Keppra

Keppra is a prescription medication used to treat certain types of seizures in people with epilepsy. It is effective in managing partial onset seizures, myoclonic seizures, and tonic-clonic seizures. Here’s how it works:

• Partial Onset Seizures: Keppra can be used on its own for adults and children aged 16 and above, or as an add-on to other medications for children as young as one month old.
• Myoclonic Seizures: It is particularly useful for patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, starting from 12 years old.
• Tonic-Clonic Seizures: It is also effective for patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy, starting from 12 years old.

Keppra is available in various forms, including tablets, an oral solution, and a concentrate for infusion. The starting dose for adults over 12 years weighing more than 50 kg is 500 mg twice a day, which can be increased up to 1,500 mg twice a day. For children under 50 kg, the dose depends on their body weight.

Keppra works by stabilizing electrical activity in the brain, although the exact mechanism is not fully understood. It attaches to a protein called synaptic vesicle protein 2A, which helps in the release of chemical messengers from nerve cells.

Studies have shown that Keppra is as effective as other epilepsy medications like carbamazepine in keeping patients free of seizures. When used as an add-on treatment, it significantly reduces the frequency of seizures, particularly in children. For myoclonic seizures, it halves the number of seizure days per week in 58% of patients, compared to 23% with placebo.

Keppra is a reliable option for managing various types of seizures, and it should only be obtained with a prescription. For more detailed information, consult your doctor or pharmacist.