Oxtellar XR
Generic name:oxcarbazepine
Dosage form: oral extended-release tablet
Drug class:Dibenzazepine anticonvulsants
What is Oxtellar XR?
Oxtellar XR (oxcarbazepine) is a once-a-day anticonvulsant drug used to treat partial-onset seizures in people with epilepsy. Oxtellar XR is an extended-release tablet, which means it slowly releases the drug steadily over the course of the day.
After you take Oxtellar XR, your body processes the drug into an active form called licarbazepine - a metabolite - that is responsible for most of Oxtellar XR's antiepileptic activity. Oxcarbazepine undergoes a process called metabolism to produce licarbazepine, its active 10-monohydroxy metabolite (MHD).
Oxtellar XR works to help prevent seizure spread in the intact brain. During a seizure many neurons or nerve cells fire at the same time, creating a surge of excessive electrical activity. Oxtellar XR is thought to work by blocking voltage-sensitive sodium channels (VSSC).
VSSC are integral membrane proteins that play key roles in the electrical signaling of cells. It's thought that by blocking VSSC, Oxtellar XR helps to stabilize hyper-excited nerve cell membranes, stop repetitive neuronal firing and diminish impulses between nerve cells. Oxtellar XR also affects calcium channels and increases potassium conductance, and this may also contribute to its antiepileptic activity.
Oxtellar XR was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012. No generic versions of Oxteallar XR are available.
What is Oxtellar XR used for?
Oxtellar XR is a prescription medicine used to treat partial onset seizures in adults and children 6 years of age and older.
Oxtellar XR is not for use in children under 6 years of age.
It is not known if Oxtellar XR is safe and effective in children under 6 years of age.
Important information
Do not stop taking Oxtellar XR without first talking to your healthcare provider. Stopping Oxtellar XR suddenly can cause serious problems.
Oxtellar XR can cause serious side effects, including:
- Oxtellar XR may cause the level of sodium in your blood to be low. Symptoms of low blood sodium include:
- nausea
- tiredness, lack of energy
- headache
- confusion
- more frequent or more severe seizures
Similar symptoms that are not related to low sodium may occur from taking Oxtellar XR. You should tell your healthcare provider if you have any of these side effects and if they bother you or they do not go away.
Some other medicines can also cause low sodium in your blood. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all the other medicines that you are taking.
Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your sodium levels during your treatment with Oxtellar XR .
- Oxtellar XR may also cause allergic reactions or serious problems which may affect organs and other parts of your body like the liver or blood cells. You may or may not have a rash with th
