Carbamazepine

Carbamazepine testing is performed to monitor its concentration in the blood during treatment, so we can quickly detect whether the drug is being used correctly and at the correct dose. Carbamazepine is used in the treatment of epilepsy and in the pharmacotherapy of bipolar affective disorder.

What is carbamazepine?

Carbamazepine is categorized as a so-called normotimic drugi.e., a drugi used to stabilize mood disorders. In addition, it has antiepileptic effects.

Carbamazepine is a drug used mainly to treat epilepsy, as well as bipolar affective disorder. It is also used in the pharmacotherapy of trigeminal neuralgia, for which carbamazepine is the most effective therapeutic agent next to surgical treatment.

When do we test carbamazepine concentrations?

We perform the test to monitor the concentration of carbamazepine in the blood during treatment for, among other things:

• epilepsy – a chronic disease thatra is manifested by the occurrence of epileptic seizureswith sudden onset. During them, there may be disturbances of consciousness, behavior, motor functions. This symptom is the result of abnormal paroxysmal discharges of nerve cellsrecords located in the mcortex. Such attacks are not preceded by any stimulus. Causes of epilepsy include:
  • vascular diseases of the mbrain,
  • developmental disorders of the ms brain,
  • head injuries,
  • infections of the central nervous system,
  • tumors of the mzguard,
  • degenerative diseases of the mzgu,
• bipolar affective disorder,– a mental illness manifested by alternating periods of depression and mania.

bipolar disorder

trigeminal nerve neuralgia – manifested by facial painle and facial muscle spasms.

With controlling carbamazepine blood levels it can be quickly detected whether the drug is being used correctly and at the correct dose.

The dose of carbamazepine must be chosen so that the drug has a therapeutic effect. Therefore, the dose must not be too low or too high. When starting a patient on carbamazepine, the doctor monitors the level of carbamazepine in the blood until a therapeutic concentration is reached. The concentration of carbamazepine is also determined rve when the patient develops adverse symptoms, or the drug stops working and the symptoms of the disease return.

Side effects thatre likely to occur with carbamazepine include: dizziness, nausea, nystagmus. In laboratory tests, the doctor may notice a transient occurrence of leukopenia, that is, a reduced number of leukocytesw.