[News] Oxcarbazepine and Carbamazepine: Expected & Unexpected Differences &Similarities

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Oxcarbazepine and  Carbamazepine: Expected and Unexpected Differences and  
Similarities

Epilepsy Currents Volume 7 Issue 3 Page 74Issue 3 - 76 -  May/June 2007  

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1535-7511.2007.00176.x

Oxcarbazepine  is sold under the brand name Trileptal.  Carbamazepine is sold 
under the  brand names Tegretol, Tegretol XR and Equetro. The aim of the 
study was to  compare the effects of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine on the 
reproductive  endocrine function in women with epilepsy.  The study concluded  
carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine have different effects on the reproductive  
endocrine function. Although both drugs were associated with low serum  testosterone  
concentrations and low free androgen indexes , only  oxcarbazepine was 
associated with a high frequency of elevated levels of  androstendione and DHEAS and 
with an increased prevalence of polycystic ovaries.  These findings suggest 
that oxcarbazepine may be disadvantageous for women with  epilepsy and 
hyperandrogenism, whereas carbamazepine may be beneficial for these  women.  




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