Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine, sold under the brand name Trileptal among others, is a medication used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. For epilepsy it is used for both focal seizures and generalized seizures. It has been used both alone and as add-on therapy in people with bipolar who have had no success with other treatments. It is taken by mouth. Oxcarbazepine, sold under the brand name Trileptal among others, is a medication used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. For epilepsy it is used for both focal seizures and generalized seizures. It has been used both alone and as add-on therapy in people with bipolar who have had no success with other treatments. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, double vision and trouble with walking. Serious side effects may include anaphylaxis, liver problems, pancreatitis, suicide, and an abnormal heart beat. While use during pregnancy may harm the baby, use may be less risky than having a seizure. Use is not recommended during breastfeeding. In those with an allergy to carbamazepine there is a 25% risk of problems with oxcarbazepine. How it works is not entirely clear. Oxcarbazepine was patented in 1969 and came into medical use in 1990. It is available as a generic medication. A month supply in the United Kingdom costs the NHS about 6.50 £ as of 2019. In the United States the wholesale cost of this amount is about US$7.15. In 2016 it was the 244th most prescribed medication in the United States with more than 2 million prescriptions. Oxcarbazepine is an anticonvulsant used to reduce the occurrence of epileptic episodes, and is not intended to cure epilepsy. Oxcarbazepine is used alone or in combination with other medications for the treatment of focal (partial) seizures in adults. In pediatric populations, it can be used by itself for the treatment of partial seizures for children 4 years and older, or in combination with other medications for children 2 years and older. Research has investigated the use of oxcarbazepine in bipolar disorder, with further evidence needed to fully assess its suitability. It may also be beneficial in trigeminal neuralgia. Oxcarbazepine is listed as pregnancy category C. There is limited data analyzing the impact of oxcarbazepine on a human fetus. Animal studies have shown an increased fetal abnormalities in pregnant rats and rabbits exposed to oxcarbazepine during pregnancy. In addition, oxcarbazepine is structurally similar to carbamazepine, which is considered to be teratogenic in humans (pregnancy category D). Oxcarbazepine should only be used during pregnancy if the benefits justify the risks. Pregnant persons on oxcarbazepine should be closely monitored, as plasma levels of the active metabolite licarbazepine have been shown to potentially decrease during pregnancy. Oxcarbazepine and its metabolite licarbazepine are both present in human breast milk and thus, some of the active drug can be transferred to a nursing infant. When considering whether to continue this medication in nursing mothers, the impact of the drug's side effect profile on the infant, should be weighed against its anti-epileptic benefit for the mother.