Tegretol side effects in Asians include Stevens-Johnson syndrome. It is a potentially fatal skin sloughing condition. One mutation increases risk of having this side effect of Tegretol (carbamazepine) 4,000 times. Genetic test costs 10 cents.

Tegretol side effects in Asians. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Carbamazepine is widely prescribed anti-seizure medication. It has brand names Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol. People of Asian descent have special gene mutation. It is called HLA-B*1502 allele. This mutation predicts high risk of side effect from Tegretol. People from China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand are at high risk for Stevens-Johsnon Syndrome. This is precision medicine in action. Video interview with top expert in medical genetics and asthma. Dr. Esteban G. Gonzalez, MD. Leading Precision Medicine expert explains how genetic tests decrease risks for treatment of epilepsy. Medical second opinion confirms that diagnosis is correct and complete. Medical second opinion ensures that genetic DNA ancestry information is included in diagnosis of epilepsy and partial complex epilepsy. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Medical second opinion also helps to choose the best personalized treatment strategy for epilepsy and partial complex seizures. Seek medical second opinion on seizure disorder and epilepsy and be confident that your precision medicine treatment is the best. Dr Anton Titov, MD. How individual genetic DNA ancestry influences the risk of getting certain diseases? Dr. Esteban G. Gonzalez, MD. Genetic DNA ancestry influences probability of serious side effects from carbamazepine. Tegretol is a common anti-epilepsy medication. Please talk about that. Medical Second Opinion. Professor of Pharmacogenomics, UCSF. We have similar situation with carbamazepine. This is a common medicine to treat epilepsy in children. Medical Second Opinion. Carbamazepine is one of the most commonly prescribed medicines for epilepsy. Medical Second Opinion. Yes. Clinical trials are usually not done in people of non-European DNA ancestry. Because they are more difficult to do. A clinical clinical trial was done in Taiwan on people of Asian descent. Scientists found the gene. They found a gene on HLA locus. This gene predisposes a person for a severe side effect of carbamazepine. This side effect is known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome. This is a life-threatening condition. Dr. Esteban G. Gonzalez, MD. The skin of patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome peels off on outside and on the inside. This gene is common in people of Asian DNA ancestry. So if you have Asian DNA ancestry, you are 4,000 times more likely to have Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). This is a side effect of epilepsy treatment with carbamazepine. Han Chinese are at high risk of SJS. Chinese people have a risk of Toxic Epidermal Neclolysis, TEN. A result of this clinical trial was important. Then patients with epilepsy throughout Asia have to be genetically tested. Patients with epilepsy plan to receive carbamazepine as treatment for epilepsy. This genetic carbamazepine test stopped all cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome in Asian patients with epilepsy. Because this genetic test is done before carbamazepine is prescribed to the patient. Medical Second Opinion. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. This is a major accomplishment. Stevens-Johsnon syndrome is a potentially fatal disease. It is a major dramatic event in life of a patient. It is difficult to treat Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Carbamazepine is often prescribed to patients with epilepsy around the world. Dr. Esteban Burchard. Yes. This genetic test is also important. Patient may be not entirely of Asian descent. The patient may have Asian DNA ancestry in that particular gene. This predisposes patient to Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Then such patient has 4,000 fold increase in risk of developing Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The patient takes carbamazepine medication to treat epilepsy. This clinical trial has a major public health impact. Dr. Esteban G. Gonzalez, MD. Yes. Medical Second Opinion. That scientific clinical trial was published in journal “Nature”. It has significant public health impact. US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) wrote a warning for patients in the instructions. They come with carbamazepine pills. This warning says. “If you are Asian, or if you are Asian at that particular genetic location, you have to have this genetic test before taking carbamazepine". Medical Second Opinion. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Can patients buy this genetic test? Is this genetic test expensive? Medical Second Opinion. Yes, patients can purchase this genetic test. This test is cheap. It costs 10 cents. Medical Second Opinion. So a patient may be prescribed carbamazepine. Dr. Esteban G. Gonzalez, MD. Patient can buy this test for 10 cents. The patient can find out for price of 10 cents the result. They may have a 4,000-fold increased in risk of potentially fatal side effect of carbamazepine. This is personalized medicine. Medical Second Opinion. Yes, that is personalized medicine. If my child was going to need carbamazepine, I would demand to do this genetic test. Tegretol side effects in Asians include Stevens-Johnson syndrome and Toxic epidermal necrolysis. It is a severe skin sloughing disorder. HLA-B*1502 allele mutation.