What is Oxcarbazepine Tablets?
Oxcarbazepine is a medication that is primarily used to treat certain types of seizures in individuals with epilepsy. It is available in tablet form and is typically taken by mouth. Oxcarbazepine belongs to a class of medications known as antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) or anticonvulsants, and it works by helping to reduce abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can lead to seizures.
Oxcarbazepine Tablets Use
- Epilepsy: Oxcarbazepine is commonly prescribed to manage epilepsy, particularly for the treatment of partial seizures. Partial seizures are characterized by abnormal electrical activity in a specific area of the brain. Oxcarbazepine can help reduce the frequency and severity of these seizures.
- Epilepsy Maintenance Therapy: It is used as a long-term maintenance therapy to help prevent seizures and maintain seizure control in individuals with epilepsy. It is often used in combination with other antiepileptic medications as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Oxcarbazepine Tablets – Mechanism of Action and Pharmacology
- Sodium Channel Blockade: Oxcarbazepine and its active metabolite, 10-monohydroxy metabolite (MHD), exert their antiepileptic effects by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in neurons. By inhibiting these channels, the drug reduces the abnormal and excessive firing of neurons, which is characteristic of seizures. This sodium channel blockade is thought to be the primary mechanism of action for oxcarbazepine.
- Stabilization of Neuronal Membranes: By blocking sodium channels, oxcarbazepine helps stabilize neuronal membranes and reduce their excitability, making it more difficult for seizures to occur.
- Modulation of Calcium Channels: Oxcarbazepine may also have some effect on calcium channels, although the significance of this interaction is less well understood than its sodium channel blockade.
Oxcarbazepine Tablets – Side-effects
Oxcarbazepine is generally well-tolerated by most people, but like any medication, it can cause side effects in some individuals. Common side effects of oxcarbazepine may include:
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
