Keppra Dosages for Adults and Children: Your GoodRx Guide
Key takeaways:
Keppra (levetiracetam) is an anti-seizure medication. It’s available as immediate-release (IR) tablets, extended-release (ER) tablets, and an oral solution. If you can’t take an oral product, an injection is also available.
Your exact Keppra dosage will depend on your age, formulation, and the condition you’re treating. Keppra IR tablets and oral solution are taken twice daily. Keppra XR is taken once daily.
Keppra and Keppra XR are both available as lower-cost generics. GoodRx can help you save over 90% off the average retail price at certain pharmacies.
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Table of contents
Keppra (levetiracetam) is an antiepileptic medication used to treat a wide range of seizures. It was first approved in 1999 for seizures in adults. Since then, it has been approved to treat seizures in children and infants one month of age and older.
Keppra comes as a few different dosage forms, including those taken by mouth or infused into a vein. Levetiracetam, the active ingredient, is also available under the brand names Roweepra, Elepsia XR, and Spritam.
Here, we’ll break down the different dosages for Keppra based on the condition being treated. Keep in mind that these dosages are recommended by the manufacturers. Your healthcare provider may recommend a different Keppra dosage for you or your child.
What’s the typical Keppra dosage for adults?
Keppra is available in different formulations. You can get it as an immediate-release (IR) tablet, an extended-release (ER) tablet, and an oral solution. It also exists as an injectable solution that’s usually used in hospitals.
Keppra IR tablets and oral solution are approved to treat several different types of seizures, including specific types of partial-onset, myoclonic, and tonic-clonic seizures. But Keppra ER tablets are only approved to treat partial-onset seizures.
Oral forms of Keppra are taken by mouth once or twice daily. You can take your dose with or without food. The typical Keppra dosage for adults is similar, regardless of which type of seizure you’re treating. But specific dosing instructions can vary based on formulation.
Keppra IR tablets and oral solution: For adults, the typical starting Keppra dosage is 500 mg twice daily. Every 2 weeks, your healthcare provider will increase your dosage by 500 mg twice daily until you reach 1,500 mg twice daily.
Keppra ER tablets: For adults, the typical starting Keppra dosage is 1,000 mg once daily. Every 2 weeks, your healthcare provider will increase your dosage by 1,000 mg daily until you reach 3,000 mg once daily.
What’s the typical Keppra dosage for children?
Keppra IR tablets and oral solution can be used in children less than 12 years old. But Keppra XR tablets are only approved for children ages 12 and older. Your child can take their dose with or without food.
Don’t crush or chew the XR tablets, since this can affect how the medication is released. And the manufacturer recommends not crushing or chewing the IR tablets either, due to their bitter taste.
If your child has difficulty swallowing the tablets, the oral solution may be a better option. The oral solution is also recommended if your child weighs less than 20 kg (44 lbs).
Keep in mind: To measure how much of the solution you give your child, make sure to use an accurate measuring spoon or oral syringe. Using a regular teaspoon can lead to some dosage mistakes. Your pharmacist can provide you with a dosing device if you don’t have one.
Partial-onset seizures
Keppra IR tablets and oral solution are approved to treat partial-onset seizures in children ages 1 month of age and older. For children under 16 years old, their Keppra dosage will depend on their age and body weight.
Your child’s healthcare provider will start with a lower dosage and increase it every 2 weeks until reaching the recommended dosage. A summary of the recommended dosing schedule is detailed in the table below.
Age | Starting dosage | Recommended dosage |
1 month–less than 6 months | 7 mg/kg twice daily | 21 mg/kg twice daily |
6 months–less than 4 years | 10 mg/kg twice daily | 25 mg/kg twice daily |
4 years–less than 16 years | 10 mg/kg twice daily | 30 mg/kg twice daily |
16 years and older | 500 mg twice daily | 1,500 mg twice daily |
Keppra XR tablets are approved for partial-onset seizures in adolescents ages 12 and older. The typical starting Keppra dosage is 1,000 mg once daily. Every 2 weeks, the dosage will be increased by 1,000 mg daily until reaching 3,000 mg once daily.
Myoclonic seizures from juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
Keppra IR tablets and oral solution are approved to treat myoclonic seizures in children ages 12 and older. Keppra XR tablets aren’t approved for this use.
For myoclonic seizures, the recommended starting Keppra dosage is 500 mg twice daily. This is increased by 500 mg twice daily every 2 weeks until reaching 1,500 mg twice daily.
Primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures
Keppra IR tablets and oral solution are approved to treat tonic-clonic seizures in children ages 6 and older. Keppra XR tablets aren’t approved for this use.
For children under 16 years old, their dosing is based on their body weight. Your child will typically start with a lower dosage, which will be increased every 2 weeks until reaching the recommended dosage.
Age | Starting dosage | Recommended dosage |
6 years–less than 16 years | 10 mg/kg twice daily | 30 mg/kg twice daily |
16 years and older | 500 mg twice daily | 1,500 mg twice daily |
Are there any dosage adjustments for medical conditions?
Sometimes certain medical conditions can affect how a medication is broken down or cleared from your body. In this case, dosage adjustments may be recommended.
Dosage for people with kidney problems
Keppra is eliminated from the body by the kidneys. If you have kidney problems, you may need to take a lower Keppra dosage to avoid too much medication in your body. Too much Keppra in the body can lead to increased side effects.
In this case, your Keppra dosage may depend on your creatinine clearance (CrCl). This is a blood test used to estimate your kidney function. If you’re taking the IR tablets or solution, the total daily dosage is split into two doses. With the ER tablets, the total daily dosage is taken as one dose.
CrCl (mL/min/1.73m² ) | Adjusted total daily dosage |
50–80 | 1,000 to 2,000 mg |
30–50 | 500 to 1,500 mg |
Less than 30 | 500 to 1,000 mg |
If you’re using hemodialysis, the reduced dosage is 500 mg to 1,000 mg once daily with all forms of Keppra. However, Keppra IR is recommended over Keppra XR in this situation.
What happens if you miss a dose of Keppra?
If you forget your Keppra dose, take it as soon as you remember. But if it’s too close to your usual time, just skip your missed dose and take your tablet at your regular time. If you miss a dose, don’t double your next dose. Doubling your dose can increase your risk of side effects like drowsiness and dizziness.
Keep in mind: Missing your Keppra dose can increase your risk of a breakthrough seizure — a seizure that happens while you’re taking an antiepileptic medication.
To make sure you remember to take your medication, it’s helpful to take it while you’re doing daily tasks. For example, you can take it before or after brushing your teeth. Medication reminder apps and pill organizers with alerts can also help.
If taking Keppra twice daily is difficult, talk to your healthcare provider. They can help you switch to the ER formulation, if that’s an option for your condition.
What should you do if you take too much Keppra?
Taking too much Keppra can cause drowsiness and agitation. It can also lead to more severe side effects, such as difficulty breathing or even coma.
If you take too much Keppra, contact your healthcare provider immediately or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If you’ve taken a large number of tablets or are experiencing any severe side effects, go to your nearest emergency room.
How to save on Keppra
Keppra and Keppra XR are available as brand-name medications. But you can also find them as lower-cost generics. GoodRx can help you navigate the many ways to save on your prescription.
GoodRx can help you save over 90% off the average retail price of the generic version of Keppra and Keppra XR. Generic Keppra’s price at certain pharmacies is as low as $9.00 for the IR tablets and $6.30 for the oral solution with a free GoodRx discount. Generic Keppra XR’s price at certain pharmacies is as low as $29.00 with a free GoodRx discount.
The bottom line
Your Keppra dosage depends on your age, the type of seizure you’re treating, and the formulation you take. Keppra IR tablets and oral solution are usually taken twice daily. Keppra XR tablets are typically taken once daily.
Most people start at a lower Keppra dosage and slowly increase it every 2 weeks until reaching the recommended dosage. If you have kidney problems, you may need to take a lower dosage.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any questions about how to take your Keppra. They can help you figure out the best dosage for you.
Why trust our experts?
References
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Kumar, A., et al. (2022). Levetiracetam. StatPearls.
Medline Plus. (2021). Levetiracetam.
NorthStar Rx. (2022). LEVETIRACETAM solution [package insert].
OWP Pharmaceuticals. (2022). ROWEEPRA- levetiracetam tablet [package insert].
Shahbaz, H., et al. (2022). Creatinine clearance. StatPearls.
Schachter, S. C. (n.d.). Missed medicines as a seizure trigger. Epilepsy Foundation.
Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited. (2021). ELEPSIA XR- levetiracetam tablet, extended release [package insert].
UCB. (2022). Highlights of prescribing information.
UCB Pharmaceuticals. (2022). Keppra (Levetiracetam) Tablets [package insert].
UCB. (2012). UCB announces FDA approval for Keppra® in infants and children from one month of age with partial onset seizures.
UCB. (2005). FDA approves UCB's Keppra® for use in childhood epilepsy.
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