Oxcarbazepine
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Oxcarbazepine.png
chemical structure of oxcarbazepine
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) is an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug, used primarily in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
Oxcarbazepine is structurally a derivative of carbamazepine, adding a extra oxygen atom to the benzylcarboxamide group. This difference helps reduce the impact on the liver of metabolizing the drug, and also prevents the serious forms of anemia occasionally associated with carbamazepine. Aside from this reduction in side effects, it is thought to have the same mechanism as carbamazepine - sodium channel inhibition - and is generally used to treat the same conditions.
Side effects
Oxcarbazepine occasionally causes fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, and blurred or double vision. It can cause hyponatremia, so blood sodium levels should be tested if the patient complains of severe fatigue.
External links
- Oxcarbazepine / Trileptal Fact Sheet (http://www.fact-sheets.com/health/drugs-medications/trileptal/)
- Explanatory article (http://www.bipolarchild.com/newsletters/0108.html)
- Diagram illustrating the chief difference between oxcarbazepine and carbemazepine (http://www.bipolarchild.com/newsletters/metabolism_oxcarb.html)
- RxList entry (http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/oxcarbazepine.htm)
- http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/moodstabilizers.htm
- http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/trileptal.htm