Oxcarbazépine pour l'épilepsie

About oxcarbazepine

Having epilepsy means that you have had more than one otherwise unexplained fit, or seizure. A seizure is a short episode of symptoms caused by a burst of abnormal electrical activity in your brain. Different parts of the brain control different functions of your body, so the symptoms that occur during a seizure will depend on where the abnormal burst of electrical activity occurs. Symptoms that may occur during a seizure can affect your muscles, sensations, behaviour, emotions, consciousness, or a combination of these. The seizures can be prevented in most people by suitable antiepileptic medication. Oxcarbazepine works by stabilising the electrical activity of your brain, which prevents the seizures from occurring.

Before taking oxcarbazepine

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking oxcarbazepine it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si vous êtes enceinte, si vous essayez d'avoir un enfant ou si vous allaitez.

• Si vous avez des problèmes avec le fonctionnement de vos reins ou de votre foie.

• Si vous souffrez d'une maladie cardiaque.

• Si l'on vous a dit que vous aviez un faible taux de sodium dans le sang.

• If you have a problem with your thyroid gland.

• Si vous êtes atteint d'une maladie sanguine héréditaire rare appelée porphyrie.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

How to take oxcarbazepine

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about oxcarbazepine and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take oxcarbazepine exactly as your doctor tells you to. It is usual to start treatment on a low dose, and then for the dose to be increased gradually to a regular maintenance dose. You will be asked to take two doses every day. Doses for children are tailored to their age and weight.

• Try to take your doses at the same times of day, each day. Having a routine will help you to remember to take your doses regularly. If you have difficulties swallowing tablets whole, you can break them into halves to make them easier to swallow. Taking them with a drink of water also helps. You can take oxcarbazepine either before or after meals.

• If you (or your child) have been given oxcarbazepine oral liquid medicine, make sure you understand how to measure the correct dose using the oral syringe provided. If you are unsure, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to show you.

• Si vous oubliez de prendre une dose, prenez-la dès que vous vous en rendez compte, sauf s'il est presque temps de prendre la dose suivante, auquel cas ne prenez pas la dose oubliée. Ne prenez pas deux doses en même temps pour compenser une dose oubliée.
  

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• Lorsque vous commencez un nouveau traitement contre l'épilepsie, il se peut que le nombre ou le type de crises change. Votre médecin vous conseillera à ce sujet.

• Essayez de vous rendre à vos rendez-vous réguliers avec votre médecin. Il pourra ainsi vérifier vos progrès. Il se peut que vous deviez faire des analyses de sang de temps en temps.

• Different formulations and makes of oxcarbazepine can act in a slightly different way in your body. Because of this, your doctor may recommend that you continue to take oxcarbazepine from the same manufacturer each time you obtain a new supply. If so, each time you collect a prescription, check to make sure your supply looks the same and that the name is the same. If you are unsure, or if you have any questions about your prescription, please ask your pharmacist to advise you.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take. This is because some medicines interfere with oxcarbazepine, and oxcarbazepine can also alter the way other medicines work.

• Les personnes atteintes d'épilepsie doivent d'abord s'abstenir de conduire. Votre médecin vous indiquera quand vous pourrez recommencer à conduire. Ce sera généralement après une année sans crises.

• You should avoid getting pregnant, as antiepileptic medicines can harm an unborn child. Make sure you have discussed with your doctor which types of contraception are suitable for you and your partner. Oxcarbazepine may affect how well the hormonal contraceptive pill works and additional barrier methods (condoms) are recommended. If you want to have a family, discuss this with your doctor so that you can be given advice from a specialist before you become pregnant.

• Pendant que vous êtes traité pour une épilepsie, il existe un faible risque que vous développiez des changements d'humeur, des pensées angoissantes et des envies de suicide. Si cela se produit, vous devez en parler immédiatement à votre médecin.

• You need to take oxcarbazepine regularly every day. Do not stop taking it unless your doctor tells you to stop. Stopping treatment suddenly can cause problems and your doctor will want you to reduce your dose gradually if this becomes necessary.

• Si vous buvez de l'alcool, demandez conseil à votre médecin. Votre médecin peut vous conseiller de ne pas boire d'alcool pendant que vous prenez ce médicament.

Can oxcarbazepine cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with oxcarbazepine. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes qui pourraient être dus au médicament, demandez conseil à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien.

How to store oxcarbazepine

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.

• Once a bottle of Trileptal® oral suspension has been opened, it should not be used or stored for more than seven weeks. After this time, get a new supply.

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments