J Korean Epilepsy Soc.  2001 Jun;5(1):79-81.

Symptomatic Hyponatremia Induced by Oxcarbazepine: 2 Cases

• Lee SA
• Lee SK
• Kang JK

Abstract

Although oxcarbazepine (OXC)-induced hyponatremia is usually asymptomatic, it can lead to serious complications. We reports two cases of symptomatic hyponatremia induced by OXC. First case was 39-year-old female with partial epilepsy who developed the exceeding tiredness, headache, and seizures under OXC with a serum sodium level of 121 mEq/L. After the discontinuation of OXC, serum sodium was normalized and the clinical symptoms disappeared. Second case was 48-year-old female with partial epilepsy who complained of the fluctuating tiredness and fatigability, and then eventually developed seizures after OXC was increased in dosage. At that time, serum sodium was 121 mEq/L. She remained asymptomatic with normal level of serum sodium even if OXC was maintained with topiramate. Our cases may suggest that symptomatic hyponatremia is not rare unlike the results from previous studies. Therefore, clinician should be alert to mild symptoms such as headache, lethargy, and tiredness in patients treated with OXC.

Keyword

Oxcarbazepine; Symptomatic hyponatremia; Serum sodium

MeSH Terms

Adult
Epilepsies, Partial
Female
Headache
Humans
Hyponatremia*
Lethargy
Middle Aged
Seizures
Sodium
Sodium