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Does Xcopri cause weight gain or weight loss?

Medically reviewed by Melisa Puckey, BPharm. Last updated on Oct 10, 2024.

Will Xcopri tablets (cenobamate) cause me to gain weight or lose weight?

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Yes, Xcopri can cause weight loss for a small percentage of users. In clinical trials up to 2% of patients experienced weight loss, and up to 5% of patients had decreased appetite. Most people will not see a change in weight.

Xcopri (cenobamate) is FDA approved medicine used for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in adult patients.

Medicines used to treat seizures (also called antiepileptic drugs or anticonvulsants) are usually taken long term so side effects of significant weight gain or weight loss overtime can cause marked health issues. Usually weight gain or weight loss only affects a small percentage of patients.

The antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are sometimes divided into groups by how they may affect weight.

Antiepileptic drugs that may cause:

weight gain:

  • gabapentin
  • pregabalin
  • valproic acid
  • vigabatrin
  • possibly carbamazepine

weight neutral:

  • lamotrigine,
  • levetiracetam
  • phenytoin

slight weight loss:

  • felbamate

strong weight loss:

  • topiramate
  • zonisamide

If you are concerned about weight loss or weight gain may be due to your medication it is important to discuss this with your doctor.
Note: You should not to discontinue taking Xcopri or other antiepileptic drugs without consulting with your healthcare provider.

For more information on Xcopri click here: Xcopri Medication Information

References
  • Xcopri Prescribing Information: [Accessed October 20, 2022] https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2022/212839s006s007lbl.pdf
  • Weight issues for people with epilepsy--a review: [Accessed October 20, 2022] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18047602/
  • Weight-reducing side effects of the antiepileptic agents topiramate and zonisamide: [Accessed October 20, 2022] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22249827/#:~:text=Several%20antiepileptic%20drugs%20(AEDs)%20are,loss%20as%2C%20e.g.%2C%20felbamate.

 

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