Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci.  2016 Feb;14(1):74-78. 10.9758/cpn.2016.14.1.74.

Effects of Oxcarbazepine and Levetiracetam on Calcium, Ionized Calcium, and 25-OH Vitamin-D3 Levels in Patients with Epilepsy

• Aksoy D
• Guveli BT
• Ak PD
• Sari H
• Atakli D
• Arpaci B

• KMID: 2171004
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2016.14.1.74

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The primary objective of the present study was to further elucidate the effects of oxcarbazepine (OXC) and levetiracetam (LEV) monotherapies on the bone health status of patients with epilepsy.
METHODS
This study included 48 patients who attended our epilepsy outpatient clinic, had a diagnosis of epilepsy, and were undergoing either OXC or LEV monotherapy and 42 healthy control subjects. The demographic and clinical features of the patients, including gender, age, onset of disease, daily drug dosage, and duration of disease, were noted. Additionally, the calcium, ionized calcium, and 25-OH vitamin-D3 levels of the participants were prospectively evaluated.
RESULTS
The 25-OH vitamin-D3, calcium, and ionized calcium levels of the patients taking OXC were significantly lower than those of the control group. These levels did not significantly differ between the patients taking LEV and the control group, but there was a significant negative relationship between daily drug dose and ionized calcium levels in the LEV patients.
CONCLUSION
In the present study, anti-epileptic drugs altered the calcium, ionized calcium, and 25-OH vitamin-D3 levels of epilepsy patients and resulted in bone loss, abnormal mineralization, and fractures. These findings suggest that the calcium, ionized calcium, and 25-OH vitamin-D3 levels of patients with epilepsy should be regularly assessed.

Keyword

Antiepileptic drugs; Levetiracetam; Oxcarbazepine; 25-OH vitamin D3; Bone disease

MeSH Terms

Ambulatory Care Facilities
Anticonvulsants
Bone Diseases
Calcium*
Diagnosis
Epilepsy*
Humans
Prospective Studies
Anticonvulsants
Calcium