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| Pronunciation |
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 (ox
car BAZ e
peen) |
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| Brand Names |
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| Trileptal® |
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| Therapeutic
Categories |
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Anticonvulsant, Miscellaneous |
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| Reasons not to take this
medicine |
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- If you have an allergy to oxcarbazepine or any other part of the
medicine.
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| What is this medicine used
for? |
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- This medicine is used in adults to control partial seizures. It may be
used alone or in combination with other seizure therapy.
- It is also used in children to help control partial seizures. It is
used in combination with other seizure
therapy.
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| How does it work? |
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- Oxcarbazepine helps stop the seizure. It affects the brain where the
seizure starts.
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| How is it best taken? |
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- Take with or without food. Take with food if this medicine causes an
upset stomach.
- Do not suddenly stop using this medicine if you have been taking it
for a long time. Medicine should be slowly
decreased.
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| What do I do if I miss a
dose? |
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- Take a missed dose as soon as possible.
- If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed one. Return to
your regular schedule.
- Do not take a double dose or extra doses.
- Do not change dose or stop taking medicine without talking with
healthcare provider. Can cause
seizures.
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| What are the precautions when
taking this
medicine? |
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- Wear disease medical alert identification for seizure condition.
- Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor) and other medicines
and herbs that slow your actions and reactions. This includes sedatives,
tranquilizers, mood stabilizers, or pain medicine. Talk with healthcare
provider.
- You may not be alert. Avoid driving, doing other tasks or activities
until you see how this medicine affects you.
- Follow laws about driving with a seizure condition. Talk with
healthcare provider.
- Check medicines with healthcare provider. Other seizure medicines may
need adjustment when used together.
- Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine
especially carbamazepine. Make sure to tell about the allergy and how it
affected you. This includes telling about rash; hives; itching; shortness of
breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, throat; or any other
symptoms involved.
- Tell healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan on getting
pregnant.
- Birth control pills may not work. Use another form of birth control
while taking this medicine.
- Do not use if you are
breast-feeding.
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| What are the common side effects
of this
medicine? |
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- Headache. Mild pain medicine may help.
- Dizziness, feeling sleepy or tired, lack of coordination. Use caution
when driving, doing other tasks or activities until you see how this medicine
affects you.
- Nausea or vomiting. Small frequent meals, frequent mouth care, sucking
hard candy, or chewing gum may help.
- Change in vision or seeing double. Use caution when driving, doing
other tasks or activities. Wait to see how this medicine affects
you.
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| What should I monitor? |
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- Seizure control. Is it better, worse, or about the same?
- Side effects. Are they tolerable or not? Talk with healthcare
provider.
- Check blood work. If on other seizure medicines may need to check
blood levels. Talk with healthcare provider.
- Follow up with healthcare
provider.
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| Reasons to call healthcare
provider
immediately |
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- Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing;
tightness in the chest; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits;
swelling of face, lips, tongue, throat.
- Very nervous and excitable.
- Changes in balance. Feeling shaky or unsteady.
- Changes in thinking clearly and logically.
- Severe headache, nausea, feeling very tired and washed out, or
confused.
- Too tired or sleepy.
- Any rash.
- No improvement in condition or feeling
worse.
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| How should I store this
medicine? |
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- Store in a tight container at room
temperature.
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| General statements |
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- Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's
medicine.
- Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
- Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, herbal/supplements,
vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider
(doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physician assistant).
- Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine,
including over-the-counter or natural products (herbs,
vitamins).
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