Description
Evic SR (Carbamazepine) 200 mg
Evic SR is a sustained-release oral medicine containing carbamazepine. Carbamazepine is an established anticonvulsant and is also used for certain neuralgic pain conditions, particularly trigeminal neuralgia. The sustained-release form is designed to release the medicine over a longer period than immediate-release formulations.
Active Ingredient and Medicine Class
The verified active ingredient is carbamazepine, a tricyclic anticonvulsant. It is also recognised as a specific analgesic for trigeminal neuralgia. In clinical practice, it is used mainly in epilepsy and selected neuropathic pain syndromes.
Established Medical Uses
Carbamazepine extended-release tablets are established for the treatment of certain seizure types, including partial seizures with complex symptoms, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and mixed seizure patterns. They are also established for the pain associated with true trigeminal neuralgia, and beneficial results have been reported in glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Absence seizures are not generally controlled by this medicine.
How It Works
Carbamazepine reduces abnormal electrical activity in the nervous system. Its anticonvulsant effect is linked to stabilising overactive nerve membranes and reducing repetitive firing of neurons. This helps limit seizure spread. In neuralgic pain, the same nerve-stabilising action is thought to reduce the abnormal pain signalling that characterises trigeminal neuralgia.
Important Safety Information
Carbamazepine should not be used in people with a history of previous bone marrow depression, hypersensitivity to carbamazepine, sensitivity to related tricyclic compounds, or with nefazodone. Use with monoamine oxidase inhibitors is not recommended, and a washout period is required before treatment if an MAOI has been used recently. The medicine can interact with many other drugs because it affects liver metabolism and can lower the levels of some medicines, including certain hormonal contraceptives, anticoagulants, corticosteroids, antiepileptics, and psychotropic medicines.
Important precautions include the risk of serious skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, as well as blood disorders such as leukopenia, aplastic anemia, and agranulocytosis. Liver problems, heart rhythm abnormalities, and hypersensitivity reactions can also occur. People with Asian ancestry in populations where the HLA-B*1502 allele may be present may require special genetic screening because of increased skin-reaction risk.
Possible Side Effects
Common adverse effects include dizziness, drowsiness, unsteadiness, nausea, vomiting, double vision, and coordination problems. More serious reactions can include skin rash, blistering or peeling skin, mouth sores, fever with rash, unusual bruising or bleeding, signs of infection, jaundice, severe fatigue, and symptoms of liver or blood disorders. Any concerning or persistent reaction warrants prompt medical assessment.
Scientific Evidence
Clinical evidence supports carbamazepine as an effective option for some people with epilepsy and for trigeminal neuralgia. For extended-release versus immediate-release carbamazepine in epilepsy, a Cochrane review found no clear proof of superiority for seizure control, but there was a trend toward fewer adverse events with the controlled-release formulation. In neuropathic pain, evidence suggests carbamazepine can help some patients, although much of the trial evidence is small and short-term, so conclusions remain cautious.
Medical Information Notice
This page is an educational summary based on sources available at the time of review. It does not replace the official patient leaflet, prescribing information, or an individual assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical Sources
- DailyMed / U.S. prescribing information Carbamazepine Extended-Release Tablets, USP 100 mg, 200 mg, 400 mg. View official prescribing information
- Graham Powell et al. Immediate-release versus controlled-release carbamazepine in the treatment of epilepsy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2016. View scientific article
- Philip J Wiffen et al. Carbamazepine for chronic neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2014. View scientific article