What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Carbamazepine and eslicarbazepine
Carbamazepine's FDA label of August 20, 2026 names eslicarbazepine in its drug interactions section, and eslicarbazepine's label names carbamazepine too. The eslicarbazepine label: “DRUG INTERACTIONS Carbamazepine: May need dose adjustment for APTIOM or carbamazepine.”
Check it at the source: the carbamazepine FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 20, 2026, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation); the eslicarbazepine FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 10, 2023, Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.).
What does the carbamazepine label say about eslicarbazepine?
Carbamazepine label, drug interactionsIn addition, Tegretol causes, or would be expected to cause, decreased levels of the following drugs, for which monitoring of concentrations or dosage adjustment may be necessary: acetaminophen, albendazole, alprazolam, aprepitant, buprenorphone, bupropion, citalopram, clonazepam, clozapine, corticosteroids (e.g., prednisolone, dexamethasone), cyclosporine, dicumarol, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (e.g., felodipine), doxycycline, eslicarbazepine, ethosuximide, everolimus, haloperidol, imatinib, itraconazole, lamotrigine, levothyroxine, methadone, methsuximide, mianserin, midazolam, olanzapine, oral and other hormonal contraceptives, oxcarbazepine, paliperidone, phensuximide …
Carbatrol label (Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., August 17, 2026), drug interactionsAcetaminophen, albendazole, alprazolam, aprepitant, buprenorphine, apixaban (6), bupropion, buspirone, citalopram, clobazam, clonazepam, clozapine, corticosteroids (e.g. prednisolone, dexamethasone), cyclosporin, dabigatran (6), delavirdine, desipramine, diazepam, dicumarol, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (e.g., felodipine), doxycycline, edoxaban (6), eslicarbazepine, ethosuximide, everolimus, felbamate, haloperidol, imatinib, itraconazole, lamotrigine, levothyroxine, lorazepam, methadone, methsuximide, midazolam, mirtazapine, nefazodone, nortriptyline, olanzapine, oral and other hormonal contraceptives (2), oxcarbazepine, paliperidone, phenytoin (3), praziquantel, protease …
Source: FDA drug label (Carbatrol, NDA020712), Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., effective August 17, 2026 (SPL set bc03e499-5bac-4293-bff4-6864153a624d), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (Tegretol), Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, effective August 20, 2026 (SPL set 8d409411-aa9f-4f3a-a52c-fbcb0c3ec053), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the eslicarbazepine label say about carbamazepine?
Eslicarbazepine label, drug interactionsDRUG INTERACTIONS Carbamazepine: May need dose adjustment for APTIOM or carbamazepine.
Eslicarbazepine label, warnings and precautionsPatients with a prior dermatologic reaction with oxcarbazepine, carbamazepine, or APTIOM should ordinarily not be treated with APTIOM [see Contraindications ( 4 )].
Source: FDA drug label (Aptiom), Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc., effective November 10, 2023 (SPL set 3d0c9554-eaeb-4694-8089-00133fcadce3), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Carbamazepine | Eslicarbazepine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bipolar disorder, Seizures and epilepsy | Seizures and epilepsy |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.119 per tablet 200 mg tablet | $1.68 per tablet 200 mg tablet |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once