Authors: Sachdeo, Rajesh¹; Sathyan, Revathi R.²

Source: Current Medical Research and Opinion, Volume 21, Number 7, July 2005 , pp. 1065-1068(4)

Publisher: Informa Healthcare

Abstract:

Oxcarbazepine is an antiepileptic drug (AED) indicated for use as monotherapy and add-on therapy in adults and children 4 years of age and older. Despite being structurally related to carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine differs substantially in its pharmacokinetic and safety profile; oxcarbazepine has a much lower risk of pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions than carbamazepine. Carbamazepine has also been shown to induce the hepatic synthesis of sex hormone-binding globulin, thus reducing free serum testosterone levels and possibly causing erectile dysfunction (ED) in some men; these effects have not been observed with oxcarbazepine. This paper provides a discussion of recent clinical experience with men who presented in private clinical practice with complaints of ED while being treated with carbamazepine for seizure disorders. The four illustrative case studies presented in this report suggest that switching AED treatment from carbamazepine to oxcarbazepine in men with epilepsy can reduce the ED side effects observed with carbamazepine.

Keywords: ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS; CARBAMAZEPINE; EPILEPSY; ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION; OXCARBAZEPINE

Document Type: Commentary

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1185/030079905X50561

Affiliations: 1: Clinical Professor of Neurology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Director, NJ Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ, USA 2: Research Assistant, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

Publication date: 2005-07-01

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