Oxcarbazepine treatment in male epilepsy patients improves pre-existing sexual dysfunction.
OBJECTIVE
To collect data on sexual dysfunction in a larger population of male patients with epilepsy treated with oxcarbazepine in a naturalistic setting.


METHODS
Six hundred seventy-three adult male patients with partial epilepsy in whom monotherapy with oxcarbazepine was indicated were evaluated at baseline and after approximately 12 weeks of treatment with regard to the number of seizures and occurrence of any adverse drug reactions. All patients were questioned regarding their sexual function.


RESULTS
Out of 228 patients with pre-existing sexual function impairment at baseline, an improvement was observed in 181 (79.4%) patients, 23 (10.1%) patients experienced no impairment at the final visit. The improvements were more marked in those patients, who were pretreated with enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs. No worsening of the sexual dysfunction was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Oxcarbazepine was found to have beneficial effects on sexual dysfunction and to be effective and well tolerated in male patients with partial epilepsy.
Luef
G
G
Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. gerhard.luef@i-med.ac.at
Krämer
G
G
Stefan
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000187:drug effects; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007989:Libido / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine