carbamazepine vs lacosamide
Side-by-side comparison of carbamazepine and lacosamide Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Tegretol
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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.
Lacosamide is a medicine that can help control seizures. It is used to treat partial-onset seizures and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in people 4 years and older.
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.
Lacosamide is used to treat partial-onset seizures in patients 4 years of age and older. It is also used with other medicines to treat primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in patients 4 years of age and older. Seizures are caused by unusual electrical activity in the brain.
Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant. It works by reducing the spread of seizure activity in the brain. It also stabilizes nerve impulses to reduce pain.
Lacosamide is an anticonvulsant. It is thought to work by slowing down the electrical signals in the brain that cause seizures. This helps to reduce how often seizures happen.
- • Dizziness
- • Drowsiness
- • Unsteadiness
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Double vision
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Feeling sick to your stomach
- • Sleepiness
- Medicine not working 4,898
- Seizure 3,609
- Interaction with another medicine 3,369
- Fall 3,044
- Dizziness 2,860
- Seizure 6,507
- Medicine not working 3,936
- Using medicine for unapproved purpose 3,757
- Feeling dizzy 1,611
- Sleepiness 1,404
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.
Lacosamide and other anti-seizure medicines may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. Tell your doctor right away if you have any new or worsening symptoms of depression, suicidal thoughts, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. Lacosamide can also cause heart rhythm problems. Get an ECG before starting and during treatment.
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.
Lacosamide may harm an unborn baby. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking lacosamide. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take anti-epileptic drugs like lacosamide.
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How to Read This carbamazepine vs lacosamide Comparison
carbamazepine is classified in the Anticonvulsant drug class, while lacosamide sits within the Anticonvulsant class. Because both drugs share the same classification, they are often considered interchangeable in theory — but clinical outcomes rarely track that cleanly. 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 17,780 submissions while lacosamide has 17,215. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between carbamazepine and lacosamide — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.