Oxcarbazepine
Description
Oxcarbazepine is an anticonvulsant which is used to control seizures. Take this medicine at the same time regularly. Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly without informing your doctor as it may cause withdrawal symptoms like seizures.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Oxcarbazepine
- Changes in vision
- Dizziness
- Unsteady walk
- Uncontrolled eye movements
- Agitation
- Confusion
- Fast heartbeat
- Headache
- Swelling of ankles or feet
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Constipation
- Dry mouth
Uses of Oxcarbazepine
What is it prescribed for?
- Epilepsy
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe peak effect of this medicine can be observed in 4 to 6 hours.
- Duration of effectThe effect of this medicine lasts for an average duration of 6 hours for an immediate release tablet and 24 hours for an extended release tablet.
- Safe with alcohol?Consumption of alcohol with this medicine is not recommended as it increases the risk of side effects like dizziness, difficulty in concentration. Do not perform activities that require mental alertness like driving or operating machinery.
- Is it habit forming?No habit forming tendency has been reported.
- Usage in pregnancy?This medicine is recommended for pregnant women unless absolutely necessary. Consult your doctor about the potential benefits and risks before deciding to take this medicine.
- Usage while breast-feeding?This medicine is known to excreted through breast milk. Consult your doctor about the potential benefits and risks before deciding to take this medicine. Monitoring of undesired effects like drowsiness, adequate weight gain is necessary.
Allergy
Avoid if you have a known history of allergy to Oxcarbazepine.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
This medicine is recommended for pregnant women unless absolutely necessary. Consult your doctor about the potential benefits and risks before deciding to take this medicine.
Breast-feeding
This medicine is known to excreted through breast milk. Consult your doctor about the potential benefits and risks before deciding to take this medicine. Monitoring of undesired effects like drowsiness, adequate weight gain is necessary.
General warnings
Suicidal thoughts
Use of Oxcarbazepine may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or depression. Therefore this medicine should be used with caution and prescription size should be limited in patients with depression or suicidal tendencies.
Skin reactions
Oxcarbazepine may cause severe skin reactions like stevens-johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Inform the doctor if any symptoms appear and discontinue the treatment as early as possible.
Withdrawal symptoms
Oxcarbazepine should not be stopped immediately without informing the doctor due to the risk of withdrawal symptoms like convulsions, behavioral disorder, tremor, and anxiety. Gradual dose reduction should be made based on the outcomes in the patient.
Impaired liver function
Oxcarbazepine should be used with caution in the patients with mild to moderate liver injury. Lowest possible doses should be initiated and increase the dose based on the patient's response. This medicine is not recommended in the patients with severe liver injury.
Impaired kidney function
Oxcarbazepine should be used with caution in the patients with the kidney injury. Half of the original dose should be administered if the CrCl is less than 30 ml/min.
Blood cell count
Oxcarbazepine may cause agranulocytosis, and leukopenia. Frequent monitoring of blood cell count is necessary. Any signs of low blood count should be reported to the doctor.
Low sodium levels
Oxcarbazepine may lower the sodium levels in the body and may cause clinically significant hyponatremia (Sodium levels less than 125 mmol/L). Any signs and symptoms of low sodium levels, nausea, headache, weakness should be reported to the doctor.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of Oxcarbazepine, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not double your dose to make up for the missed dose.
Overdose
Seek emergency medical treatment or contact the doctor in case of an overdose.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Use of Anticonvulsants with alcohol will increase the central nervous system and respiratory system depression.
Instructions
Consumption of alcohol with this medicine is not recommended as it increases the risk of side effects like dizziness, difficulty in concentration. Do not perform activities that require mental alertness like driving or operating machinery.
Interaction with Medicine
Amlodipine
Clopidogrel
Pantoprazole
Ethinyl Estradiol
Disease interactions
Depression
Oxcarbazepine should be given with caution in the patients with depression and suicidal thoughts. Frequent monitoring of depression symptoms is necessary. Dose adjustments are to be made based on the outcomes in the patient.
Liver Disease
Oxcarbazepine should be used with caution in the patients with the mild to moderate liver disease. Frequent monitoring of liver function tests is necessary. Suitable dose adjustments or an alternate medicine should be considered based on the clinical condition.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take Oxcarbazepine with or without food. Do not take in larger amounts than advised. Consult the doctor if you experience any undesirable effects. Do not stop taking the medicine without consulting your doctor as it may cause seizures.
Miscelleneous
How it works
It works by acting on ion channels in the brain and decreases the repetitive firing of brain cells.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Anticonvulsants
Schedule
Schedule H
Oxcarbazepine: Indications, Side Effects, Warnings - Drugs.com [Internet]. Drugs.com. 2017 [cited 8 April 2017]. Available from:
[Internet]. 2017 [cited 8 April 2017]. Available from:
DailyMed - OXCARBAZEPINE- oxcarbazepine tablet [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 8 April 2017]. Available from:
Trileptal, Oxtellar XR (oxcarbazepine) dosing, indications, interactions, adverse effects, and more [Internet]. Reference.medscape.com. 2017 [cited 8 April 2017]. Available from:
Prescribing medicines in pregnancy database [Internet]. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 2017 [cited 8 April 2017]. Available from:
TOXNET [Internet]. Toxnet.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 8 April 2017]. Available from:
Information on this page was last updated on 10 Apr 2017
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.