Drug & supplement interaction

Ketogenic Diet + Carbamazepine

Carbamazepine brand names: Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Equetro, Carbatrol, Carnexiv.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Ketogenic Diet has a moderate interaction with Carbamazepine. Following the ketogenic diet may reduce the levels of certain anticonvulsants, although the clinical significance of this effect is unclear.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone interested in this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Ketogenic Diet and Carbamazepine

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ANTICONVULSANTS

Why this applies to Carbamazepine

Carbamazepine falls under ANTICONVULSANTS — the group Ketogenic Diet interacts with.

Following the ketogenic diet may reduce the levels of certain anticonvulsants, although the clinical significance of this effect is unclear.
Pharmacokinetic research in patients chronically taking up to 4 antiepileptic drugs shows that following a modified Atkins diet for 4-12 weeks reduces the average anticonvulsant serum concentrations by 10.5% to 13.5% (range 7% to 19%) without affecting overall seizure control. Antiepileptic agents taken by these patients included carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, valproate, clobazam, nitrazepam, lamotrigine, zonisamide, and others. Levels of oxcarbazepine and levetiracetam did not seem to be significantly affected after the initiation of the ketogenic diet. Additionally, a small clinical study in children with drug-refractory epilepsy taking a variety of anticonvulsant medications shows that following a ketogenic diet for 12 weeks reduces serum concentrations of clobazam and its active metabolite desmethylclobazam, both by 38%, and lamotrigine by 15% without affecting overall seizure control. Levels of levetiracetam, topiramate, and valproic acid were not significantly reduced. Serum levels of anticonvulsants should be monitored in patients following a ketogenic diet.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist if you're managing seizures with carbamazepine (Tegretol) and thinking about a keto diet. Some real-world reports suggest that going very low-carb can nudge your carbamazepine blood level down a little, roughly in the 10 percent range. In the studies on file, people didn't actually lose seizure control, so the practical impact looks small and isn't fully understood.

Still, carbamazepine is a medication where steady levels matter. If your level drifts too low, breakthrough seizures or returning facial nerve pain are the things to watch for. This is anecdotal evidence, not a hard rule, so don't change anything on your own. Please loop in your doctor or pharmacist before starting keto so they can check your carbamazepine level and keep an eye on how you're doing.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kverneland M, Taubøll E, Selmer KK, Iversen PO, Nakken KO. Modified Atkins diet may reduce serum concentrations of antiepileptic drugs. Acta Neurol Scand. 2015;131(3):187-90. PubMed
  2. Kverneland M, Taubøll E, Molteberg E, Veierød MB, Selmer KK, Nakken KO, Iversen PO. Pharmacokinetic interaction between modified Atkins diet and antiepileptic drugs in adults with drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2019;60(11):2235-2244. PubMed
  3. Pedersen S, Kverneland M, Rudi K, et al. Decreased serum concentrations of antiseizure medications in children with drug resistant epilepsy following treatment with ketogenic diet. Epilepsia Open. 2023;8(3):858-866. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Ketogenic Diet Also Interacts With Other Medications

Ketogenic Diet has 136 moderate, 122 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Carbamazepine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 136 Minor 122 No known interaction 2,572 (incl. Carbamazepine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Ketogenic Diet

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Ketogenic Diet. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Ketogenic Diet or Carbamazepine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Ketogenic Diet or Carbamazepine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Carbamazepine

This page covers Ketogenic Diet only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Carbamazepine page lists 284 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major).

By severity: 12 major · 235 moderate · 37 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Carbamazepine page

“Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol, Equetro) only controls seizures and mood episodes when its blood level stays inside a tight window, and 284 supplement and herbal ingredients on file can disturb that balance, 12 of them rated major. Grapefruit can push carbamazepine levels up, St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Carbamazepine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Ketogenic Diet and Carbamazepine Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Ketogenic Diet
Steady interest

#1,217 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Carbamazepine
Top 25%

#439 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Eating pattern

About Ketogenic Diet

What is Ketogenic Diet?

  • Weight loss
  • Type 2 diabetes and blood sugar control
  • Drug-resistant epilepsy (especially in children)
  • Reducing appetite
  • Athletic and metabolic interest

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat eating plan that shifts the body to burn fat for fuel. It has the strongest evidence as a medical therapy for hard-to-treat epilepsy and may help short-term weight loss and blood sugar, but it can be hard to sustain and is not right for everyone. Talk with a doctor or pharmacist before starting, especially if you have a medical condition or take medication.

Read the full Ketogenic Diet monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Carbamazepine

What Is Carbamazepine Used For?

Brand names: Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Equetro, Carbatrol, Carnexiv

Carbamazepine is used to treat certain types of seizures — including partial seizures, generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures, and mixed seizure patterns. It works best for those specific seizure types; it does not appear to control absence (petit mal) seizures.

It is also prescribed to relieve the intense facial pain of trigeminal neuralgia — a nerve condition that causes sudden, severe pain along the face. It is not a general painkiller and shouldn't be used for ordinary aches and pains.

See full Carbamazepine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ketogenic Diet

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Ketogenic Diet — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
136Moderate
122Minor
2,571No known interaction
136 Moderate 122 Minor 2,571 No interaction
Moderate

136 interactions

Showing 60 of 136 moderate interactions — see all 136 on the Ketogenic Diet page.

Minor

122 interactions

Showing 60 of 122 minor interactions — see all 122 on the Ketogenic Diet page.

No interaction 2,571 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Ketogenic Diet against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,571 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ketogenic Diet list.

See the full Ketogenic Diet interactions page
See every supplement checked against Carbamazepine, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Ketogenic Diet monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Carbamazepine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Carbamazepine, ranked by severity Carbamazepine drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Following Ketogenic Diet While Taking Carbamazepine: Common Questions

Can you follow Ketogenic Diet while taking Carbamazepine?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Ketogenic Diet and Carbamazepine interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Carbamazepine and Ketogenic Diet?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.