Wednesday, 6 November 2013

keppra

Levetiracetam (INN/lɛvɨtɪˈræsɨtæm/ is ananticonvulsant medication used to treat epilepsy.

Levetiracetam is marketed under the trade nameKeppra.

Levetiracetam has been approved in the European Union as a monotherapy treatment for epilepsy in the case of partial seizures, or as an adjunctive therapy forpartialmyoclonic and tonic-clonic seizures.

Levetiracetam has potential benefits for other psychiatric and neurologic conditions such as Tourette syndromeautismbipolar disorder and anxiety disorder,[3] as well as Alzheimer's disease.

Along with other anticonvulsants like gabapentin, it is also sometimes used to treat neuropathic pain.

Adverse effects

may cause drowsiness, weakness, unsteady gait, fatigue, coordination problems, headache, pain, forgetfulness,anxietyirritability or agitation, dizziness, mood changes, nervousness, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, throat pain, constipation, and changes in skin pigmentation.
Serious side effects may include depression, hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, seizures that are worse or different, fever, sore throat, signs of infection, double vision, itching, rash, swelling of the face.

Mechanism of action

drug binds to a synaptic vesicle glycoprotein, SV2A,[26] and inhibits presynaptic calcium channels.[27] This is believed to impede impulse conduction across synapses.



No comments:

Post a Comment