Oxcarbazepine and Phenobarbital interaction
Oxcarbazepine and Phenobarbital: the Oxcarbazepine prescribing label describe an interaction that usually calls for monitoring, a dose change, or spacing the doses.
Usually manageable with monitoring or a dose change. Tell your pharmacist you take both.
What the FDA labels say
From the Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) label · effective 2025-12-16
Carbamazepine, Phenytoin, and Phenobarbital: Decreased plasma levels of MHD (the active metabolite).
Effect of Other Drugs on TRILEPTAL Strong inducers of cytochrome P450 enzymes and/or inducers of UGT (e.g., rifampin, carbamazepine, phenytoin and phenobarbital) have been shown to decrease the plasma/serum levels of MHD, the active metabolite of TRILEPTAL (25% to 49%) [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)] .
Therefore, if a patient develops a skin reaction while taking TRILEPTAL, consideration should be given to discontinuing TRILEPTAL use and prescribing another antiepileptic medication.
…controlled epilepsy studies, 2.5% of TRILEPTAL-treated patients (38/1524) had a sodium of less than 125 mmol/L at some point during treatment, compared to no such patients assigned placebo or active control (carbamazepine and phenobarbital for adjunctive and monotherapy substitution studies, and phenytoin and valproate for the monotherapy initiation studies).
Taking more than these two? Interactions stack. Check your whole list at once; it stays in your browser.
Open in the checkerNot medical advice. Interaction Checker quotes FDA label text and NIH fact sheets. Whether an interaction matters for you depends on doses, timing, kidney and liver function, and other conditions. Confirm with a pharmacist or prescriber.