Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) is indicated for use as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in adults with epilepsy and as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in children ages 4 to 16 with epilepsy. Epilepsy is a brain disorder. It occurs when the electrical signals in the brain are disrupted. This change in the brain leads to a seizure. Seizures can cause brief changes in a person's: Body movements, Awareness, Emotions, Senses (such as taste, smell, vision, or hearing). Some people may only have a single seizure during their lives. One seizure does not mean that a person has epilepsy. People with epilepsy have repeated seizures. Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) has been proven to control partial seizures both by itself (monotherapy, for adults) and in combination with other antiseizure medications (adjunctive therapy, for adults and children as young as 4 years of age). During these studies, many patients taking Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) experienced significantly fewer seizures. You should take Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) every 12 hours for maximum control of your seizures. You may find it convenient to take Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) with breakfast and dinner. However, it is not necessary to take Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) with food. Sometimes it can be easier to take your Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) at the same hour of the day and the evening-for example, 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. You might find it helpful to keep a calendar where you record each dose of Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) that you take, especially if you are taking other medications. Or you might keep a small pillbox with a compartment for each day of the week, which you fill at the beginning of the week.
For many patients, other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) can cause troubling side effects, including gum problems, unusual hair growth, difficulty concentrating or thinking, changes in facial features, weight gain, or rash. In clinical studies, very few Trileptal side effects were reported. For many patients, these Trileptal side effects were no more frequent with TRILEPTAL than with placebo (a sugar pill that is used in clinical studies). The most common siTrileptal side effectsde effects are dizziness, somnolence, double vision, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of coordination, abnormal vision, abdominal pain, tremor, indigestion, and abnormal gait. The Trileptal side effects are generally mild or moderate.Trileptal side effects are usually more common when you start taking a new antiseizure medication. You should avoid driving or operating heavy machinery until you determine whether TRILEPTAL will impair your ability to perform these activities. You should also avoid drinking alcohol when taking this medication otherwise it may result in Trileptal side effects.