eslicarbazepine acetate at a glance
Medicine class
Carboxamide antiseizure treatment
Licensed role
Focal-onset seizures, with or without spread to both sides of the brain
Food
May be taken with or without food
Available forms
Tablets and an oral suspension
What is eslicarbazepine acetate used for?
Licensed uses represented by the selected products are:
Used alone for focal-onset seizures, with or without secondary generalisation, in adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy.
Used with other antiseizure treatments for focal-onset seizures, with or without secondary generalisation, in adults, adolescents and children aged over 6 years.
How does eslicarbazepine acetate work?
It is rapidly converted into active eslicarbazepine, which stabilises inactive voltage-gated sodium channels and reduces repeated electrical firing by nerve cells that can contribute to seizures.
eslicarbazepine acetate preparations and strengths
Oral suspension
Route: Oral
Strengths: 50 mg/mL
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 200 mg, 800 mg
How to take eslicarbazepine acetate
Take it exactly as prescribed, with or without food.
The selected tablet may be swallowed whole or crushed and mixed with water or soft food such as apple sauce immediately before taking.
Shake the oral suspension well and measure it with the supplied oral syringe, not a household spoon.
Tablets and suspension have comparable bioavailability, but formulation changes should follow the prescription and supplied instructions.
eslicarbazepine acetate side effects
Common or expected effects
- Dizziness or sleepiness
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Unsteadiness, tremor or difficulty coordinating movements
- Double or blurred vision
- Tiredness
- Diarrhoea
- Reduced appetite
- Low blood sodium
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe allergic reaction, including facial or throat swelling and breathing difficulty
- Severe skin reactions with blistering, peeling, mucosal ulcers, fever or organ involvement
- Symptomatic low blood sodium, which may cause confusion, reduced consciousness or worsening seizures
- Fainting or a markedly slow or irregular heartbeat
- New thoughts of self-harm or suicide
eslicarbazepine acetate in pregnancy
Human pregnancy information is limited, so possible risks cannot be confirmed or excluded. Anyone planning pregnancy or who becomes pregnant should obtain prompt specialist review. Uncontrolled seizures may harm both parent and baby. The specialist can discuss treatment options, folic acid and antenatal monitoring.
eslicarbazepine acetate while breastfeeding
The selected product information advises against breastfeeding during treatment because transfer into human milk and the risk to the infant are unknown. Discuss feeding and treatment options with the epilepsy and maternity teams.
eslicarbazepine acetate interactions
Check all prescribed, over-the-counter and herbal products with a pharmacist or prescriber. Important interactions include:
Hormonal contraceptives
Eslicarbazepine can reduce exposure to contraceptive hormones, making some methods less reliable; discuss alternative effective contraception.
Oxcarbazepine
Concomitant use is not recommended because exposure to shared active metabolites may become excessive.
Carbamazepine
Carbamazepine may reduce eslicarbazepine exposure, while the combination can increase dizziness, double vision and coordination problems.
Common questions about eslicarbazepine acetate
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is eslicarbazepine acetate used for?
It treats focal-onset seizures. Adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy may use it alone; it may also be combined with other antiseizure treatments in adults and people aged over 6 years.
Is it the same as carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine?
No. They are related carboxamide antiseizure treatments but are separate active substances. Oxcarbazepine should not normally be taken with eslicarbazepine.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.