AbstractLevels of carbamazepine, carbamazepine‐10,11‐epoxide and −10,11‐diol were measured in the plasma of 40 patients with affective disorders chronically treated with carbamazepine. Steady‐state plasma levels of carbamazepine were not related to the degree of prophylactic response. In contrast, the mean plasma concentrations of the −10,11‐epoxide metabolite of carbamazepine were significantly lower in patients with complete response than in patients with partial response or in nonresponders. The ratios of carbamazepine‐10,11‐diol concentrations to the parent drug dose were found to be significantly different in the three response groups. These results suggest that the pharmacokinetic parameters of the metabolites might be used for the prediction of individual prophylactic efficacy at the initial stage of carb
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