Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine is a keto analogue of carbamazepine and, like the parent drug, is a potent anticonvulsant used alone or in combination with other agents in the therapy of poartial seizures. 

Liver safety of Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine has been linked to rare instances of clinically apparent acute drug induced liver injury which resembles carbamazepine hepatotoxicity.

Mechanism of action of Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine (ox" kar baz' e peen) is a keto analog of carbamazepine and functions as a prodrug being rapidly converted to 10-hydroxycarbazepine.  Oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine are iminostilbenes related chemically to the tricyclic antidepresants and unrelated in structure to most other anticonvulsants.  They appear to act by suppression of spread of seizure activity by reduction in the posttetanic potentiation of synaptic transmission. 

FDA approval information for Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine was approved for use in epilepsy in the United States in 2000 and remains in common use. 

Oxcarbazepine is indicated for prevention and management of partial, complex, mixed and generalized seizures and is commonly used alone or in combination with other anticonvulsants. It is used off-label to treat bipolar disorder.

Dosage and administration for Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine is available as tablets of 150, 300 and 600 mg generically and under the commercial name of Trileptal and as an extended release form under the name Oxtellar XR.  Oral formulations for use in children are also available.  The recommended starting dose in adults is 300 mg twice daily followed by increases at weekly intervals based upon clinical response, the usual final dose being 600 mg twice daily. 

Side effects of Oxcarbazepine

Frequent side effects include drowsiness, sedation, ataxia, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash.

• Dailymed label info on Oxcarbazepine
• FDA Oxcarbazepine