carbamazepine vs drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol
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 carbamazepine and drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol. 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
Some drugs or herbal products that may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives include phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, bosentan, felbamate, griseofulvin, oxcarbazepine, rifampin, topiramate and products containing St. 7.5 Effects of Other Drugs on Folates Several drugs have been reported to reduce folate concentrations by inhibition of the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme (e.g., methotrexate and sulfasalazine) or by reducing folate absorption (e.g., cholestyramine), or via unknown mechanisms (e.g., antiepileptics such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital,...
Tegretol
Yaz, Yasmin
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.
This medicine contains drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, which are hormones that prevent pregnancy. It also contains folate to help raise folate levels.
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.
This medicine can prevent pregnancy. It can also treat symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) if you also want birth control. This medicine can also treat moderate acne in women at least 14 years old who also want birth control.
Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant. It works by reducing the spread of seizure activity in the brain. It also stabilizes nerve impulses to reduce pain.
This medicine prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). It also changes the lining of the uterus, making it harder for a fertilized egg to implant. The folate helps increase folate levels in the body.
- • Dizziness
- • Drowsiness
- • Unsteadiness
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Headache or migraine
- • Irregular periods
- • Nausea or vomiting
- • Breast pain or tenderness
- Seizure 3,609
- Drug Interaction 3,369
- Fall 3,044
- Dizziness 2,862
- Pyrexia 2,689
- Pain 13,037
- Injury 10,860
- Blood clot in the lungs 9,316
- Blood clot in a deep vein 8,390
- Anxiety 6,996
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.
Cigarette smoking increases your risk of serious heart problems when using birth control pills. This risk is higher if you are over 35 and smoke. Women over 35 who smoke should not use this medicine.
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.
Do not use this medicine if you are pregnant. This medicine can reduce milk production while breastfeeding. If possible, use other birth control methods until you stop breastfeeding.
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How to Read This carbamazepine vs drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol Comparison
carbamazepine is classified in the Anticonvulsant drug class, while drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol sits within the Combined Oral Contraceptive 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, carbamazepine has 15,573 submissions while drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol has 48,599. 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 causes your body to break down birth control hormones too quickly. this can make the pill fail to prevent pregnancy and may also lower your folate 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 carbamazepine or drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.