Drug Comparison
For educational purposes only — a decision-support tool, not a substitute for clinical judgment.
Side-by-side rubric across 96 psychiatric medications. Every rating traces to a verbatim primary-source quote — click any cell to see it.
How to read this tool ▾
Rating scale
– Favorable / lower than class baseline
± Minimal / equivocal
+ Low / uncommon
++ Moderate / common
+++ High / very common
++++ Very high / class-outlier
Frequency vs severity
F = frequency, S = severity. Each gets its own pill colored on the same traffic-light scale: green → blue → yellow → orange → red. Click any cell for incidence percentages and NNH.
Evidence tier
A Network meta-analysis / RCT / FDA label
B Cohort / registry / pooled label data
C Expert review / textbook / case series
Sourcing
Click any cell to see the verbatim source quote and citation. Missing data shows n/a.
Data depth
++ Graded — frequency + severity, primary-source traces
+ FDA label — §6 frequency only (dashed border). Click for sub-types.
Blank — not yet checked (not “absent”)
–±++++++++++ABCF = frequency · S = severity · Dashed border = FDA label only · Click cell for details
1 drug selected — Carbamazepine(click to collapse)
1/4 selected
Carbamazepine
Tegretol · Epitol
Anticonvulsant/Mood Stabilizer
FDA-approved indications
- Partial seizures with complex symptomatology (adults; pediatric)
- Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (adults; pediatric)
- Mixed seizure patterns (adults; pediatric)
- Trigeminal neuralgia (adults)
Off-label uses
- Neuropathic pain
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Impulse control/aggression
MechanismMood Stabilizer / Anticonvulsant
Half-life25 to 65 hours initial; 12 to 17 hours after autoinduction
Decision GuideWhen to pick each / when to consider an alternative
Carbamazepine
Consider when
- Bipolar mania when lithium/valproate contraindicated — FDA-approved for acute mania and mixed episodes; second-line per CANMAT
- Trigeminal neuralgia — gold standard first-line treatment; most evidence of any agent for this indication
- Epilepsy with comorbid mood symptoms — dual antiepileptic and mood-stabilizing action; FDA-approved for partial and GTC seizures
- Patient on stable dose with good response — autoinduction completes by 3–5 weeks; once stable, levels predictable
- +1 more
Consider an alternative when
- Polypharmacy — most potent CYP inducer among mood stabilizers (CYP3A4, 2C9, 1A2); renders OCPs, warfarin, and many drugs ineffective
- HLA-B*15:02 positive (Southeast Asian ancestry) — mandatory screening; SJS/TEN risk; contraindicated if positive
- Bone marrow suppression risk — aplastic anemia (1/200,000) and agranulocytosis; CBC monitoring required
- Autoinduction complexity unacceptable — self-induces CYP3A4; levels drop 50% over first 3–5 weeks requiring redosing
- +1 more
| Axis | Carbamazepine anticonvulsant-MS |
|---|---|
| Boxed Warnings | |
Suicidality (boxed warning) | |
Mania / hypomania induction | |
DRESS / multiorgan hypersensitivity | |
| CNS | |
Sedation / somnolence | |
Dizziness | |
| Metabolic | |
Weight gain | |
| Cardiac | |
Cardiac conduction / AV block | |
| GI | |
Nausea / GI (general) | |
| Hepatic | |
Liver enzymes / hepatotoxicity | |
| Electrolytes | |
Hyponatremia / SIADH | |
| Dermatologic | |
Rash (including SJS/TEN, pruritus, hypersensitivity) | |
| Sexual | |
Sexual dysfunction | |
| Interactions | |
CYP interactions / DDI profile | |
| Pregnancy | |
Teratogenicity | |
| Drug-specific / distinctive axes | |
Axis 5 — Chronic leukopenia / minor hematologic changes only in Carbamazepine | |