What is the most important information I should know about eslicarbazepine?
Seek medical treatment if you have symptoms of a serious drug reaction: skin rash, fever, swollen glands, flu-like symptoms, unusual bruising or bleeding, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).
Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of low sodium levels in your body such as nausea, confusion, severe weakness, muscle pain, or increased seizures.
Some people have thoughts about suicide while taking seizure medicine. Stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor.
Do not stop using eslicarbazepine suddenly.
What is eslicarbazepine?
Eslicarbazepine is an anticonvulsant. It works by decreasing nerve impulses that cause seizures and pain.
Eslicarbazepine is used alone or with other medications to treat partial-onset seizures in adults and children who are at least 4 years old.
Eslicarbazepine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking eslicarbazepine?
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to eslicarbazepine or oxcarbazepine.
To make sure eslicarbazepine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- kidney disease;
- liver disease;
- a blood cell disorder; or
- mood problems or suicidal thoughts.
Some people have thoughts about suicide while taking an anticonvulsant. Your doctor will need to check your progress at regular visits while you are taking eslicarbazepine. Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.
Do not start or stop taking eslicarbazepine during pregnancy without your doctor's advice. Having a seizure during pregnancy could harm both mother and baby. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking eslicarbazepine for seizures.
If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry. This is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to evaluate any effects of eslicarbazepine on the baby.
Eslicarbazepine can make birth control pills less effective. Ask your doctor about using non hormonal birth control (condom, diaphragm with spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking eslicarbazepine.
Eslicarbazepine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.
Eslicarbazepine not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
How should I take eslicarbazepine?
Eslicarbazepine is usually given once per day. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
You may take this medicine with or without food. The eslicarbazepine tablet may be crushed or swallowed whole.
Do not stop using eslicarbazepine suddenly, even if you feel fine. Stopping suddenly may cause increased seizures. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.
This medication can cause unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using eslicarbazepine.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What should I avoid while taking eslicarbazepine?
Eslicarbazepine may impair your thinking or reactions. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how this medicine will affect you.
What are the possible side effects of eslicarbazepine?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning in your eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling).
Seek medical treatment if you have a serious drug reaction that can affect many parts of your body. Symptoms may include: skin rash, fever, swollen glands, flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, severe weakness, unusual bruising, or yellowing of your skin or eyes. This reaction may occur several weeks after you began using eslicarbazepine.
Eslicarbazepine can reduce the sodium in your body to dangerously low levels, which can cause a life-threatening electrolyte imbalance. Call your doctor right away if you have nausea, lack of energy, confusion, feeling tired or irritable, severe weakness, muscle pain, or increased seizures.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, depression, anxiety, or if you feel agitated, hostile, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
Also call your doctor at once if you have:
- severe dizziness or drowsiness, vision changes, thinking problems, trouble with walking or coordination;
- sudden weakness or ill feeling, fever, chills, sore throat, mouth sores; or
-
liver problems --nausea, loss of appetite, upper stomach pain, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Common side effects may include:
- dizziness, drowsiness, headache;
- feeling tired;
- nausea, vomiting;
- coordination problems, feeling shaky; or
- double vision.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect eslicarbazepine?
Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:
- all other seizure medicines you use;
- omeprazole; or
- rosuvastatin (Crestor) or simvastatin (Zocor).
This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with eslicarbazepine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about eslicarbazepine.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2018 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 2.03. Revision date: 11/9/2017.
