Trileptal vs. Depakote

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Common side effects of Trileptal include:

• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• tired feeling,
• fatigue,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• upset stomach,
• diarrhea,
• headache,
• mental slowness,
• trouble concentrating,
• trouble sleeping,
• shaking,
• acne,
• skin rash,
• blurred or double vision,
• dry mouth,
• constipation, and
• problems with speech, balance, or walking.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Trileptal including:

• changes in vision,
• involuntary eye movements,
• difficulty speaking,
• difficulty concentrating,
• loss of coordination,
• trouble walking (abnormal gait),
• uncontrolled muscle movements (tremor),
• dulled sense of touch,
• easy bleeding or bruising,
• chest pain,
• persistent sore throat,
• stomach or abdominal pain,
• bloody stool,
• dark urine,
• change in amount of urine, or
• yellowing of eyes or skin.

Common side effects of Depakote include:

• drowsiness,
• weakness,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• stomach upset,
• diarrhea,
• constipation,
• mood swings,
• changes in menstrual periods,
• enlarged breasts,
• weight changes,
• agitation,
• tremor (shaking),
• vision changes,
• unusual or unpleasant taste in your mouth, and
• hair loss.

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including Depakote, increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior in patients taking these drugs for any indication. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behavior.

 

Trileptal (oxcarbazepine) is an anticonvulsant, or antiepileptic drug, used to treat partial seizures in adults and children who are at least 2 years old. Trileptal is available in generic form.

Depakote (divalproex sodium) is a stable coordination compound comprised of sodium valproate and valproic acid used to treat manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder, epilepsy, and migraine headaches. Generic Depakote (termed divalproex sodium) is available under several other names.

 

Trileptal may interact with other seizure medications, medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection, and heart or blood pressure medications.

Depakote may interact with ritonavir, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, primidone, aspirin, carbapenem antibiotics, felbamate, rifampin, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, carbamazepine, clonazepam, diazepam, ethosuximide, lamotrigine, tolbutamide, warfarin, zidovudine, lorazepam, and topiramate.

 

Treatment with Trileptal starts at a dose of 600 mg/day, twice daily. If needed, the dose may be increased by a maximum of 600 mg/day at approximately weekly intervals; the recommended daily dose is 1200 mg/day.

The recommended initial dose of Depakote to treat mania is 750 mg daily in divided doses. The dose of Depakote to treat epilepsy as monotherapy should be initiated at 10 to 15 mg/kg/day. The recommended starting dose of Depakote to treat migraines is 250 mg twice daily.