oxcarbazepine at a glance
Medicine class
Anti-seizure medicine; carboxamide derivative.
Licensed use
Focal seizures, with or without progression to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures.
Food
May be taken with or without food.
Important practical issue
Oxcarbazepine can reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraception.
What is oxcarbazepine used for?
Selected UK products are licensed for focal seizures with or without progression to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures, either alone or with another anti-seizure medicine. Specialist services also use oxcarbazepine for some facial pain conditions; this is not a licensed indication for these products.
Focal seizures
Focal seizures progressing to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures
Non-licensed context: selected facial pain conditions, under specialist care
How does oxcarbazepine work?
Oxcarbazepine is rapidly converted to its active metabolite, MHD. This mainly blocks voltage-sensitive sodium channels, stabilising overactive nerve-cell membranes and limiting repeated electrical firing and seizure spread.
oxcarbazepine preparations and strengths
Oral suspension
Route: Oral
Strengths: 60 mg/mL
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 150 mg, 300 mg, 600 mg
How to take oxcarbazepine
Follow the prescribed directions and do not stop suddenly. Oxcarbazepine may be taken with or without food.
Swallow film-coated tablets with water; do not crush or chew them.
The tablet score line helps with swallowing and does not produce equal half-doses.
Shake the oral-suspension bottle vigorously for at least 10 seconds, then measure the prescribed amount promptly with the supplied oral syringe.
The suspension may be swallowed from the syringe or mixed with a small glass of water immediately before use. Wipe the outside of the syringe with a clean, dry tissue afterwards.
oxcarbazepine side effects
Common or expected effects
- Sleepiness or dizziness
- Headache
- Double or blurred vision
- Nausea or vomiting
- Tiredness
- Unsteadiness, tremor or difficulty concentrating
- Low blood sodium, which is often symptomless
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe rash, blistering, peeling skin or a rash with fever
- Facial or throat swelling, wheezing or breathing difficulty
- Confusion, reduced consciousness, severe vomiting or worsening seizures suggesting significant hyponatraemia
- Jaundice or other signs of hepatitis
- Frequent infections, mouth ulcers, unusual bleeding or bruising suggesting a blood disorder
- New thoughts of self-harm
oxcarbazepine in pregnancy
Do not stop oxcarbazepine because of pregnancy without specialist advice, as loss of seizure control can harm both mother and baby. Available data have not shown a higher overall malformation rate, but the evidence remains limited; possible neurodevelopmental effects and a signal for babies being small for gestational age cannot be excluded. Treatment and seizure control should be reviewed before conception and during pregnancy because MHD concentrations may fall.
oxcarbazepine while breastfeeding
oxcarbazepine interactions
Check all prescribed, over-the-counter and herbal products because oxcarbazepine can alter medicine concentrations and increase some adverse effects.
Hormonal contraceptives
Oxcarbazepine can reduce contraceptive hormone exposure and effectiveness; reliable non-hormonal or additional contraception should be discussed.
Phenytoin and other anti-seizure medicines
Concentrations of oxcarbazepine, MHD or the accompanying medicine may change, requiring clinical review and sometimes level monitoring.
Common questions about oxcarbazepine
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What types of seizure is oxcarbazepine licensed to treat?
It is licensed for focal seizures, including focal seizures that progress to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures.
Is oxcarbazepine licensed for trigeminal neuralgia or facial pain?
Not in the selected products. Some specialist services use it for facial pain outside its licence.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.