This page is to help me remember loading doses for various anti-epileptic medications. Use the info here at your own risk. If you use this without knowing what you're doing, well then you're an idiot and shouldn't be treating patients. For the medications below missing doses, it means I have no official source for them. If you have a source that describes a loading dose or regimen, please email me using your own email program or directly from this website.
| Generic | Trade Name(s) | Loading Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Carbamazepine | Tegretol, Carbatrol | 300-800 mg IV or 15-20 mg/kg |
| Felbamate | Felbatol | |
| Gabapentin | Neurontin | No loading dose, start 300 mg x 1 on day 1, then BID x 2 days, then TID |
| Lamotrigine | Lamictal | No loading dose, start 25 mg q day |
| Levetiracetam | Keppra | Was 500 mg PO/IV or 1 gm PO/IV if big person, then 500 mg BID Now is higher, usually at least 2 gm BID, can be weight-based I think up to 2.5 grams |
| Oxcarbazepine | Trileptal | No loading dose, start regular dose |
| Phenobarbital | 10-20 mg/kg then 30 mg BID | |
| Phenytoin | Dilantin | Use Cerebyx (fosphenytoin): 1 gm IV or IM |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica | No load, start regular dose |
| Valproic Acid | Depakote, Depakene, Depacon | 1 gm PO/IV |
| Tiagabine | Gabitril | No load |
| Topamax | Topiramate | 50 mg PO, then BID |