Oxcarbazepine for Seizures User Reviews

• dog...
• October 22, 2015

Oxcarbazepine "I have been on Trileptal for about a month now. I'm taking 300 mg twice a day. I had an abnormal EEG and diagnosed with right-sided temporal lobe epilepsy. I started having pain 5 years ago - intense, daily pain in my right eye and eventually extended further up on the right side of my head (which is related to the epilepsy). I was also suffering from repeated inappropriate thoughts (of sexual nature) very disturbing and disrupted my life. I have since found out that OCD behavior very frequently accompanies temporal lobe epilepsy. Trileptal has stopped the partial seizures and inappropriate thoughts. Indocin 25 mg is controlling the pain. Hope this helps others."

• Ano...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 14, 2019

Oxcarbazepine "I had my first seizure at the age of 20, I am healthy otherwise. I was diagnosed with a type of seizure caused by a small heterotopia and put on 600 mg of Trileptal twice daily. I was seizure-free for 15 years until 3 days ago. The only side effect was weight gain. I see my neurologist tomorrow and am anticipating an increase in dose. I would highly recommend this medicine to anyone doing research."

• mad...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 13, 2021

Oxcarbazepine "This was the medication. I had epilepsy for 8 years, mainly during puberty years. I was on Trileptal once before the last time, but due to the low dosage, the medication was ineffective. I went to a new doctor, and he placed me back on Trileptal but increased the dosage of the pill, and that was the beginning of being 4 years seizure-free. Then, I was given the news after 5 years that I had officially outgrown my epilepsy."

• ASJ...
• January 10, 2013

Oxcarbazepine "My son, of 7, has been on Trileptal for 2 weeks. Immediately, the most evident side effect was solemnness. A week into therapy, he was playing outside and complained of dizziness, weakness, and pain all over. Thanks to literature at Novartis site, it is very comprehensive, so I found out about Hyponatremia (sodium level becoming very low). A few drops of concentrated table salt solution in both ears immediately took care of the problem. As for seizures, he hadn't had any. But then, we only found out about his rare nocturnal seizures by coincidence. He did have night terrors twice a month before. We haven't had any of those yet."

• gir...
• November 21, 2017

Oxcarbazepine "I started taking Trileptal when Tegretol stopped working for me. I love this medication. I developed epilepsy following a head injury (diving accident) when I was 8 years old. I've had seizures (daytime absence, daytime partial, nocturnal grand mal) since then. Tegretol worked for me for years, then stopped working. Trileptal has been my only seizure medication for the past 11 years, and I couldn't be happier. I have to add salt to my diet, and I get very flushed whenever I exert myself, but being completely seizure-free is worth these small inconveniences."

• Mar...
• July 17, 2016

Oxcarbazepine "I have temporal lobe seizures. I have taken Trileptal for many years, and it has helped control the seizures. However, I have been having issues with low sodium. The doctors blame it on the Trileptal. So to fix the problem, they suggest eating high sodium foods, fluid restriction, and no water. Water dilutes the sodium. They also suggested that I add about a teaspoon of salt to my meals. So what I do for thirst is drink Gatorade, but only a few sips. But you got to be careful and not drink more than a liter of fluid in a day, as this is what is recommended by the doctor. My neurologist recommended that I drink Gatorade. So most of the time, I drink Gatorade when I eat my meals."

• Anonymous
• September 5, 2008

Oxcarbazepine "I have taken the drug for about 6 years with positive results for seizures. The seizures have subsided to about 1-2 partial complex seizures per month. I do go through periods of depression, especially when the prescribed amount is changed. I'm currently taking 1200 mg in the AM and 1500 mg PM. It's probably the best seizure medication I've taken to date, and I've been on almost all of them at some point in my life over the past 30 years or so."

• Joa...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 1, 2014

Oxcarbazepine "Due to possible heart failure about 15 years ago, I started having partial seizures, waking up in airplanes or hotels not knowing where I was for some time, and then gradually became alert until I started having many severe seizures. I started with Tegretol and then switched to Trileptal, which was very effective. I forgot to take it a few times and had seizures until I became very conscious of the need, and since then, I am quite well. I need to stay far from confrontations and conflicts. I currently take 1,500 mg daily (600 in the morning, 300 at dinner, 600 at sleep). My sodium level suffered a lot, but I am good on it now. The way to balance it is with coconut water, sports drinks, and adding a bit more to home cooking. It is a super medicine. I miss my red wine!"

• Anonymous
• January 13, 2011

Oxcarbazepine "My son has been taking this medication for about 2 months now. Before he got on the medicine, he was really mean and talked back. I found that he was not happy, crying all the time for no reason at all. He would have a seizure about 10 times a day. It got to where it was really hard. I finally got him to see a great doctor. She put him on this medicine, and there hasn't been a seizure yet. He is playing, laughing, and having fun again. I really thank whoever came up with this medicine."

• Ran...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 28, 2013

Oxcarbazepine "I'm a 33-year-old female and was diagnosed with seizures at 31. They came out of nowhere. Had an MRI and an EEG, no signs of anything, they were normal. With not being able to find what type of seizures they are, it's hard to find help from anywhere. I tried this medication, Trileptal, and it is a nightmare for me. I started with 2 tablets a day along with Keppra that I was already on. They may not work well together. But I've been on Trileptal for 1 month now, and since the seizures have picked up, which I didn't like at all. I called the doctor, who is supposed to be a seizure specialist, and she said to up the medication. And that's when I noticed they were coming more than they normally do, and I noticed upset stomach. No success with it at all!"

• Jim...
• October 17, 2011

Oxcarbazepine "I was having seizures off and on for almost 4 yrs. Diagnosing this was difficult because I could never have a witness or could describe the symptoms. I was averaging 1 per month, then I got worse. I had 4 in two weeks, but all of them had witnesses. I called my doctor, and he ran heart tests and an MRI on my head. That's when he said I had partial epilepsy and gave me the Trileptal. I've been taking it for 6 weeks and haven't had any problems since then. I like this pill very much, and the best part is it's only $4 a month."

• Elv...
• January 5, 2010

Oxcarbazepine "I have been taking Trileptal for almost 1 month now, and it's such a lifesaver. I have been suffering from partial epilepsy for more than a year. I have been going to the hospital for almost 5/6 months, and they could not discover what the problem was, so I had to see a private doctor who diagnosed me with partial epilepsy and put me on Trileptal. As soon as I took these tablets, it reduced the attacks to 1 every two days, and after a month, it completely got rid of it, so I am really happy with these. However, I do feel slightly drowsy after taking them, but that does not matter since it's taken all the seizures away, which was my main concern since life just felt like hell prior to these. So I would definitely recommend it."

• jme...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 9, 2013

"My 13-year-old son was recently diagnosed with epilepsy. He has rare gelastic seizures. He was having 8-10 seizures every night. Doctors put him on 750 mg 2x a day, along with 1750 mg 2x a day Keppra. He began the meds in May. By August, he was seizure-free. He complained of dizziness and tiredness at first. After about 3 weeks, he seemed to snap out of it. Please give the medication time to work. It can work wonders if given a chance. Everyone is different, though. Good luck!"

• Lyo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2022

Oxcarbazepine "My 13-year-old son developed unexplained symptoms, which started as hypersalivation 2 years ago that progressed to frequent daily choking and vomiting. We saw all the specialists, and I work in oral surgery. His symptoms got worse and worse, and he was being described as a 'medical mystery.' A few months ago, we went on a ski trip, and he was suffering from severe altitude sickness and dehydration. On our last day, he had his first seizure. We chalked it up as a fluke. A month later, he woke us up to another seizure. He immediately started on Trileptal, working up to 300 mg 2x a day. And within a few weeks, his symptoms dramatically improved. He still has mild hypersalivation. So we upped his dose to 450 mg 2x a day, and his symptoms have completely subsided. A lifesaver for a middle schooler, not just quality of life, but we were fearing he could choke to death."

• Chr...
• July 21, 2015

"I have been taking Trileptal off and on for 13 years. I tried Keppra for a short time, but I developed anxiety at night. Switched back to Trileptal. I've gone from 3 or 4 seizures a month to seizure-free. I don't really experience too many side effects, just a bit more sleepy during the day."

• Sar...
• November 6, 2010

Oxcarbazepine "Been taking Trileptal for about a year. Mostly because every 5 to 6 years, have to change my medicine because I tend to get immune to them. Have taken Sodium Valproate, Tegretol, and Carbamazepine over the last 30 years. With Oxcarb, seizures are controlled but not totally gone. Also, am putting on an extraordinary amount of weight, looking for other options for what is becoming an obesity problem."

• Eda...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 30, 2020

"I did not believe I had bipolar disorder and suffered greatly over the course of a few years. Finally, the disease took its toll, and I had to accept the facts. The Trileptal has been such a relief! The doc wants me to keep increasing the dose to 1,200 mg a day, but it is effective for me at a lower dose. Good luck."

• Epi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 29, 2019

"I have to take 1800 mg of Trileptal a day for focal epilepsy, and it works well for that, considering I take 800 mg of Vimpat a day for a secondary epilepsy therapy as well. Trileptal, though, just like its sister drug Tegretol. I could swear it gives me some kind of bipolar disorder as a side effect combined with some kind of ADHD. Thank goodness Trileptal is helping people, though. Good luck out there."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 8, 2014

Oxcarbazepine "I have spatial seizures. I take 1200 mg per day. It has been 100% effective for the last two years. I had about six months of problems after I began taking Lipitor, but none since I was taken off the Lipitor. I'm a 67-year-old male who has had seizures for over 30 years. It has been as effective as Tegretol was until it stopped working after 14 years. I had a short bout with low sodium after open-heart surgery."

• Ele...
• March 26, 2022

Oxcarbazepine "300 mg x2 a day of Trileptal caused water retention and swollen lymph nodes. However, reducing it to 300 mg along with Keppra 250 mg x 2 a day has worked wonders for me. The Trileptal helps me sleep and helps with moodiness caused by Keppra. Keppra controls seizures very well. Overall, Trileptal is a great medication with little side effects. This combination of medicine is great for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 4, 2016

Oxcarbazepine "Although this medication did decrease my daughter's absence seizures, if she took this at any time 30 min before or after eating, she had a severe reaction. Her throat would burn inside and out, her face would flush, she would get dizzy and unable to focus. This would last about 5-10 min., and then she would get so tired, she would instantly fall asleep and sleep for hours. She was at a pretty high dose during this time, 1050 mg 2x daily. We finally stopped this medication because of the stress of having to watch so closely when she ate and when she could take this medication."

• lol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2015

"Been taking Trileptal to control seizures for about 8 months. Have seizures as a result of a low grade, inoperable brain tumor in the left temporal lobe. Seizures only last about 2 minutes. Tried Keppra (did not completely control them, higher dose left me in a constant fog and suffering suicidal ideation), Lamictal - developed a horrible rash during titration, and now Trileptal. Seizures have been controlled so far on 750 mg AM and PM. I do feel somewhat tired until I get used to the dose, and then the doc increases it again. He wants to get to 900 mg AM and PM. I am troubled by the weight gain - a lot! I do use more salt in my meals (never did before, had to buy a salt shaker!) and drink a sports drink - low cal - each day. I miss my wine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 21, 2023

Oxcarbazepine "Was involved in a serious rollover accident a few years back and started having seizures the day after. Had scans done and my neurologist at the time prescribed me Oxtellar XR (oxcarbazepine) and I was 100% seizure-free. Incredible medicine. I had to discontinue use a while back because I couldn't afford it. To be specific, the price was $500.00 a month so I discontinued use and learned to manage my condition, but my seizures are becoming more frequent again. I am fully conscious during my episodes and it was quite painful. I am 29 and without any insurance and am reaching out for a little insight."

• Anonymous
• September 22, 2009

"I've been on several different types of seizure medications for the past 18 years when I developed the seizure disorder (due to a car accident). This is by far the best medication I have taken. I'm not as tired, depressed, or lethargic as I was on the previous medications."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2016

"17-month-old with presumed localization-related focal partial complex and secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures replaced Keppra with Trileptal. Seizure characteristics changed/worsened, frequency and duration increased from every 4-10 weeks to weekly and from approximately 10 minutes to approximately 15-45 minutes with severe respiratory distress leading to numerous ambulance transports and hospitalizations. Though not ill, chronic respiratory distress developed such that O2 supplementation was required at 0.5 LPM awake and 1.5-2 LPM asleep. After more than 2 months of regular dosage increases following seizures, she was admitted to prolonged video EEG following transport. Trileptal was weaned, and in 3 days no O2 was needed, nothing was captured in 5 days, and she remains Trileptal/seizure/O2-free weeks later."