levetiracetam

How long does Levetiracetam stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of levetiracetam is about 7 hours (the label states 7 ± 1 hour in adults) — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. This is the plasma elimination half-life of levetiracetam itself in adults with normal organ function; the label says it is unaffected by dose or repeated dosing. Levetiracetam is not a prodrug and has no active metabolite that outlasts it — its major metabolite, ucb L057 (24% of the dose), is described by the label as inactive in animal seizure models. The drug is cleared mainly by the kidneys (66% excreted unchanged), so kidney function drives how long it lasts: in older adults (61-88 years, creatinine clearance 30-74 mL/min) total body clearance fell 38% and the half-life was 2.5 hours longer than in healthy adults. In renal impairment the label reports reduced clearance rather than a half-life number — down 40% in mild (CLcr 50-80 mL/min), 50% in moderate (30-50 mL/min), 60% in severe (<30 mL/min), and 70% in anuric end-stage renal disease; roughly 50% of the body's levetiracetam is removed by a standard 4-hour hemodialysis session. Liver impairment matters little: pharmacokinetics were unchanged in mild-to-moderate (Child-Pugh A-B) impairment, and in severe (Child-Pugh C) total body clearance was 50% of normal, mostly explained by reduced renal clearance. In children the half-life is shorter (about 5-5.3 hours). Not a drug-test detection window and not dosing guidance.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: Levetiracetam tablet, film coated — FDA label, Section 12.3 Pharmacokinetics (DailyMed).

Frequently asked questions

What does Levetiracetam treat?

Levetiracetam (Levetiracetam) may be used to treat partial epilepsies, tonic-clonic epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How is Levetiracetam rated?

pharmaranks gives Levetiracetam a composite score of 3.3 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.

How much does Levetiracetam cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $2.34 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Levetiracetam?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Levetiracetam. To pay less, Levetiracetam is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Levetiracetam?

Levetiracetam is marketed by Apotex. You can see Apotex's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Levetiracetam a brand-name or generic drug?

Levetiracetam is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Levetiracetam. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.

Is Levetiracetam available over the counter?

No. Levetiracetam is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.

What forms does Levetiracetam come in?

Levetiracetam is currently marketed as injectable, solution, tablet and tablet, extended release, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

Is Levetiracetam FDA-registered?

Levetiracetam is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA090187. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Levetiracetam been recalled by the FDA?

Levetiracetam has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.

Is Levetiracetam safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Levetiracetam a recall-safety score of 66/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.