amlodipine/valsartan vs carbamazepine

PlainMeds reviewed this comparison against our methodology in August 2026. It places FDA and CMS record fields side by side, without recommending either medication.

Side-by-side comparison of amlodipine/valsartan and carbamazepine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Carbamazepine: May lead to symptomatic hyponatremia.

Drug Class
amlodipine/valsartan CCB / ARB Combination
carbamazepine Anticonvulsant
Type
amlodipine/valsartan Prescription
carbamazepine Prescription
Summary
amlodipine/valsartan

Exforge HCT is a combination medicine used to treat high blood pressure. It contains amlodipine, valsartan, and hydrochlorothiazide to help lower your blood pressure.

carbamazepine

Carbamazepine is a medicine used to control seizures and treat nerve pain. It works by reducing abnormal electrical activity in the brain and calming nerve signals.

What It Treats
amlodipine/valsartan

Exforge HCT is used to treat high blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of heart problems and strokes. It is for people who need more than one medicine to control their blood pressure. It is not for the initial treatment of high blood pressure.

carbamazepine

Carbamazepine is used to treat certain types of seizures, including partial seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. It can also treat mixed seizure patterns. Carbamazepine also treats the pain from trigeminal neuralgia, a nerve disorder that causes intense facial pain. It is also sometimes used for glossopharyngeal neuralgia.

How It Works
amlodipine/valsartan

This medicine works in three ways to lower blood pressure. Amlodipine relaxes your blood vessels. Valsartan blocks a substance that tightens blood vessels. Hydrochlorothiazide helps your body get rid of extra salt and water.

carbamazepine

Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant. It works by reducing the spread of seizure activity in the brain. It also stabilizes nerve impulses to reduce pain.

Common Side Effects
amlodipine/valsartan
  • Dizziness
  • Swelling in your arms, hands, legs, and feet
  • Headache
  • Heartburn
  • Tiredness
carbamazepine
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Unsteadiness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
FAERS Reports
amlodipine/valsartan
  • Pain 11
  • Interaction with another medicine 9
  • Taking too much medicine on purpose 9
  • Attempt to end one's own life 9
  • Weight loss 9
carbamazepine
  • Seizure 3,609
  • Drug Interaction 3,369
  • Fall 3,044
  • Dizziness 2,862
  • Pyrexia 2,689
Serious Warnings
amlodipine/valsartan

If you are pregnant, stop taking Exforge HCT right away. This medicine can harm or kill your unborn baby.

carbamazepine

Carbamazepine can cause severe skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which can be fatal. If you are of Asian descent, you may need a blood test before starting this medicine. Carbamazepine can also cause serious blood problems like aplastic anemia and agranulocytosis. Contact your doctor right away if you develop a fever, sore throat, rash, or unusual bleeding or bruising.

Pregnancy
amlodipine/valsartan

Do not take Exforge HCT if you are pregnant. It can cause serious harm to your unborn baby, including death. Breastfeeding is not recommended while taking this medicine.

carbamazepine

Carbamazepine may harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if carbamazepine passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This amlodipine/valsartan vs carbamazepine Comparison

amlodipine/valsartan is classified in the CCB / ARB Combination drug class, while carbamazepine sits within the Anticonvulsant class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, amlodipine/valsartan has 47 submissions while carbamazepine has 15,573. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to using these drugs together can cause the amount of salt in your blood to drop to unsafe levels.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for amlodipine/valsartan or carbamazepine.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.