Levetiracetam Injection

Special Alert:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that the antiseizure medicines levetiracetam (Keppra, Keppra XR, Elepsia XR, Spritam) and clobazam (Onfi, Sympazan), can cause a rare but serious reaction that can be life-threatening if not diagnosed and treated quickly. This reaction is called Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). It may start as a rash but can quickly progress, resulting in injury to internal organs, the need for hospitalization, and even death. As a result, FDA is requiring warnings about this risk to be added to the prescribing information and patient Medication Guides for these medicines. This hypersensitivity reaction to these medicines is serious but rare. DRESS can include fever, rash, swollen lymph nodes, or injury to organs including the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, or pancreas.

Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding your treatment.

Levetiracetam injection is used alone and along with other medications to control partial-onset seizures (seizures that involve only one part of the brain) in adults, children, and infants 1 month of age who cannot take oral medications. Levetiracetam injection is also used in combination with other medications to treat seizures in adults and children 12 years of age or older with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy who cannot take oral medications. Levetiracetam injection is also used in combination with other medications to treat primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures (formerly known as a grand mal seizure; seizure that involves the entire body) in adults and children 6 years of age or older with epilepsy who cannot take oral medications. Levetiracetam is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. It works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain.

Levetiracetam injection comes as a solution (liquid) to be injected intravenously (into a vein) over a period of 15 minutes. It is usually given twice a day for as long as you are unable to take levetiracetam tablets or oral solution by mouth.

You may receive levetiracetam injection in a hospital or you may use the medication at home. If you will be receiving levetiracetam injection at home, a nurse or a healthcare provider may come to your home to perform the injection or your healthcare provider will show you how to use the medication. Carefully read the manufacturer's instructions for use that comes with the medication. These instructions describe how to mix and inject a dose of levetiracetam injection. Be sure to ask your pharmacist or doctor if you have any questions.

Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of levetiracetam and gradually increase your dose, not more often than once every 2 weeks.

Levetiracetam may help control your condition but will not cure it. Continue to use levetiracetam even if you feel well. Do not stop using levetiracetam injection without talking to your doctor, even if you experience side effects such as unusual changes in behavior or mood. If you suddenly stop using levetiracetam injection, your seizures may become worse. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Before using levetiracetam injection,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to levetiracetam, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in levetiracetam injection. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney disease, depression, mood problems, or suicidal thoughts or behavior.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while using levetiracetam injection, call your doctor.
• you should know that levetiracetam injection may make you dizzy or drowsy and may cause blurred vision or problems with coordination and balance. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
• you should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways and you may become suicidal (thinking about harming or killing yourself or planning or trying to do so) while you are receiving levetiracetam injection for the treatment of epilepsy, mental illness, or other conditions. A small number of adults and children 5 years of age and older (about 1 in 500 people) who took anticonvulsants such as levetiracetam to treat various conditions during clinical studies became suicidal during their treatment. Some of these people developed suicidal thoughts and behavior as early as one week after they started taking the medication. There is a risk that you may experience changes in your mental health if you take an anticonvulsant medication such as levetiracetam, but there may also be a risk that you will experience changes in your mental health if your condition is not treated. You and your doctor will decide whether the risks of taking an anticonvulsant medication are greater than the risks of not taking the medication. You, your family, or your caregiver should call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: panic attacks; agitation or restlessness; nervousness, new or worsening irritability, anxiety, or depression; acting on dangerous impulses; difficulty falling or staying asleep; aggressive, angry, or violent behavior; mania (frenzied, abnormally excited mood); talking or thinking about wanting to hurt yourself or end your life; withdrawing from friends and family; preoccupation with death and dying; giving away prized possessions; or any other unusual changes in behavior or mood. Be sure that your family or caregiver knows which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor if you are unable to seek treatment on your own.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

Use the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not use a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Levetiracetam injection may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• weakness
• unsteady walking
• dizziness
• confusion
• headache
• loss of appetite
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• constipation
• excessive sleepiness
• joint pain
• neck pain
• double vision
• nasal congestion

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS section, call your doctor immediately:

• seizures that are worse or different than the seizures you had before
• fever, sore throat, or other signs of infection
• rash
• blisters on skin
• hives
• itching
• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips. and eyes
• difficulty swallowing or breathing
• loss of balance or coordination

Levetiracetam injection may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

Your healthcare provider will tell you how to store your medication. Store your medication only as directed. Make sure you understand how to store your medication properly.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.

Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

• drowsiness
• agitation
• aggression
• decreased consciousness or loss of consciousness (coma)
• difficulty breathing

Keep all appointments with your doctor. If an infant or child younger than 4 years of age receives levetiracetam, your doctor will check their blood pressure regularly.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

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