aripiprazole 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 aripiprazole 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

Strong CYP3A4 Inducers (e.g., carbamazepine, rifampin) The concomitant use of aripiprazole and carbamazepine decreased the exposure of aripiprazole compared to the use of aripiprazole alone [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

Drug Class
aripiprazole Atypical Antipsychotic
carbamazepine Anticonvulsant
Type
aripiprazole Prescription
carbamazepine Prescription
Summary
aripiprazole

Aripiprazole (Abilify) is a medicine used to treat certain mental disorders and mood problems. It can help to improve your mood, thinking, and behavior.

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
aripiprazole

Aripiprazole is used to treat schizophrenia in adults and teens. It also treats irritability in children with autism. Additionally, it can treat Tourette's disorder.

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
aripiprazole

Aripiprazole works by affecting the levels of certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, can affect mood and behavior. By balancing these chemicals, aripiprazole helps to reduce symptoms of mental health conditions.

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
aripiprazole
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
carbamazepine
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Unsteadiness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
FAERS Reports
aripiprazole
  • Weight Increased 7,698
  • Anxiety 4,993
  • Fatigue 4,188
  • Suicidal Ideation 3,991
  • Depression 3,950
carbamazepine
  • Seizure 3,609
  • Drug Interaction 3,369
  • Fall 3,044
  • Dizziness 2,862
  • Pyrexia 2,689
Serious Warnings
aripiprazole

Aripiprazole may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have psychosis related to dementia. It is not approved for this use. Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening mood or suicidal thoughts.

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
aripiprazole

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor. Aripiprazole may cause withdrawal symptoms or other problems in newborns if taken during the third trimester. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take aripiprazole during pregnancy.

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 aripiprazole vs carbamazepine Comparison

aripiprazole is classified in the Atypical Antipsychotic 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, aripiprazole has 24,820 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 carbamazepine makes your liver work faster to clear aripiprazole from your system. this leads to lower levels of aripiprazole in your body, which might make it work less well.. 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 aripiprazole or carbamazepine.

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