Effect of concomitantly administered honey on the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine in healthy volunteers.

The current study was designed to investigate the effect of concomitantly administered honey on the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine in volunteers. In a two-way cross-over design with a one-week washout period, ten healthy volunteers were randomized to receive 200 mg carbamazepine orally with 30 ml of honey or water. Blood samplres were collected at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after drug administration Carbamazepine levels were estimated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There were no statistically significant differences in the various pharmacokinetics parameters when carbamazepine was administered with honey, compared with administration with water. In conclusion, carbamazepine kinetics are not altered by honey, so epileptic patients on carbamazepine may consume honey without the risk of an interaction.