Oxcarbazepine, available as the brand Trileptal, is a prescription medication primarily used to control certain types of seizure disorders. Doctors also prescribe Trileptal to control episodes of mania in bipolar disorder. Caffeine may increase some side effects of Trileptal, but this doesn't necessarily mean you need to give up coffee or your favorite soda.
Trileptal
Trileptal is an anti-convulsant drug that reduces abnormal electrical activity in the brain. It doesn't cure epilepsy but is helpful for preventing the occurrence of seizures in people with this disorder. It also does not cure bipolar disorder but can help prevent episodes of mania and reduce manic symptoms when an episode does occur.
Interactions
Peer-reviewed medical information website Drugs.com and the U.S. National Library of Medicine website PubMed Health do not list an interaction between Trileptal and caffeine. Drugs.com lists other drugs that contain caffeine as interacting with Trileptal, in which another active ingredient, such as ergamot, may reduce the effectiveness of Trileptal or have a different negative effect. Animal research published in the September-October 2009 issue of "Pharmacological Reports" investigated whether caffeine has negative effects on oxcarbazepine, because caffeine has been associated with reduced effectiveness of some other anti-convulsant drugs. In this experiment, caffeine did not have any effect on oxcarbazepine.
Side Effects
Caffeine has a few of the same possible side effects that Trileptal can cause, which could increase these side effects when combining the two substances. Both Trileptal and caffeine can cause nervousness, dizziness and upset stomach. This is particularly true of caffeine when consumed in large amounts or if you are especially sensitive to caffeine. In addition, up to 3 percent of patients taking Trileptal report developing a dry mouth, according to eMedTV. Caffeine can dry out your mouth as well. Sipping water, chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless hard candy can help.
Prevention/Solution
If you find the combination of Trileptal and caffeine to be causing unpleasant side effects, be aware of all the places caffeine occurs. Caffeine is found in regular coffee, black and green tea, colas and some other sodas, energy drinks and in chocolate. It also is added to some pain relievers, non-drowsy cold and allergy medicines, and over-the-counter diet pills. Reading labels can help you avoid consuming this substance.
References
- PubMed Health: Oxcarbazepine
- Princeton University: Drugs and Smoking
- Drugs.com: Oxcarbazepine Drug Interactions
- EMedTV: Trileptal and Dry Mouth
- "Pharmacological Reports"; Effect of Caffeine on the Anticonvulsant Effects of Oxcarbazepine; M. Chroscinska-Krawczyk; Sept.-Oct. 2009
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: Trileptal
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