Effect of anticonvulsant drugs on monovalent cations

ABSTRACT

Sixty patients receiving anticonvulsant drugs like tegretol 9 Carbamazepine and 61 age-matched controls were studied to determine the disturbances in sodium and potassium levels. There was a significant difference in sodium level the mean serum sodium levels of the subjects [138.8 +/- 0.6 mEq/L] and the controls [141.7 +/- 0.4 mEq/L]. Thirteen [21.7%] of the subjects, but none of the controls, had sodium levels 135 mEq/L. But the mean values of potassium [4.3 +/- 0.02 mEq/L], were not significantly changed as compared to controls. The risk of hyponatremia increased with age subjects 30 years old had four times the prevalence of hyponatremia as those < 30 years old