Briviact (brivaracetam) is a brand-name drug prescribed to treat partial (focal onset) seizures in adults and children. Briviact comes in several dosage forms and is typically taken twice per day.
Briviact is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat focal onset seizures (also known as partial seizures) in adults and children ages 1 month and older.
Briviact belongs to a drug class called anticonvulsants. It’s not available in a generic version.
Keep reading for specific information about the dosage of Briviact, including its strengths and how to take the medication. For a comprehensive look at Briviact, see this article.
Note: This article describes typical dosages for Briviact provided by the drug’s manufacturer. When taking Briviact, always follow the dosage your doctor prescribes.
Below is information about Briviact’s forms, strengths, and dosages.
Briviact forms
Briviact comes in three forms:
- oral tablet
- oral solution
- solution in a single-dose vial for intravenous (IV) infusion
Briviact IV infusion is always given by your doctor or another healthcare professional in a hospital or infusion clinic.
Briviact strengths
Briviact oral tablets come in five strengths:
- 10 milligrams (mg)
- 25 mg
- 50 mg
- 75 mg
- 100 mg
Briviact oral solution comes in one strength of 10 mg per 1 milliliter of solution (10 mg/mL).
Briviact solution for IV infusion comes in one strength of 50 mg/5 mL.
Typical dosages
Typically, your doctor will start by prescribing the recommended dosage. Then they’ll adjust it over time to reach the amount that’s right for you. Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect.
The following information describes dosages commonly prescribed or recommended for adults. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs.
Dosage for focal onset seizures
Doctors may prescribe Briviact oral tablet or oral solution to treat focal onset seizures. They may prescribe the drug alone or in combination with other drugs to treat your seizures.
The recommended starting dose for focal onset seizures is 50 mg, taken twice daily. Your doctor may recommend increasing your dosage to 75 mg twice daily.
The typical dosage range of Briviact is 25–100 mg twice daily. The maximum recommended dosage is 100 mg twice daily.
For more information about your specific dosage, talk with your doctor.
Note for Briviact IV infusion: This form of the drug is only for short-term use where you can’t take the tablet or solution. The dosage is the same as that of the oral forms of the drug. For example, if your dosage is 50 mg twice daily, you would receive 50 mg by infusion twice daily. If you have questions about this form of the drug, talk with your doctor for more information.
Children’s dosage
The FDA has approved Briviact to treat focal onset seizures in children ages 1 month and older.
For children ages 1 month to 16 years, the dosage is based on the child’s body weight in kilograms (kg). One kg equals about 2.2 pounds (lb). The dosage is measured in mg per kg (mg/kg) of body weight and is calculated by your child’s doctor. The table below lists typically recommended Briviact dosages:
| Body weight | Starting dosage | Typical dosage range | Maximum dosage |
| less than 11 kg (about 24 lb) | 0.75–1.5 mg/kg twice daily | 0.75–3 mg/kg twice daily | 3 mg/kg twice daily |
| 11 kg to less than 20 kg (about 24 lb to less than 44 lb) | 0.5–1.25 mg/kg twice daily | 0.5–2.5 mg/kg twice daily | 2.5 mg/kg twice daily |
| 20 kg to less than 50 kg (about 44 lb to about 110 lb) | 0.5–1 mg/kg twice daily | 0.5–2 mg/kg twice daily | 2 mg/kg twice daily |
| 50 kg or more (about 110 lb or more) | 25–50 mg twice daily | 25–50 mg twice daily | 50 mg twice daily |
For children older than 16 years, the dosage is the same as for adults. For details, see “Dosage for focal onset seizures” above.
Talk with your child’s doctor if you have questions about the recommended dosage for your child.
Long-term treatment
Briviact is meant to be a long-term treatment. If you and your doctor determine that Briviact is safe and effective for you, you’ll likely take it long term.
Before you start taking Briviact, your doctor will discuss your treatment plan with you.
Talk with your doctor if you have questions about how long you can expect to take Briviact.
The Briviact dosage your doctor prescribes will depend on several factors. These include:
- your age or body weight (for children)
- the severity of focal onset seizures you’re taking Briviact to treat
- side effects you may have with Briviact
- other medications you take
- your liver function
Other medical conditions you have can also affect your Briviact dosage.
Dosage adjustments
Your doctor may need to increase your dosage of Briviact if you take the medication rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane). This is because rifampin interacts with Briviact and can affect the level of Briviact in your body. To find out what drugs may interact with Briviact, see this article.
Your doctor may also need to adjust your dosage of Briviact if you have liver damage. Your liver helps remove drugs from your body. If you have liver problems, it may be harder for your body to remove Briviact. As a result, the drug may build up in your system, which could increase your risk of side effects. Because of this, your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of Briviact for you. A lower dose may decrease the risk of side effects. For details about Briviact’s side effects, see this article.
Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take and any health conditions you may have.
You take Briviact oral tablet and oral solution by mouth, with or without food. It may be helpful to take your doses around the same time every day, such as morning and evening. This helps maintain a steady level of the drug in your body so Briviact can work effectively.
You swallow the tablet whole with a liquid. Do not divide, crush, or chew Briviact tablets. If you have trouble swallowing tablets, see this article for tips on how to take this form of medication. You can also talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
If you take Briviact solution, use a dosing spoon, cup, or dropper to measure your dose. These are available from your local pharmacy. You should not use a household teaspoon or tablespoon to measure your dose. Once you open the bottle of solution, you should use it within 5 months. If you don’t finish the bottle within 5 months, safely discard any remaining liquid.
Your doctor will give you the IV infusion of Briviact at a hospital or infusion clinic. The infusion usually lasts 2–15 minutes.
If you have questions about how to take Briviact, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
ACCESSIBLE DRUG LABELS AND CONTAINERSSome pharmacies offer labels with large print, braille, or a code you scan with a smartphone to convert text to speech. If your local pharmacy doesn’t have these options, your doctor or pharmacist might be able to recommend a pharmacy that does.
If you’re having trouble opening medication bottles, ask your pharmacist about putting Briviact in an easy-open container. They also may recommend tools that can make it easier to open bottles.
If you miss a dose of Briviact, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next scheduled dose. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed one. If you’re not sure whether to take a missed dose or skip it, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
To help make sure that you don’t miss a dose, try using a medication reminder. This can include setting an alarm or putting a note where you’ll see it, such as on your bathroom mirror or bedside table. You could also download a reminder app on your phone.
It’s important that you do not take more Briviact than your doctor prescribes. For some medications, taking more than the recommended amount may lead to harmful effects or overdose.
Symptoms of an overdose
Overdose symptoms of Briviact can include:
If you take more than the recommended amount of Briviact
Call your doctor right away if you believe you’ve taken too much Briviact. Another option is to call America’s Poison Centers at 800-222-1222 or use its online tool. If you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number, or go to the nearest emergency room.
Based on the drug’s clinical trials, there’s no evidence to suggest that Briviact causes dependence or withdrawal symptoms. With dependence, your body becomes used to a drug and needs it to function as usual. This means you may have withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop taking the drug after taking it regularly for some time.
However, withdrawal seizures are a known risk of stopping anticonvulsant medications, including Briviact. These seizures may occur more often than the seizures you were taking the drug to treat. There’s also an increased risk of status epilepticus, which requires immediate medical attention. Due to this risk, the dose of Briviact is decreased gradually over time.
If you and your doctor decide to stop Briviact treatment, your doctor will slowly lower your dose. This will help reduce the risk of withdrawal seizures.
Do not stop taking Briviact unless your doctor specifically tells you to. If you have questions about stopping Briviact, talk with your doctor for more information.
Below are some frequently asked questions about Briviact and dosage.
Is the dosage of Briviact similar to the dosage of Keppra?
The forms and how often you take each drug are similar, but the dosage differs in some ways. Briviact and levetiracetam (Keppra) are approved to treat focal onset seizures. Keppra is also approved to treat other types of seizures.
Both Briviact and Keppra are available as an oral tablet, oral solution, and injection. They are typically taken twice per day. Keppra also comes as an extended-release oral tablet, which is taken once per day. (“Extended release” means the drug releases into your body slowly over time.)
The dose in mg for each drug differs because they have different active ingredients. Your doctor will prescribe the drug and the dosage that’s right for you. To learn more about how these drugs compare, talk with your doctor.
How long does it take for Briviact to start working?
Briviact starts to work after your first dose. Because of how the drug works, you likely won’t feel the drug working in your body. But your doctor will monitor you during treatment to check whether the drug is working to treat your condition.
It may be helpful to keep a diary of your seizures during Briviact treatment. You can share it with your doctor to help determine whether Briviact is working for you.
Talk with your doctor if you have questions about what to expect with Briviact treatment.
The dosages in this article are typical dosages provided by the drug’s manufacturer. If your doctor recommends Briviact for you, they will prescribe the dosage that’s right for you. Always follow the dosage that your doctor prescribes.
As with any drug, never change your Briviact dosage without your doctor’s recommendation. If you have questions about the best Briviact dosage for you, talk with your doctor.
Besides learning about dosage, you may want other information about Briviact. These additional articles might be helpful:
- More about Briviact: For information about other aspects of Briviact, refer to this article.
- Side effects: To learn about side effects of Briviact, see this article. You can also look at the Briviact prescribing information.
- Interactions: For details about what Briviact interacts with, see this article.
- Details about focal onset seizures: For details about focal onset seizures, see this article and our epilepsy and seizures hub.
Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.