title: Oxcarbazepine: a new drug in the management of intractable trigeminal neuralgia.
abstract: The efficacy and tolerability of oxcarbazepine, a keto derivative of carbamazepine, has been assessed in six patients (two males, four females; mean age 61 years, range 42-77), with trigeminal neuralgia refractory to carbamazepine therapy, over a period of 6 months. An excellent therapeutic response to oxcarbazepine was seen in all patients with pain control correlating well with serum drug concentrations of oxcarbazepine and its primary active metabolite 10-OH-carbazepine. Onset of the effect was observed within 24 hours in all cases. An overall serum therapeutic concentration range, in the six patients, of 50-110 mumol/l of 10-OH-carbazepine corresponding to a daily effective dose range of 1200-2400 mg (14.6-35.6 mg/kg body weight) oxcarbazepine, was observed. There was a significant correlation between oxcarbazepine dose and serum oxcarbazepine (r = 0.695, p less than 0.05) and 10-OH-carbazepine (r = 0.957, p less than 0.001) concentrations. Oxcarbazepine was well tolerated and no significant side effects were identified, though a mild hyponatraemia was observed during high doses (greater than 28 and greater than 35 mg/kg/day) in two patients. It is concluded that oxcarbazepine has potent antineuralgic properties in the absence of significant side effects and therefore may be useful in the management of intractable trigeminal neuralgia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Eastman Dental Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zakrzewska
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Patsalos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001711:Biotransformation; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D010147:Pain Measurement; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D002220:Carbamazepine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine