Oxcarbazepine for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Rhi...
• March 13, 2008

Oxcarbazepine "I actually use this medicine for my bipolar disorder. So far I have had no side effects and no problems with it. My mood has improved a great deal and I don't have anything to complain about. This medicine is a life-saver for me!"

• mis...
• January 3, 2009

Oxcarbazepine "I have taken this medicine for about six months now. It has been such a life changer for me! I was on Depakote as a mood stabilizer for my not terribly severe bipolar disorder. Depakote caused weight gain. Since I have been on Trileptal, I have lost 30 lbs and feel great. I am just about to start my student teaching in college and I am more confident than ever that I will succeed with flying colors."

• Bat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 20, 2016

"This medicine is a godsend. I was previously taking Depakote & Seroquel & got so sick & tired of my previous dr not listening to my concern of feeling like a zombie all day & trying to nod off during the day. Once I changed dr's, my current dr heard my concerns & introduced me to Trileptal. By far this is the BEST I've been doing since my correct diagnosis in 2009! I couldn't be happier w/my current progress, both not feeling like a zombie, but now also being able to thoroughly enjoy life with my first child I had in Oct 2015. I feel both the most leveled out I've felt in quite some time, but also without the awful effect of feeling 'drugged up' per se & actually feel regular human emotion, haha. I'd totally recommend this script!"

• Bip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 21, 2016

"I was diagnosed with bipolar 14 years ago. The first medicine they gave me was Depakote, which made my hair fall out. Then they put me on lithium, which I have been on for 14 years, and whenever I would try to go off it, I would get manic really bad, so I have had to stay on it. Well, I recently weaned myself off lithium due to weight gain and hair thinning out. My doctor then prescribed Trileptal. I have been on it for two days, and I already feel 100 percent better. I feel stabilized and in a very, very good mood. It's like a happy pill so far. I am very happy."

• Anonymous
• December 20, 2016

"Tried a few mood stabilizers this year. Lamictal made me severely agitated and couldn't sleep a wink. Zyprexa turned me into the Cookie Monster and made me put on weight very fast. Put on this and have had great results. I don't get upset like I used to, and the racing thoughts have diminished greatly along with the anxiety."

• Anonymous
• December 11, 2016

"This drug has helped me so much. I used to be on a low dose of benzodiazepine and an antidepressant, and I felt terrible all the time. I had many racing thoughts about hurting myself and dying. I couldn't control myself at all when I felt anxious or too happy, which was followed by depression. But when my doctor replaced my benzodiazepine with this, the intrusive thoughts stopped. I got occasional headaches and dizziness (these are the only side effects I got) at first, but the side effects have gone away now after a couple of months. I can finally function normally without terrible mood swings that ruin everything. I take 600 mg a day, 300 in the morning and 300 at night."

• yom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 7, 2020

"At 300 mg of oxcarbazepine daily, my racing thoughts from bipolar have calmed down, and I feel normal for the first time in my life. My anxiety is gone or nearly so. I have BP2 and panic attacks. I also take Ativan, although it seems that I need less of it with oxcarbazepine. I feel a little sedated, but hope this goes away in the coming weeks. This is the first medicine that has helped at all. I am surprised and thankful."

• Pen...
• April 27, 2016

"I have been on many different medications for my bipolar for the last 8 years, and have been on Trileptal for 9 months. This is the best mood stabilizer I have ever been on. With this in my treatment regimen, along with some other good meds (Celexa, Prolixin), I am the most stable I have been in my life. It also has minimal side effects. It has a nice calming effect without being sedating or causing cognitive impairment, and it doesn't increase appetite for me like so many similar meds do. I started on 300 mg twice a day and about two months ago had to be increased to 600 mg twice a day. I did experience about a week or so of dizziness when first starting this medicine and when increasing the dose, however, no side effects now."

• sar...
• October 2, 2014

"Incredible stuff. I have severe panic disorder and bipolar disorder. Before I took it, I was getting worse and worse, hallucinating and not being able to chill out. I started on 600mg once a day. I clearly remember when I started it. It felt like I was surrounded by pillows when I moved around, in a good way. I feel 'normal' now (no pillows, I promise!). I had a crazy rash that caused me to need prednisone, but I'm on Lamictal/Lexapro/Trileptal, so who knows what caused it! I'm at 600mg/3x a day, so 1800 total. I have to take it at 8am / 1pm / 8pm on the dot or I feel like I'm losing it again. I wish there was something that would cover the entire day, but it's worth the trouble."

• cru...
• February 15, 2015

"This medication saved my life. Before, I was crying nonstop and having extreme fits of rage, and woke up every day wanting to die. Now that I've had it in my system for about 3 weeks, I don't feel perfect obviously, but I feel much more evened out. I'm not euphoric, but I'm not severely depressed either, and they don't switch from one extreme to another like they used to. For a long time, I could barely sleep, and now I can finally sleep through the night. I'm much more rational, and I feel that it's much easier to go about daily life, and now I'm finally working on repairing my relationships with people. Great drug."

• cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 9, 2016

Oxcarbazepine "This is a cleaner way of taking Trileptal, it really does make both medication management and the side effects easier to manage. On generic Trileptal, I needed to medicate twice daily, and the morning dose really put me in a fog, not to mention how intense the headaches could get about 30 minutes after my 3x evening dose. Now the headaches still come but are far less intense, and the onset is hours later. Also, the lethargy factor is greatly reduced. I take 900 mg at 6 PM, and I'm ready for bed at 10:30, not focused on getting to my pillow all night like I was previously. This medication does interfere with my ability to urinate within 2 hours of taking it. As for the positives, I'm a rapid cycler, and days are most certainly more stable. Give it time."

• Anonymous
• March 12, 2018

"I am BP2 and have been on so many drug combinations for the disorder. I gained about 30 lbs on the Depakote/Zoloft combo. The absolute worst is when I was put on Topamax. Anyway, I was recently moved to Trileptal. I thought to myself, here we go again. The first week sucked because I had a never-ending headache and nausea. The second week, I debated going off the drug because I was seriously sick and tired of feeling sick. But, I decided that I would try something different by eating small meals every couple of hours, and that ended the nausea right away. The headache went away about midway through that week. This has been the absolute best I have felt in years!!!! I am so happy not to be hungry all the time like I was on the Depakote. I am hoping that my hair starts growing back because on the Depakote half of it fell out. My quality of life has really improved. My moods are stable, and I feel great and want to go to work every day!"

• Mir...
• October 31, 2011

Oxcarbazepine "I've been taking Trileptal for bipolar disorder for years. I switched from Depakote as it made my hair fall out, and I hated the monthly blood tests. I take a large dose of Trileptal, 2100mg/day, and shortly after taking it, I may have some short-lived side effects (tingling in my face, mild double vision, and sleepiness) for about a half hour. My doctor says I might avoid these if I'd split it into morning and evening doses, but I have no doubt I'd forget the morning dose regularly. Trileptal has been very good to me! I still take a low dose birth control (Norethindrone 0.35mg/day) to help with 'monthly' ups and downs, and we've added Lamictal for its antidepressant effects (I found out antidepressants may increase cycling). I've never felt this 'Normal' before!"

• Anonymous
• April 7, 2008

Oxcarbazepine "I have been on Trileptal for a month now, combined with a small amount of Zoloft. I feel wonderful. I have taken other mood stabilizers in the past, and this by far is the best one for me. I am a lot calmer (not a zombie)."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 6, 2019

"Trileptal has changed my life for the better. The only reason I give it a 9 is because it's been a bit sedating for me. But because it works so well, I've continued to take it. In fact, Trileptal is the only reason I am able to physically leave this review... otherwise I am emotionless and numb. I am happier overall and able to appreciate life since starting Trileptal. I wish the best for anyone willing to give Trileptal a shot. ~ Lisa"

• Yuk...
• December 27, 2015

"I have been on Triliptal for a few years, and it helps a lot. Did see that it has a pain-relieving effect, big time. It decreases anxiety, helps with sleep, mellows me out, and at times I can't feel my legs, which is amusing since I realize this med has a big effect on decreasing nerve pain, muscle pain... any pain? So, now onto the side effects: low sodium, decreased heart rate (for me anyway). I also can't remember things, and when I read -- well, that doesn't work out too well, but I try. I can't remember what I read. I space out a lot. I also don't feel like eating. I used to take Tegretol, and that was awful, so I am pleased with this med. I take 1200 mg per day. It is hard with the 600 mg in the morning (I want to sleep)."

• Bip...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 11, 2016

"Lithium put me in the hospital for a month. I was on a respiratory tube for 10 days and in a coma for 2. It really worked before this stay. I was also in renal for 10 days. Once I was released, my doc tried Trileptal with an anti-anxiety med, and I have been episode-free for almost 3 years. Lithium is great, but have your blood levels checked VERY frequently. If you're having trouble with other meds, please consider giving this a try. I feel like a different person!"

• You...
• December 1, 2016

"I was put on this drug when I was diagnosed with bipolar, and it has made such a difference. No more racing mind, just calm and normal feeling. We worked to get the correct dosage, and now I feel terrific."

• kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 5, 2015

"Gabapentin was a life-saving drug in regards to getting my bipolar under control. Before then, I had taken just about everything there was out there for bipolar, some would work, short-lived, others would not work at all. I was so angry all the time, for no apparent reason, and Lord forbid someone say something to me that upset me, I'd bite their head right off and say mean, hurting words to those that I love. Finally, I was stable, no roller coaster moods, anger, or rage. The medication also calmed my severe anxiety, and I was able to get off of Xanax, which I had to have, or I'd be a nervous, shaking, tremor in wreck, all day, every day!!! I might also add that my severe depression was lifted, finally, I feel alive, well, and stable again."

• Anonymous
• February 28, 2012

Oxcarbazepine "This medication was extremely effective at stabilizing my moods. The problems that I had made it so that I could not continue on it and therefore needed to rate it so low (because of the severe side effects). First off, I literally saw double for several hours after taking it. Do you remember the Wrigley's Double Mint gum commercials? Well, literally that's what I experienced. It DID go away after several hours afterward, but was really weird and gave me a headache when it happened every morning. My skin, especially my lips, would get numb and tingly. The biggest problem, though, was that it gave me constipation so bad that nothing I ate or took could alleviate it. The ONLY way I could EVER go is if I took a heavy (not mild) laxative."

• Anonymous
• January 30, 2012

Oxcarbazepine "I took Trileptal over 2 years ago and had horrible side effects. Started at 1500 mg with no change in mood and with no side effects. Raised it to 2400 mg (max dosage) and was in a constant drunk/high haze all day. Twenty minutes after taking it, I couldn't walk in a straight line. My parents would spend an hour some mornings trying to get me to wake up. My managers wouldn't let me work because it was too noticeable I was 'high'. Trileptal seems to help a lot of people, so this isn't to discourage people from taking it."

• Jus...
• June 10, 2015

"Been on this med for 3 yrs & generally have had a good experience. I've been on multiple antidepressants over the years, but found they increased my irritability. My favorite was Zoloft, but gained 40 pounds in 2 yrs. A Dr. put me on Lamictal & kept increasing the dose. Total nightmare. Extreme depression, anxiety increased & felt mania for the first time ever. My current Dr. switched me to Trileptal. Complete blessing to sleep again. The toss-up? Going from feeling like I was on a pot of coffee to a bottle of wine. Had slurred speech & foggy head. My job requires me to speak in front of groups & taking in the AM was bad. Solution? Small dose of Lamictal (25 mg) in the AM (gets me up) & Trileptal (300 mg) at night for sleep. Been working!"

• KRa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 31, 2019

"After many other meds that didn’t work for bipolar II, oxcarbazepine really changed my life for the better. Also, a word of caution: after 2 years of never missing a dose, my doc is on vacation and I need a refill. I halved and quartered, and now I’m out of them completely and MANIC! Don’t let this happen to you. Peace to you all."

• chr...
• April 27, 2017

"Trileptal has been a lifesaver so far in treating my bipolar. I've been on the drug for a little over 10 weeks, and I currently take 600 mg/day split between morning and evening. For the first month, I experienced extreme fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. Currently, I only sometimes have blurry vision, and I feel like my memory has gotten worse (but it was poor to begin with). I didn't feel like it was actually working until I got to my current dose about three weeks ago, and now every week is better than the last in that I have fewer 'bad' days. I've even started to have good days without being manic! I do have a problem with sodium levels that I only notice after exercise, but eating a pickle or two resolves that."

• Dee...
• April 15, 2017

"I have been on Trileptal and just started taking it about a week ago, and I have been in better moods from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. I was on 75 mg of Lamictal for over 3 years, and it was working fine, and then it stopped working. I have also been diagnosed with bipolar when I was young, when they said that I had the beginning stage of it. I was just recently diagnosed with the highest stage of bipolar that you can go, and my psychologist put me on this med. I am taking 600 mg a day, 300 mg in the AM and 300 mg at night. I am not drowsy or nothing, just a little dizzy every now and then."