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carbamazepine vs medroxyprogesterone

Side-by-side comparison of carbamazepine and medroxyprogesterone. 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: barbiturates bosentan carbamazepine felbamate griseofulvin oxcarbazepine phenytoin rifampin St.

Recommendation: You should use an extra form of birth control while taking these medications together.

Drug Class
carbamazepine Anticonvulsant
medroxyprogesterone Progestogen
Type
carbamazepine Prescription
medroxyprogesterone Prescription
Summary
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.

medroxyprogesterone

Medroxyprogesterone acetate injection is a medicine used to prevent pregnancy in women. It is given as a shot every 3 months.

What It Treats
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.

medroxyprogesterone

This medicine is used to prevent pregnancy in women who are able to have children. It works by stopping ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). It is not recommended for long-term use (more than 2 years) unless other birth control options are not good enough for you.

How It Works
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.

medroxyprogesterone

This medicine is a progestin, a synthetic form of the natural hormone progesterone. It prevents pregnancy mainly by stopping the release of an egg from your ovary. It also changes the lining of the uterus, making it harder for a fertilized egg to implant.

Common Side Effects
carbamazepine
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Unsteadiness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
medroxyprogesterone
  • Irregular periods or spotting
  • No periods
  • Abdominal pain or discomfort
  • Weight gain (more than 10 pounds)
  • Dizziness
FAERS Reports
carbamazepine
  • Seizure 3,609
  • Interaction with another medicine 3,369
  • Fall 3,044
  • Dizziness 2,860
  • Fever 2,690
medroxyprogesterone
  • Breast cancer in women 9,772
  • Breast cancer 8,167
  • Brain tumor (meningioma) 1,680
  • Breast cancer that has spread 1,385
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 1,039
Serious Warnings
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.

medroxyprogesterone

This medicine can cause you to lose bone mineral density. The longer you use it, the more bone density you may lose. It is not known if this bone loss can be fully reversed. Using this medicine as a teenager or young adult may reduce your peak bone mass and increase your risk of osteoporosis later in life. Because of this risk, it is not recommended for long-term use (longer than 2 years) unless other birth control options are not adequate.

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.

medroxyprogesterone

You should not use this medicine if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant. Small amounts of this medicine can pass into breast milk.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This carbamazepine vs medroxyprogesterone Comparison

carbamazepine is classified in the Anticonvulsant drug class, while medroxyprogesterone sits within the Progestogen 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 15,572 submissions while medroxyprogesterone has 22,043. 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 can make medroxyprogesterone less effective at preventing pregnancy.. 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 medroxyprogesterone - 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.