emotional instability or mood swings
- •Feeling restless or uneasy (agitation)
- •Memory problems
- •Clumsy movements or abnormal coordination
- •Tingling or prickling feeling on skin
- •Difficulty focusing
- •Double vision
- •Blurred vision
- •Abnormal liver function tests
- •Hair loss
- •Skin rash (eczema)
- •Itching
- •Muscle weakness
- •Muscle pain
- •Injury
- •Infection
- •Low count of all types of blood cells
- •Severe allergic reactions (like swelling of face/throat, widespread rash)
- •Low sodium levels in blood
- •Personality disorders (behavioral problems)
- •Abnormal thinking (slow thinking, difficulty concentrating)
- •Severe confusion (delirium)
- •Brain disease (encephalopathy)
- •Seizures may worsen or occur more frequently
- •Uncontrolled muscle movements, overactivity, or muscle jerking of the head, body, and limbs
- •Irregular heartbeat
- •Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- •Severe liver problems (liver failure, hepatitis)
- •Sudden severe kidney problems
- •Severe skin reactions with blisters, peeling skin, or a rash that looks like targets (erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis)
- •Muscle breakdown with high levels of a muscle enzyme in the blood (rhabdomyolysis)
- •Difficulty walking
- •Serious condition with fever, stiff muscles, unstable blood pressure and heart rate, and confusion (neuroleptic malignant syndrome)
- •Unwanted thoughts or urges, or need to repeat actions (obsessive-compulsive disorder)
Important Warnings
- Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to levetiracetam, pyrrolidone derivatives, or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Talk to your doctor if you have kidney problems, as your dose may need to be adjusted.
- Contact your doctor immediately if you or your family notice changes in mood or behavior, such as unusual thoughts, irritability, aggressiveness, depression, or if you have suicidal thoughts.
- Inform your doctor if you have irregular heart rhythm or a condition that could lead to irregular heart rhythm.
- Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly without your doctor's advice, as it can worsen seizures.
Show 3 more warnings
- This medicine can cause drowsiness, which may affect your ability to drive or operate machinery. Avoid these activities until you know how the medicine affects you.
- If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy, talk to your doctor before using this medicine. Breastfeeding is generally not recommended during treatment.
- Do not take macrogol (a laxative) within one hour before or after your levetiracetam dose, as it may reduce the medicine's effectiveness.
Use in Elderly Patients
Category C
Suitable for older adults, with specific precautions. Sedative. Reduce the dose already in mild renal impairment. Consider possibility of mental disorders. (updated 6.10.2025)