# Levetiracetam in Nigeria

Levetiracetam has 3 active NAFDAC registrations in our October 2026 copy of the register, from 2 registration holders; 1 further listing has lapsed.

- Source: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/levetiracetam/
- Drug class: Antiepileptic (SV2A synaptic vesicle protein ligand) (Epilepsy)
- Also known as: Keppra, Levetiracetam tablets, Suvitra
- Prescription required: yes
- On the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
- Last updated: August 2026

## Price in Nigeria

Levetiracetam prices in Nigeria vary by brand, strength, and where you buy it. Confirm the current price with a licensed pharmacy, and always check the product is NAFDAC-registered before you pay.

## What is Levetiracetam?

Levetiracetam is an antiepileptic medicine used to prevent seizures. It works differently from the older epilepsy drugs: instead of acting on sodium channels or on GABA, it binds to a protein on the synaptic vesicles in nerve endings called SV2A, dampening the abnormal bursts of electrical activity that produce a seizure. It does not cure epilepsy — it suppresses seizures for as long as it is taken.

In Nigeria it is best known by its original brand name, Keppra, made by UCB in Belgium and registered here through GSK. Our copy of the NAFDAC register shows three active levetiracetam registrations from two companies: Keppra 250mg and 500mg, and Leveget from Getz Pharma, registered in 2025 — a fourth, Suvitra-500 from Micro Labs of India, is currently recorded inactive. That is a thin field for a medicine this widely prescribed, and it is the main reason levetiracetam can be hard to find outside major cities and teaching-hospital pharmacies.

Levetiracetam has become a first-choice antiepileptic in much of the world for two practical reasons. It has remarkably few drug interactions — it is not processed by the liver enzymes that make carbamazepine and phenytoin so difficult to combine with other medicines — and it is not a teratogen on the scale of sodium valproate, which matters enormously for girls and women of childbearing age. Those two properties are why a neurologist will often reach for it even though it costs more.

## What is Levetiracetam used for?

- Focal (partial-onset) seizures, with or without progression to a generalised seizure — its core licensed use
- Generalised tonic-clonic seizures, alone or added to another medicine
- Myoclonic seizures in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
- Add-on treatment when one antiepileptic alone has not controlled seizures
- As a valproate-sparing option in girls and women who could become pregnant
- Seizure prevention after certain brain injuries or neurosurgery, where a specialist decides it is needed

## Dosage

Always follow a doctor's or pharmacist's instructions; this is general reference information.

- Adults: Treatment is usually started low and increased gradually. A common starting point is 250mg twice daily, raised every two weeks in steps toward 500mg twice daily, with a usual maintenance range of 1000mg to 3000mg per day split into two doses. The dose is set by a doctor against how well seizures are controlled and how the medicine is tolerated. Tablets can be taken with or without food, and should be taken at roughly the same times each day.
- Children: Children are dosed by body weight — typically starting around 10mg per kg twice daily and increased in steps under specialist supervision. Levetiracetam is used in children and infants for specific seizure types, but the dose, the formulation and the decision to treat at all belong to a paediatrician or neurologist, not to a pharmacy counter.
- Elderly: Levetiracetam is cleared by the kidneys, and kidney function declines with age, so older adults often need a lower dose. Anyone with significant kidney impairment needs the dose adjusted according to their creatinine clearance — this is one of the few dose adjustments that genuinely matters with this drug.

NEVER STOP LEVETIRACETAM SUDDENLY. Abruptly withdrawing any antiepileptic can trigger seizures more severe than the ones being treated, including status epilepticus, which is a medical emergency. If the medicine is to be stopped, it is tapered over weeks under medical supervision. This matters practically in Nigeria, where supply gaps are the usual reason a person stops: if your pharmacy runs out, do not simply wait — tell your doctor immediately so a bridging plan or substitute can be arranged.

## Side effects

Common: Drowsiness and fatigue, especially in the first weeks; Dizziness and unsteadiness; Headache; Irritability, agitation or a short temper — the side effect people notice most; Loss of appetite, nausea, or diarrhoea.

Serious (seek medical help immediately): Marked mood or behaviour change — depression, aggression, or hostility, sometimes called the 'Keppra rage'; Suicidal thoughts or behaviour — a recognised risk with antiepileptic medicines generally; Psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or paranoia — uncommon; Severe skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and DRESS — rare; Low white-cell or platelet counts.

When to see a doctor: Contact the prescriber promptly about any significant change in mood, behaviour or thinking — new depression, unusual aggression, or thoughts of self-harm. These are dose-related and often resolve when the dose is adjusted, but they should never be endured in silence. Seek urgent care for a spreading or blistering rash, and for any increase in seizure frequency or severity. Do not stop the medicine on your own while waiting for an appointment.

## Warnings

Do not take if: Known hypersensitivity to levetiracetam or other pyrrolidone derivatives; Use with caution in anyone with a history of depression, psychosis or significant behavioural disturbance; Significant kidney impairment requires a reduced dose, not avoidance.

Interactions: Alcohol — increases drowsiness and lowers the seizure threshold; best avoided; Other sedating medicines, including some antihistamines and opioids — additive drowsiness; Unlike carbamazepine and phenytoin, levetiracetam does not induce liver enzymes, so it does NOT reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives; Methotrexate — levetiracetam may reduce its clearance; monitoring is advised; Drugs cleared by the kidneys may need review together with levetiracetam in kidney impairment.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Levetiracetam is one of the antiepileptics most often chosen for women who are pregnant or could become pregnant, because the available data suggest a much lower risk of birth defects than sodium valproate carries. That is a comparison, not a guarantee, and no antiepileptic is entirely risk-free. Uncontrolled seizures are themselves dangerous to a pregnancy, so the answer is almost never to stop the medicine — it is to plan. Any woman of childbearing age on an antiepileptic should discuss folic acid supplementation and pregnancy planning with her doctor before conceiving. Levetiracetam passes into breast milk; breastfeeding is usually still possible with the infant monitored for excessive sleepiness.

## Brands in Nigeria

Well-known NAFDAC-registered brands: Keppra Levetiracetam 500 mg (GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria PLC (GSK), made in Belgium); Keppra Levetiracetam 250 mg Tablet (GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria PLC (GSK), made in Belgium); Suvitra-500 Tablets (Micro Nova Pharmaceuticals Ind Ltd, made in India); Leveget Tablet 250 mg (Getz Pharma Nigeria Limited, made in Pakistan).
Full searchable brand list: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/levetiracetam/brands/

## How to verify it is genuine

1. Check the NAFDAC registration number on the pack — Keppra 500mg carries A4-7334 and Keppra 250mg carries A4-7333 in our copy of the register.
2. Suvitra-500 (Micro Labs) is registered as A4-7250 and Leveget 250mg (Getz Pharma) as A4-101478.
3. Confirm any levetiracetam brand's number with our NAFDAC checker before paying — with only three active registrations, a brand you cannot find in the register deserves questions.
4. Buy from a registered pharmacy. A chronic medicine taken daily for years is exactly the kind of product where a substandard batch does quiet, cumulative harm.
5. Check the expiry date and batch number, and keep the pack — if seizure control changes after switching brands, your neurologist will want to know exactly which product you took.

Verify any NAFDAC number free (no login): https://ogbogwu.com/nafdac-checker/

## FAQs

### How much is Keppra 500mg in Nigeria?

Keppra is an imported original-brand medicine and is one of the more expensive antiepileptics on the Nigerian market, with the generic alternatives Suvitra-500 and Leveget usually costing considerably less. Prices move with the exchange rate and with availability, and because only three companies hold active registrations, supply gaps can push prices up sharply. Check the price section of this page for current sampled figures rather than relying on a number quoted months ago, and ask more than one pharmacy — the spread on this medicine is wide.

### Is levetiracetam the same as Keppra?

Yes. Levetiracetam is the generic name of the medicine; Keppra is the original brand name, made by UCB in Belgium. Suvitra-500 and Leveget are generic levetiracetam products from Micro Labs and Getz Pharma respectively. All four are registered with NAFDAC. Generic levetiracetam is expected to work the same way as Keppra, though some people with epilepsy are sensitive to switching between brands — if you change brand, tell your doctor and watch seizure control closely for a few weeks.

### Can I stop levetiracetam when my seizures stop?

No — not on your own. Seizures stopping is usually a sign the medicine is working, not that it is no longer needed. Stopping an antiepileptic suddenly can trigger seizures worse than the original ones, including status epilepticus, which is life-threatening. If you and your doctor decide to withdraw treatment after a long seizure-free period, it is done by slow, planned tapering over weeks or months. If you cannot get your supply, contact your doctor immediately rather than simply running out.

### Does levetiracetam affect birth control?

No, and this is one of its real advantages. Older antiepileptics such as carbamazepine induce liver enzymes that break down hormonal contraceptives faster, which can cause them to fail — an important and under-discussed problem. Levetiracetam does not do this, so oral contraceptives, implants and injections work normally alongside it. Emergency contraception is also unaffected.

### Why does levetiracetam make me irritable?

Irritability, a short temper and mood changes are the best-known side effects of levetiracetam — common enough that patients and neurologists have a nickname for the severe form. It is dose-related and often eases after the first weeks or when the dose is adjusted. Some people find vitamin B6 supplementation helps, and there is modest evidence behind that, but it should be discussed with your doctor. What matters is telling the prescriber: mood side effects are a reason to adjust treatment, not something to endure.

### Can I buy levetiracetam without a prescription in Nigeria?

It is a prescription-only medicine and should not be sold without one. More importantly, it should not be taken without one: the diagnosis of epilepsy, the choice of medicine for a particular seizure type, and the dose all require a doctor, and the wrong antiepileptic can make certain seizure types worse rather than better. If you are managing epilepsy without a specialist because of cost or distance, a general practitioner can still supervise treatment and refer when needed.

## Sources

- NAFDAC Greenbook (official register of approved products in Nigeria)
- WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
- British National Formulary (BNF)
- Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health)