An interaction between cytostatic and anticonvulsant drugs.

A young woman with epilepsy had tonic-clonic seizures during antineoplastic therapy with adriamycin and cisplatin. During two courses of cytostatic drug administration peak and trough plasma levels of phenytoin, carbamazepine, and valproate sodium were measured. Lower plasma levels of carbamazepine and valproate sodium were observed after 2 days of antineoplastic therapy. Normal plasma levels of these drugs were found 2 to 3 days after the last cisplatin dose. Impaired absorption or accelerated elimination might explain these results. Phenytoin levels were reduced to 37% of the original values, although the drug was given intravenously. Changed Michaelis-Menten parameters suggest that cisplatin increases the metabolic rate of phenytoin. Another explanation for the decreased drug levels might be an increased volume of distribution. Calculation of this volume from peak and trough levels showed an increase of the volume of distribution during and after chemotherapy.