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Therapeutic experiences with 947 epileptic out‐patients in oxcarbazepine treatment
Author(s) -
Friis M. L.,
Kristensen O.,
Boas J.,
Dalby M.,
Deth S. H.,
Gram L.,
Mikkelsen M.,
Pedersen B.,
Sabers A.,
WormPetersen J.,
Andersen D.,
Jensen P. K.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1993.tb04106.x
Subject(s) - oxcarbazepine , medicine , carbamazepine , tolerability , adverse effect , rash , epilepsy , anesthesia , sedation , pediatrics , hyponatremia , retrospective cohort study , convulsion , psychiatry
Efficacy and tolerability of the new antiepileptic drug oxcarbazepine, was evaluated in a retrospective multicentre study. The records of all 947 epilepsy patients treated with oxcarbazepine in the eight participating centres from 1981 through 1990 were examined. The median daily dose of oxcarbazepine was 30 mg/kg in children, 18 mg/kg in adults, and 15 mg/kg in elderly patients, given b.i.d. or t.i.d. The mean plasma levels of the main active metabolite of oxcarbazepine was 88, 79, and 68 μmol/l in children, adults, and elderly, respectively. In patients shifted to oxcarbazepine treatment, seizure frequency was unchanged in 51‐66%, 32‐48% had a decrease, and 1‐10% an increase in seizure frequency, considering the individual seizure types separately. Adverse events were reported in one third of patients, most frequently affecting the CNS (dizziness: 6%; sedation: 6%; fatigue: 6%). Rash was reported in 6% of patients, half of these patients had previously had an allergic reaction to carbamazepine. Hyponatremia was found in about a quarter of the patients from whom data were available. No congenital malformations were seen in nine live‐born, first trimester oxcarbazepine‐exposed children.