Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) Uses

Oxcarbazepine is used to treat partial seizures (also called partial onset seizures, focal seizures, or focal onset aware seizures), which start on one side of the brain. 

There may be other uses of this prescription medicine, for example, to treat bipolar disorder—your pharmacist or doctor can give you further drug information

Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) Mechanism of Action

The medication affects voltage-sensitive sodium channels and stabilizes hyperactive neurons in the central nervous system, thus decreasing abnormal brain activity and controlling partial-onset seizures.

Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) Doses

When oxcarbazepine is used as adjunctive therapy with other antiepileptic medications to treat partial onset seizures, the starting dose in adults is 600 mg per day, given in two divided doses. This dose is increased by 600 mg/day at weekly intervals until the recommended daily dose of 1200 mg is reached.

When oxcarbazepine is used as monotherapy (single-drug treatment of epilepsy), the dose is increased by 300 mg/day every third day until a daily dose of 1200 mg is reached.

A low starting dose may be used in elderly patients and those with impaired kidney function.

The dose of oxcarbazepine in pediatric patients depends on body weight and will be determined by the child’s healthcare provider.