Does Keppra show up on a drug test? 

Does Keppra show up on a drug test? 

No, Keppra (Levetiracetam) does not show up on a drug test. Keppra is an anticonvulsant medication that is not something standard drug tests look for. Keppra does not cause addiction and is not considered a drug of abuse (1). 

This is why it is not generally included in the panel of drugs to be tested. Keppra is also not known for causing a false positive for any controlled substance. 

If the drug testing procedure is based on Gas Chromatography-Mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), false positives should not be your concern as these testing producers are accurate and they detect the exact drug present in your body (2). 

Just make sure you don’t stop taking Keppra without your doctor’s approval. Skipping medications for a few days is a common practice among people to prevent false positives, but not every medication can be stopped abruptly – especially meds like Keppra that affect your brain. 

How is Keppra different from drugs that show up on a drug test?

Keppra, as stated earlier, is an antiepileptic medication used to control seizures (3). It is different from drugs that show up on a drug test because it does not belong to the same drug classes that are typically screened for in standard drug tests (4). 

Drug tests primarily focus on detecting substances such as opioids, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, amphetamines, and cocaine (4). 

Keppra is not chemically similar to these drugs, and its presence is not detected by commonly used drug screening methods. Therefore, taking Keppra as prescribed should not result in a positive drug test for these substances.

However, Keppra may cause some side effects. So, make sure you take Keppra properly. It is also important to make sure that you do not take a higher-than-recommended dose or crush the tablets.

Final words

To sum up, Keppra is not something that typically shows up on a drug test. However, it’s important to note that drug tests can vary, and specialized tests may be able to detect specific medications. 

If you have concerns about drug testing while taking Keppra, it’s recommended to discuss it with your healthcare provider or the entity conducting the drug test for more information and guidance.

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References

1.-

Kumar A, Maini K, Kadian R. Levetiracetam. 2022 Jun 24. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 29763065. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499890

2.-

Ramoo B, Funke M, Frazee C, Garg U. Comprehensive Urine Drug Screen by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Methods Mol Biol. 2016;1383:125-31. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3252-8_15. PMID: 26660182. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26660182/

3.-

Lyseng-Williamson KA. Levetiracetam: a review of its use in epilepsy. Drugs. 2011 Mar 5;71(4):489-514. doi: 10.2165/11204490-000000000-00000. PMID: 21395360. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21395360/

4.-

McNeil SE, Chen RJ, Cogburn M. Drug Testing. 2023 Jan 16. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 29083751. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459334/