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Keppra® or Levetiracetam is one of the newer anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). This medication is available in multiple tablet sizes. It is principally eliminated by the kidney (as opposed to the liver like most AEDs). It has a relatively short half-life (6-8 hours in the serum) and a longer half-life in the central nervous system (according to animal models). For this reason it is dosed two times daily.

For epilepsy, Keppra® is effective for partial-onset seizures. It lacks any of the typical serious side effects of the older AEDs involving the liver or bone marrow. It does not have any known interaction with any of the other AEDs or other medications. It reportedly will not affect birth control pill efficacy. On the other hand, it's safety in pregnancy is not established. In addition, if the dose gets too high, then it can cause the usual AED side effects of sedation and difficulty with balance. The drug appears to have a very large margin of safety. I suspect the reason that it is not presently used more is because of its relatively late arrival on the market compared to some of the other newer AEDs (7 out of 9).

Keppra® has been shown in some open label trials to be effective for neuropathic pain.