Oxcarbazepine and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• December 20, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "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."

• Pal...
• October 27, 2019

For Anxiety "I have RRMS. In April, I had another brain MRI. The results indicated a new brain lesion on my brain. Two EEGs were also administered. My neurologist stated I was not experiencing vertigo, but possibly having seizures, convulsions, or fainting spells. I was placed on oxcarbazepine, 300x2 a day. I am now experiencing extreme anxiety. My neurologist first thought the anxiety stemmed from the steroids and it would go away. It hasn't, and it has only gotten worse. He now states it is my MS. I am using cannabis for the anxiety. Sometimes it helps, and other times it does not. The neurologist prescribed a low dosage (2 mg) of Valium. I've taken it on and off, yet sometimes it is not effective. I am concerned about addiction to Valium. I am forgetting things. I have tingling, numbness, and feeling hot inside my body. I went from being a very independent, active person to doing very little. Is anyone else experiencing extreme anxiety due to oxcarbazepine?"

• 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."

• 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!"

• Gue...
• November 28, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "1st time anything has worked. After over 20 years of being hospitalized for suicidal thoughts, something finally works. It's been 8 months. I'm usually good for twice a year. Still deal with social anxiety and distrust of people, but it calms racing thoughts of suicide."

• Mag...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 21, 2018

For Anxiety "I don't like this medicine at all. I was taken off Depakote as it affected my liver. And was put on oxcarbazepine because of anger and aggression. I feel more anxious on this med, but I am numb. I don't feel anything. And have been made stupid by it. I cannot remember things and don't really care much."

• Rho...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 21, 2016

For Anxiety "Omg, where do I start! I have been dealing with acute alcohol withdrawal disorder and have had anxiety and depression for many years. The doctors have tried to label me as bipolar, but I don't think it's an accurate diagnosis. Since taking this pill, I have had vivid nightmares upon the first night taking it. I felt some relief initially and felt good for a week or so. I had my ups and downs. I took the pill without reading side effects, so that it would not affect my treatment. I have had a constant sore throat, crusty sores on my nose that won't go away. I feel drunk when I take them. I don't get a full night's rest. I was recently diagnosed with PTSD. They doubled my dosage, and now I have agitation, restlessness, crying spells, depression, and anxiety still."

• Chr...
• July 21, 2015

For Seizures "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."

• Anonymous
• February 19, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking Trileptal (oxcarbazepine) for years now for bipolar. I've tried so many other drugs, and they either didn't work or I couldn't live with the side effects. Trileptal has been a lifesaver for me! I also take low doses of Wellbutrin and Celexa and .5 Klonopin 1x day for anxiety. My doc wanted me to substitute Abilify for Trileptal, and I said, 'no way!' I compromised with her and take .5 mg Abilify with the rest of my meds for a week or so when I get depressed. So many docs have tried to steer me to the newest drugs for bipolar-I've tried them, don't like them, and I will stay on Trileptal. I only gave it a 9 instead of a 10 because I have to take other things with it, so it's not a 100 percent cure-all."

• ane...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 14, 2014

For Anxiety "Neurologist reduced medication from 250 mg per day to 125 mg daily. Reduction has increased headaches, anxiety, delusional episodes, and partial seizures. Sleeping patterns have changed. Feel increased heart rate, cervical headache."

• Kai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2022

For Anxiety "So I was prescribed this medication for my anxiety “flare-ups” and my horrible mood swings. For reference, I am only on 150 mg, which is the lowest mg you can get, and I have to split the tablet in half, which makes that 75 mg. I have only been on it roughly a week, and the side effects outweigh the positive effects. I’m so exhausted, I have diarrhea after everything I eat, I feel sick to my stomach, and I feel SO disconnected from reality. Like my body feels here, but my mind is somewhere else. And it’s so overwhelming that it’s an uncomfortable feeling. I also kinda feel like a zombie as well, like I'm just here. I don’t really do anything or wanna do anything, and I just feel numb. This medication is either a hit or miss, and for me, it’s a complete miss."

• Mad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2019

For Anxiety "I’ve been on this medicine, oxcarbazepine, for about a month, along with Buspar and Zoloft. I have noticed I haven’t been as depressed since starting this medicine, but I still have my days. Honestly, I don’t think it’s the right medicine for me, though. I’ve had increased anxiety, restlessness at night, dizziness, anger, headaches, and somewhat feeling “out of my mind.” I was prescribed this for bipolar disorder, which I still haven’t been fully diagnosed with."

• Hen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Lamictal didn't seem to help for my bipolar, so I figured I'd try something else. Dr. put me on Trileptal 150 mg twice daily. Within a few days, I was depressed and overwhelmed with emotions. I searched online for reasons why I was feeling this way. Apparently, I take Seroquel XR and Buspar, and I just realized that Trileptal decreases the effectiveness of those two drugs. No wonder I was miserable. Feel tired and having more anxiety than before. Headaches too. Waiting for the next visit with the doctor. Either I stick with Trileptal and start another atypical psychotic or get off the Trileptal completely. I don't like the emotional imbalance in my brain. Very scary stuff."

• Hen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Lamictal didn't seem to help for my bipolar, so I figured I'd try something else. Dr. put me on Trileptal 150 mg twice daily. Within a few days, I was depressed and overwhelmed with emotions. I searched online for reasons why I was feeling this way. Apparently, I take Seroquel XR and Buspar, and I just realized that Trileptal decreases the effectiveness of those two drugs. No wonder I was miserable. Feel tired and having more anxiety than before. Headaches too. Waiting for the next visit with the doctor. Either I stick with Trileptal and start another atypical psychotic or get off the Trileptal completely. I don't like the emotional imbalance in my brain. Very scary stuff."

• Jac...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 18, 2024

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on oxcarbazepine since I was 14. I'm 21 now. It treats a lot of different issues I have, including generalized anxiety, panic disorder, mood swings, and some psychotic issues like racing, rambling thoughts, just a lot of weird hyperimpulsivity issues. And since taking oxcarbazepine, most of that has been really quiet for me. And as soon as I stop taking it, it all comes back and gets really bad. So if you're taking this for any of those, I recommend staying on it, unless of course you're having an allergic reaction, then you need to talk to a doctor about it. But for me, I have severe anxiety and panic attacks. I can't really function without this medication. I've tried to get off of it before, thinking that I would be okay and had full-on panic attacks every day, everywhere I go. I couldn't sleep right for weeks, it was pretty bad. I can't say my experience will be the same as everyone else's with it, as I am one person, but it worked pretty well for me. I'm still using it. 300mg nightly - 21."

• 16 ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Went from Prozac to this. Doesn't work. I still have mood issues as well as anxiety. I actually became more depressed while on this medication. Can't really feel a difference, and the people around me agree."

• Kik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "My son is 20 years old. His 1st diagnosis is Autism, social anxiety, learning disability, nonverbal, and now bipolar due to aggressive outburst behaviors. He is taking 150 mg of oxcarbazepine. When he was taking 300 mg with 3 mg of Tenex, he was completely lethargic and couldn't get up from bed. Now, at 150 mg and 0.5 mg of Tenex, he is functioning again. He is not aggressive, but he cannot stop eating. He is always dizzy in the mornings and is very anxious. I am not happy with the side effects and will discuss them with his psychiatrist to change them."

• Col...
• November 1, 2018

For Cyclothymic Disorder "I used to take Tegretol for cyclothymic disorder. It was working well until my Chem 7 labs came back funky. My liver enzymes were elevated, so I decided to not take it anymore. I’m glad I did! Trileptal has kept me at a stable mood and decreased most of my anxiety as well. By the way, I was given this medication along with Ativan for acute stress disorder after I watched a man die next to me while I overdosed on cocaine. Anyway, I was in a bad state, and it brought me back to normalcy."

• Zee...
• July 5, 2021

Oxcarbazepine "I diagnosed myself with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) in March of 2020, intermittent until I went to the dentist in July, sought treatment in September. Started out with 150 mg, because the pain was tolerable, currently up to 450 mg, which is a low dose. Currently, having severe breakthrough pain for the past week. Touching my head, rubbing my eye, putting on and taking off makeup, brushing my teeth, and finally eating, all within one week. I am petrified of the pain, which would give anyone anxiety. I tolerate the side effects. Surgery is a last resort for me, but if the medication stops working, I'll be ready for the surgery."

• ein...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Weak, dizzy, upset stomach, anxiety attacks, nervous, and short-tempered. Plain and simple, it didn't work."

• ein...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Weak, dizzy, upset stomach, anxiety attacks, nervous, and short-tempered. Plain and simple, it didn't work."

• Geo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 30, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Extreme anxiety, exhausted."

• Ran...
• March 2, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "Made me feel jumpy and made me feel worse."

• Ric...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 18, 2021

For Anxiety "It was horrible, increased my anxiety, and gave me night sweats as well as paranoia."