Table 17.

Adverse events ‐ frequency of most commonly reported events

Event (general description)a,b,c	CBZ	PHB	PHT	VPS	LTG	OXC	TPM	GBP	LEV	ZNS	Total
Accidental injury	100	0	100	28	110	5	95	36	58	8	540
Anorexia or weight loss	126	0	126	24	116	6	394	58	62	25	937
Anxiety/depression	203	0	203	59	171	32	309	82	163	16	1238
Aphasia	59	7	66	11	26	4	106	22	11	2	314
Asthenia	59	1	60	26	41	1	31	33	37	10	299
Ataxia	172	37	209	32	55	17	61	40	32	8	663
Cognitive (memory, concentration, confusion etc.)	321	41	362	100	204	44	439	127	73	19	1730
Dental problems	93	0	93	28	62	5	61	24	70	7	443
Dizziness/faintness	617	0	617	171	348	140	269	160	394	23	2739
Drowsiness/fatigue	1270	1	1271	422	539	233	628	326	477	33	5200
Fever or viral infection	379	0	379	68	172	24	84	58	338	37	1539
Gastrointestinal disturbances	683	20	703	246	394	33	236	142	284	42	2783
Hair loss	47	0	47	130	22	15	39	8	16	3	327
Headache or migraine	843	0	843	264	556	137	315	171	596	47	3772
Impotence	90	24	114	13	17	0	27	32	11	3	331
Increased/worsened seizures	151	0	151	31	164	6	58	48	140	6	755
Infection	121	0	121	19	90	4	56	27	63	5	506
Laboratory results abnormal	367	0	367	103	117	8	47	19	90	32	1150
Menstrual problems	110	0	110	28	31	1	22	18	39	4	363
Mood or behavioural change	279	41	320	128	163	25	415	121	121	15	1628
Nausea/vomiting	413	1	414	167	233	53	132	92	142	20	1667
Pain	345	1	346	65	250	6	154	48	251	25	1491
Paraesthesia or tingling	56	0	56	22	33	2	708	34	28	7	946
Problems sleeping/nightmares	108	1	109	46	197	16	147	31	101	14	770
Rash or skin disorder	701	17	718	46	420	73	163	113	125	31	2407
Renal/urinary disorder	152	0	152	27	78	2	92	57	93	21	674
Respiratory disorder	233	0	233	53	124	4	190	23	131	17	1008
Tremor or twitch	171	1	172	258	219	19	56	23	51	2	972
Visual disturbance/nystagmus	199	0	199	53	96	33	86	59	33	8	766
Weight gain	259	0	259	347	167	22	71	258	70	1	1454

CBZ: carbamazepine; GBP: gabapentin; LEV: levetiracetam; LTG: lamotrigine; OXC: oxcarbazepine; PHB: phenobarbitone; PHT: phenytoin; TPM: topiramate; VPS: sodium valproate; ZNS: zonisamide

^aVerbatim or reported terms extracted from publications or provided in individual participant data were grouped under the definitions by one review author (SJN) and any uncertainties in definition were discussed with the senior clinical author (AGM).

^bAdverse event data were provided as detailed individual participant data for 23 trials and we extracted summary adverse event information from 36 trial publications. No adverse event data were reported in 18 trial publications.

^cSome trial publications reported only on the “most common” adverse events, the totals and frequencies are likely to be an underestimation of the true number of events and number of individuals experiencing events. Furthermore, detailed information was provided in the more recent trial publications and individual participant data requests of more recent trials, often involving newer antiepileptic drugs, such as LTG, LEV and TPM; which may indicate that these newer drugs are associated with more adverse events than older drugs such as PHB and PHT ,for which less detailed information was available.