Oxcarbazepine User Reviews & Ratings (Page 4)

• You...
• December 1, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "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."

• jaa...
• February 9, 2016

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "Diagnosed May 2015 - left side typical TGN. Didn't want to take Tegretol because of the side effects, so tried Gabapentin with minimal effect even on 2700 mg per day. After 7 months of daily agony, I finally changed to Trileptal. Took two weeks to kick in properly, but have been pain-free for the last 6 weeks. Have come off the Gabapentin (hideous) and am now working up the courage to come off the Trileptal to see if it's gone into remission. The MRI I had has identified the offending blood vessels, but I really want to avoid surgery if I can. Medication is expensive, but I have had very few side effects - I'll take that over pain any day of the week!"

• ale...
• July 14, 2019

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I loved Trileptal. It was my ride or die. My irritability, stubbornness/nitpicking, and anger were reduced to almost 0; my interpersonal relationships became healthier and I was overall not a pessimistic, moody, grouchy, insufferable Grinch anymore. No other medication had ever done that; I've always suffered terribly from my own irrational anger and anxiety. The only downside was not being able to enjoy a drink while out with friends, but I only socially drink, and even that's rare. It made me extremely sleepy (I took that as a good sign; that's what made me mellow out), so I suggest anyone else take it at night right before bed, and it'll probably even help you sleep. The only-and I mean only-reason I went off was because the form of birth control I wanted to get (Nexplanon implant) interferes with oxcarbazepine and other anticonvulsants. Definitely recommend for others, though."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2018

For Anxiety "I was having bad anxiety at night that would prevent any sleep. Some nights, if lucky, I'd only sleep 3 hours at most. So then my doctor told me to take this, and I instantly noticed a difference. I'm actually able to sleep now!!!"

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

For Bipolar Disorder "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
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 20, 2019

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "Been diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) since October 2108 and have tried 4 types of meds. I had really bad reactions with all of them and also didn't reduce the pain. Now I am taking 150 mg Trileptal with 100 mg Gabapentin, both of them in the morning and bedtime. The pain has reduced to a manageable level, like 3 out of 10. Am thankful for that, and I hope it will continue like that!!! I started going back to work and also enjoy life with friends!!!"

• Mar...
• July 17, 2016

Oxcarbazepine for Seizures "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."

• itl...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 19, 2014

Oxcarbazepine "I take 150 mg at night. It makes me drowsy, along with a 0.5 mg alprazolam. I can finally get at least 5-6 hours of sleep at night. I did not know how ill my disorder was making me until I was on this medication, and the prescriber that I was seeing let me lapse because I missed my appointment for a refill. Within a couple of weeks, I wanted to put my jacket on and run away, thought about running into traffic, real manic, racing thoughts while feeling depressed. I never knew how sick I was for all of those years until I was on the Trileptal and felt what 'healthy' was like. Thankfully, I found a new doctor and I’m back on it and do not plan on stopping, ever!"

• Jil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 9, 2018

For Neuropathic Pain "I have suffered for years from migraines and neuropathy pain. This medication has relieved my pain, and I am grateful. I take 300 mg twice a day and have gained a few pounds, but it’s worth it. I am able to function without constant pain now."

• Anonymous
• February 28, 2012

Oxcarbazepine for Bipolar Disorder "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
• September 5, 2008

Oxcarbazepine for Seizures "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."

• jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2014

For Anxiety "This medication is the first one I've ever taken that completely controls my extreme restlessness. I have tried antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and other anticonvulsants. None of them did the job. I tried this, expecting very little. I am amazed at how wonderfully this treats my issues. When I take it, it does take a while for it to take effect, but once it does, my restlessness and agitation completely vanish. I love it because it doesn't make me feel any differently, I just suddenly notice that I'm sitting still and my mind is going a hundred miles an hour. Medications affect everyone differently, but this one works wonders for me!!"

• Anonymous
• January 30, 2012

Oxcarbazepine for Bipolar Disorder "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."

• Bet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 9, 2013

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I have been in pain for three years with headaches and trigeminal neuralgia, and I was taking Tegretol with not much relief. I just switched to oxcarbazepine, and it is like I am a new person. No pain. I'm thrilled. I hope the relief lasts, unlike my experience with Tegretol, where it worked in the beginning and then it had no effect at all. I am thankful to my new doctor for prescribing this for me!"

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

Oxcarbazepine for Seizures "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!"

• Jus...
• June 10, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "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!"

• Anonymous
• January 13, 2011

Oxcarbazepine for Seizures "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."

• Mel...
• February 4, 2016

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "Life-changing, and I would not quit taking this unless I was forced to. I tried Tegretol, and it was too severe for me. I have been on oxcarbazepine for 6 weeks now, and it has almost stifled my trigeminal neuralgia episodes to where I can function now. It does have its side effects, and I am often confused for the first few hours of taking my medication, which is 150 milligrams 2 times per day. I'm glad we are starting out on a low dose as I am down to 102 pounds. I am also taking 3200 milligrams of gabapentin. This combination has worked for me. My last episode of trigeminal neuralgia was in September 2015, and it lasted for 34 days. That was it for me. I'm so glad for this medication to be available to me. There is a trade-off, though."

• Jod...
• September 25, 2011

Oxcarbazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "I use it for trigeminal neuralgia and it is working great! I was first prescribed Tegretol, and it worked for about a year, but then the pain started to return. The doctor said the Tegretol was being metabolized at a faster rate, and she switched me to Trileptal. It worked in about eight hours! And, as others have noted, you do struggle for words and have a bit of short-term memory impairment, but the pain is gone! Also, so is your libido! Tegretol was like taking Viagra, it increased libido! But it's still a better life without the pain."

• mrs...
• July 1, 2017

For Neuropathic Pain "I have a problem with neuropathic pain due to nerve scarring at L5S1. I take Tramadol as the primary pain reliever, but I have also been using oxcarbazepine. It seems to have more of a long-term impact on reducing pain for me. In other words, I have to take it for about a week to see an improvement, and if I stop taking it, the pain takes about a week to return. I take 2-150 mg tablets. I have observed no side effects. I have been taking these drugs for some 15 years. I always have some level of pain, but these 2 drugs have made it possible to have a mostly normal life, not otherwise possible."

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

For Bipolar Disorder "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

For Bipolar Disorder "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

For Bipolar Disorder "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."

• Mot...
• January 6, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "My daughter was diagnosed 2 years ago with several different mental health problems. She's been dealing with these issues for years, but it seems like we couldn't get the right help for her. She had a manic episode 2 weeks ago, I had to have her hospitalized. They put her on the Trileptal, and by the time she came home, she was a totally different person. She's so calm and mellow, I can tell for the first time in a long time, she seems at peace in her mind and actions. Best medication I've seen in a long time. Thank God and the doctor who finally found her some relief, including myself."

• Vas...
• September 20, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on generic oxcarbazepine, 600 mg 3x a day for years, and it wasn't quite enough alone to control my bipolar disorder. But taken along with lithium, it seems to have finally been the combo I needed to bring me back to reality with a stable mood, although it does make me very sleepy. I was crying every day and alternatingly unreasonably angry for years and years, going undiagnosed for decades. Bipolar runs rampant in my family, so I don't know why I didn't realize that was my issue, too! Just never put it together after watching my brother and sister's crazy rages since mine was so different than that! Derp!"