carbamazepine vs mirtazapine

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Side-by-side comparison of carbamazepine and mirtazapine. 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

Examples phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin Strong CYP3A Inhibitors Clinical Impact The concomitant use of strong CYP3A inhibitors with mirtazapine may increase the plasma concentration of mirtazapine [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].

Drug Class
carbamazepine Anticonvulsant
mirtazapine Noradrenergic and Specific Serotonergic Antidepressant (NaSSA)
Type
carbamazepine Prescription
mirtazapine 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.

mirtazapine

Mirtazapine is a medicine used to treat depression in adults. It can help improve your mood and energy levels.

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.

mirtazapine

Mirtazapine is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. This condition can cause you to feel sad, lose interest in activities, and have trouble with sleeping or eating. Mirtazapine can help improve these symptoms.

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.

mirtazapine

Mirtazapine works by affecting certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. It helps to increase the levels of norepinephrine and serotonin. These chemicals can help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression.

Common Side Effects
carbamazepine
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Unsteadiness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
mirtazapine
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Increased appetite
  • Weight gain
  • Dizziness
FAERS Reports
carbamazepine
  • Seizure 3,609
  • Drug Interaction 3,369
  • Fall 3,044
  • Dizziness 2,862
  • Pyrexia 2,689
mirtazapine
  • Nausea 4,838
  • Fatigue 4,715
  • Fall 4,027
  • Diarrhoea 3,961
  • Toxicity To Various Agents 3,703
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.

mirtazapine

Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young adults. Your doctor should closely watch you for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Mirtazapine is not approved for use in children.

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.

mirtazapine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Mirtazapine should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This carbamazepine vs mirtazapine Comparison

carbamazepine is classified in the Anticonvulsant drug class, while mirtazapine sits within the Noradrenergic and Specific Serotonergic Antidepressant (NaSSA) 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 mirtazapine has 21,244. 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 this drug slows down how your body breaks down mirtazapine, which can cause the medicine to build up in your blood.. 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 mirtazapine.

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