Eckel, F., Schmelz, R., Adelsberger, H., Erdmann, J., Quasthoff, F., & Lersch, C. (2002). [Prevention of oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy by carbamazepine. A pilot study]. Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift, 127(3), 78–82.
Carbamazepine was tested in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced perihpheral neuropathy (CIPN) in 10 of 40 patients receiving oxaliplatin, folinic acid, and 5-FU chemotherapy. Ten patients also received carbamazapine 200 mg orally. Carbamazepine 200–600 mg was administered orally, with doses adapted to serum levels of 3-6 mg/l starting the week prior to treatment for two days, increased dose to 600 mg orally, and then doses were titrated to meet serum levels of 3-6 mg/l. Carbamazapine was administered until the end of oxaliplatin therapy, but if CIPN symptoms continued, carbamazepine also was continued until symptoms dissipated.
The study was a non-randomized pilot design.
No WHO grade 2-4 neuropathy was found in the patients treated with carbamazepine compared to 30% who experienced grade 2-4 neuropathy in a historical control group.