ABSTRACT
The new anticonvulsivant oxcarbamazepine (OXC) is a keto analogue of carbamazepine. Both share a similar therapeutic profile, that includes mainly the treatment of partial epilepsies but probably neuralgias and affective disorders as well. Most OXC dose dependent adverse effects are similar to carbamazepine's, including ataxia, nystagmus, diplopia; other side effects are probably less common than those induced by carbamazepine, with the exception of hyponatremia, that occurs more often with OXC, although mainly asymptomatic. One of the main advantages of this new drug is its lack of enzyme induction potential, making easier to use it in combination with other drugs when necessary; accordingly, several clinical studies have shown absence of interaction between OXC and other medications