Effect of vitamin D2 and D3 on bone-mineral content in carbamazepine-treated epileptic patients

ABSTRACT In order to clarify whether carbamazepine causes disturbances in calcium and bone metabolism we examined the effect of vitamin D₂ or D₃ in 30 epileptic outpatients. They had been treated for at least 1 year with carbamazepine given as monotherapy. The local bone mineral in the forearms and the total bone mineral was measured before and during treatment with the vitamins (4000 IU/day) for 24 weeks. The bone mineral was not significantly different from controls before the study and it remained unchanged in both treatment groups during the study periods. Similarly, the biochemical indices of bone metabolism were virtually unchanged during the treatment period. We, thus, conclude that epileptic patients on carbamazepine monotherapy have normal bone metabolism.