Levetiracetam may worsen myoclonus in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy:  case reports.
Levetiracetam was approved for generalized and partial epilepsy in pediatric and adult population. It is also an effective antimyoclonus, but the evidence only supports its use as an adjunctive agent along with other antiepileptic drugs, such as sodium valproate, and it is commonly used in cases with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. We report here 2 cases with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy who were switched from sodium valproate to levetiracetam to avoid the cosmetic or future teratogenic effect, but this switch was associated with exaggerated myoclonus despite escalating the dose of levetiracetam but resolved completely after reintroducing sodium valproate.
Neurologist, Epileptologist, Clinical Neurophysiologist, Division of Neurology,Assir Central Hospital, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia. Fawzi.babtain@yahoo.com
Fawzi A
FA
Babtain
D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D020190:Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D010889:Piracetam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam