Carbamazepine-induced seizures: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Carbamazepine has been reported to exacerbate seizures in children with primary generalized epilepsy and epilepsy with mixed seizure types. Seizure exacerbation has been rarely observed in adults, mainly in the mentally retarded or in those with primary generalized epilepsy. We present an adult patient who had frequent absence seizures and simple partial seizures for 20 years. She was treated with carbamazepine for over 16 years. The patient's EEG showed generalized spike and wave complexes. Her seizures remitted and the EEG normalized after the discontinuation of carbamazepine therapy.