title: Carbamazepine--erythromycin interaction leading to carbamazepine toxicity in four epileptic children.
abstract: We report four cases of carbamazepine toxicity in children associated with the concurrent administration of erythromycin. They all developed clinical toxicity (ataxia, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting) when erythromycin administration was begun; symptoms disappeared after erythromycin was discontinued. Serum carbamazepine levels were measured before, during, and, in most cases, after the toxic episodes. In all cases, there was a sharp increase in carbamazepine concentration after erythromycin therapy was begun and a rapid fall once erythromycin was discontinued. Our data support the previous suggestion that erythromycin interferes with the liver microsomal metabolism of carbamazepine with a subsequent increase in blood levels of the drug.
mesh_terms: D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002220:Carbamazepine; D004917:Erythromycin; D010634:Phenobarbital