title: Carbamazepine and its epoxide: relation of plasma levels to toxicity and seizure control.
abstract: We studied the relation of plasma levels of carbamazepine (CBZ) and carbamazepine 10,11 epoxide (CBZ-E), and their ratio to drug toxicity and seizure control in 7 patients with complex partial seizures. CBZ-E/CBZ increased with increasing CBZ levels and was higher when patients were taking phenytoin or valproic acid. There were weak correlations between CBZ, CBZ-E levels, toxicity scores, and seizure control when patients were taking CBZ alone, but not when other drugs were given as well. There were no significant differences in the correlation with toxicity score or seizure frequency between CBZ, CBZ-E, or their sum. Measurement of CBZ-E levels did not provide additional information useful for monitoring clinical response to CBZ therapy.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epilepsy Section, National Institute for Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Theodore
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Narang
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Nice
mesh_terms: D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D002220:Carbamazepine; C012227:carbamazepine epoxide