|
|
|
|
|
Overall Rating
7.10
|
Rating:
7.1
|
|
Side Effects
7.00
|
|
Pricing
7.80
|
|
Average Price: $2.10
|
Recommended By
70% of reviewers
(of 10 reviews)
|
|
|
|
advertisement
|
Tegretol®
Generic Name: Carbamazepine kar-ba-MAZ-e-peen
Drug Class: Anticonvulsant, carbamazepine | | Contents | Description | Carbamazepine (kar-ba-MAZ-e-peen) is used to control some types of seizures in the treatment of epilepsy. It is also used to relieve pain due to trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux). It should not be used for other more common aches or pains. Carbamazepine may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.
Top of page
| | General Information | | This information is for educational purposes only. Not every known side effect, adverse effect, or drug interaction is in this database. If you have questions about your medicines, talk to your healthcare provider. Top of page
| | Proper use of this medicine | Carbamazepine suspension and tablets should be taken with meals to lessen the chance of stomach upset (nausea and vomiting). Carbamazepine extended-release capsules do not need to be taken with meals unless they upset your stomach. The contents of these extended-release capsules may be sprinkled over a teaspoonful of applesauce or other similar food; the capsule or its contents should not be crushed or chewed. It is very important that you take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor to obtain the best results and lessen the chance of serious side effects. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.
Top of page
| | Missed Dose | Take your next dose as soon as you remember. If it is time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not double doses.
Top of page
| | Storage | Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture. Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed.
Top of page
| | Possible Side Effects | - This medicine can cause the following side effects:
- dizziness, drowsiness, lightheadedness
- nausea and vomiting
- blurred vision
- confusion
- headache
- water retention (edema)
- Unreported side effects are possible, talk to your healthcare provider if any other symptoms occur.
Top of page
| | Warnings/Precautions | - Avoid long exposure to the sun and use a sunscreen and protective clothing.
- Do NOT abruptly stop this medicine without talking to your doctor.
- Be cautious when driving or performing other hazardous activities. This medicine can impair judgment.
- This medicine can cause dizziness or drowsiness.
- Diabetics should be aware that this class of drugs may alter blood glucose levels.
- Carry an identification card with your to let doctors and emergency personal that you are taking this medication.
- Use caution in hot weather. Drink plenty of fluids and avoid getting overheated.
- This medicine may decrease the effects of birth control pills. Use a backup form of contraception while taking this medicine.
Top of page
| | Overdose | Seek medical attention immediately. U.S. residents can call the national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.
Top of page
| | Drug Interactions | - This medicine may react with the following drugs:
- Anticoagulants (blood thinners)
- Corticosteroids (cortisone-like medicine)
- Erythromycin (e.g., E-Mycin, Erythrocin, Ilosone)
- Propoxyphene (e.g., Darvon)
- Estrogens (female hormones)
- Oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
- Fluvoxamine (e.g., Luvox)
- Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors
- Other anticonvulsants (seizure medicines)
- Tricyclic antidepressants
Top of page
| | Pregnancy/Nursing | Carbamazepine has not been studied in pregnant women. However, there have been reports of babies having low birth weight, small head size, skull and facial defects, underdeveloped fingernails, and delays in growth when their mothers had taken carbamazepine in high doses during pregnancy. In addition, birth defects have been reported in some babies when the mothers took other medicines for epilepsy during pregnancy. Also, studies in animals have shown that carbamazepine causes birth defects when given in large doses. Therefore, the use of carbamazepine during pregnancy should be discussed with your doctor. Carbamazepine passes into the breast milk, and in some cases the baby may receive enough of it to cause unwanted effects. In animal studies, carbamazepine has affected the growth and appearance of the nursing babies.
Top of page
| | More Information | For more information about this medicine, talk to your healthcare provider.
Top of page
|
| Copyright 2006 PharmClips, Inc. All rights reserved. www.pharmclips.com | This information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This is general information and should not in any event be construed as specific instructions for individual patients. The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application, use, or misuse of any of the information contained herein, including any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability, negligence, or otherwise. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made in regard to the contents of this material. The reader is advised to check with their health care provider before making any changes in their drug regimen.
Last reviewed:
On 8 Aug 2006
By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
eskielover
Magnate
Registered: October 2004
Posts: 2425
|
|
Review Date: Thu September 14, 2006
|
Would you recommend this? No |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 4
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
extream sleepiness, dizzyness, nausea & lack of appetite along with migraine pain
|
|
My dose was started off the first day at 50mg. That ended up causing extreme sleepyness & dizzyness. On top of that, I had nausea which caused a lack of appetite & ended up with migraine pain which just continued the migraine pain from previous AD trials. The dose was lowered to 25mg the next day & the side effects got continually worse rather than improving.
|
|
Sher
Member
Registered: May 2006
Posts: 38
|
|
Review Date: Thu September 28, 2006
|
Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: $4.00| Rating: 8
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
once in my system , had no side effects
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
while building up in my system , dizziness and nausea were a problem , about a week
|
|
once in my system this has been and continues to ba an excelent drug for mood stabilization. I have had no weight gain issues either.
|
|
girlbassplayer
Member
Registered: May 2006
Posts: 164
|
|
Review Date: Sat November 25, 2006
|
Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 9
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
Low side effects, started to stabilize my mood quickly
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
Sleepiness
|
|
I started at 200mg, and I found it made me sleepy for about 3 days and then it more or less went away. I am up to 500mg, with little side effects with the exception of upping it. Normally when it is upped, I get the same sleepy feeling for a couple days. Carbamazepine has helped my mood symptoms substancially.
|
|
Jkeyz
Member
Registered: February 2007
Posts: 52
|
|
Review Date: Wed February 28, 2007
|
Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 10
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
Lifesaver
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
None
|
|
Tegretol has saved my life. I was diagnosed as bipolar in early 2003 and placed on Tegretol in late 2003. It stabilized my moods dramaticly. I take 400mg twice a day. I don't remember having any side effects. I can't live without it!!
|
|
Thomi
Member
Registered: February 2007
Posts: 21
|
|
Review Date: Wed March 7, 2007
|
Would you recommend this? No |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 2
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
Began stabalizing quickly
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
Made me extremely ill
|
|
My irratibility went down but after a few days, I got not so much dizzy as this strange feeling in my head like I have experienced during periods of withdrawal from other meds. I lost my appetite, got really nauseous and confused. I had a difficult time orienting myself and thus could not drive. The side effects lessened greatly the day I stopped taking it and were gone completely the day after. It was miserable.
|
|
SerenitysWave
Poohbah
Registered: December 2005
Posts: 1439
|
|
Review Date: Sat April 14, 2007
|
Would you recommend this? No |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 2
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
started feeling like it was stabilizing my moods at the beginning of third week
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
1st week: felt VERY drowsy, dizzy, confused, staggered gait, felt like a bobble head and drunk... 2nd week: irritable attitude kinda mean and impatient. still confused but drunk feeling gone...then got the rash...OH,while taking this med I experienced anx
|
|
I was started on 600mg a day (200 mg 3x a day)... I had extreme tiredness, couldn't drive, had difficulty preforming work duties accurately, difficulty talking and jumbling words, very staggered walk- had to hold onto things to keep steady, felt like I was going to pass-out all the time, sour belly.... Then as 2nd week started I began to feel a mood shift of irritation and impatience, snappy... still had word confusion and diffiuclty doing some task accurately, forgetfullness, and less drowsy... Then I noticed rash, starte don my legs- didn't think much of it at first, then spread to my arms and neck... Went to ER (also had resp. infection separate to reaction) told I was having allergic reaction and to immediately stop taking this med. After I did many symptoms went away by next day... I am sure this med works well with some people, I just happen to not be one of them, it did however began to start stabilizing my moods towards the end.....
|
|
survivor_of_many
New Member
Registered: May 2007
Posts: 4
|
|
Review Date: Fri May 4, 2007
|
Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 9
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
stopped the panic attacks
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
rapid heart beat, sweating
|
|
I was on tegretol for almost 11 years for the treatment of panic attacks that came on in the middle of the night. This drug along with Aventyl stopped them in their tracks. I did have a rapid heart beat from them and had to take medication to slow it down, but other than that all went well. When I found out I was pregnant, I was told to get off these medications ASAP! Tegretol could disfigure the mouth area of the baby ~ I had many ultrasounds to check this out... and all is perfect. However, I did get off all my medication in four days after finding out about the pregnancy.
That was almost 12 years ago.... have not been back on those medications since....
|
|
gionnetto
Visitor
Registered: August 2007
Posts: 2
|
|
Review Date: Fri August 10, 2007
|
Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 9
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
works wonders on mixed states
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
weight gain, blurred vision, skin sensitivity
|
|
I was put on tegretol after having been diagnosed bipolar 1 in 2000. It made me sleep (which I needed) and gave me blurred vision bigtime. However I never had a manic episode again! The dose was ramped up at 1,200 mg/day and I did gain 45 lbs, but I lost most of them (26) in one year of self-discipline. After that, I even scaled back on it and have been on 800 mg/day since March 2003. Since then, I had no mania, 1 major depression and a minor one. However my skin sensitivity is still enhanced, especially toward sunlight (use sunblock!!!). No major episodes in the last 3 year, only a minor one 2 yrs ago. Don't be afraid to try it, just remember not to overeat too often 
|
|
lhanson
Visitor
Registered: August 2007
Posts: 12
|
|
Review Date: Mon August 20, 2007
|
Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 9
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
Relieved mania, low side effects
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
hot flashes, lowers white blood cell count, causes other meds to metabolize faster
|
|
This has really been a wonder drug for me. It relieved my manic episodes and anxiety, and it is one of the only medications that didn't make me tired.
|
|
adamt
Visitor
Registered: February 2008
Posts: 6
|
|
Review Date: Sat February 9, 2008
|
Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: $0.19| Rating: 9
|
|
Positive aspects of this (pros):
|
Relieved mood swings, helped with sleep
|
|
Negative aspects of this (cons):
|
Slight drowsiness
|
|
I would rather deal with the drowsiness than the 32 years of fear, sadness, anger and confusion I was dealing with.
|
|
|
|
