TEGRETOL Reviews (CARBAMAZEPINE)Average Rating: 3.3 (287 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare TEGRETOL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Satisfaction highest to lowest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on TEGRETOL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR TEGRETOL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | epilepsy | Loss of libido. | When I was changed from Lamictal to Tegretol I felt deeply depressed in different moments of the day without any cause. This mood disorder lasted some days. I felt so bad that I thought I couldn't stand it and should go to my doctor again to change the drug. I kept taking it and I must say that, in my case, I got better results, with one exception: I have almost no libido now. | F | 30 | 2 years 200 2X day | 7/31/2011 | 5 | Trigeminal Neuralgia | F | 60 | 200 mg 4X day | 6/23/2011 Patient History | 5 | Bipolar Type I | "fuzzy" memory, but otherwise none | LOVE it!!! Best mood stabilizer I have ever been on (and trust me, I've been on a lot). This is making my life so much easier. I don't think I'd be able to be in college or have a job or focus/concentrate/relax enough to just be myself. This helps me out of my depression and gives me back my personality without making me manic. It's a great medicine. If nothing else works, talk to your doctor about Tegretol (Equetro). | F | 22 | 10 months 500 mg 2X day | 6/14/2011 | 5 | Epilepsy | None - maybe memory issues but I've had those so long it could just be me:) | I was on Tegretol for 12 years and it controlled my simple partial seizures completely with no side effects that I could tell. I eventually had to be taken off of it though because I started having low white blood cell counts and this is definitely a side effect of LONG TERM use. I have since been on Keppra, Vimpat, Lamictal, and Zonegran ALL to the detriment of awful side effects. I am now on Depakote 500 mg x 1/day. They wanted to start me at 1000 per day but I told the doc that I wanted to start low and dose up if needed. So far 500 mg. is working (maybe with a little weight gain). The point I want to make is that if you go look at ratings of all of the other drugs I have taken, everyone reacts differently! What may work for one doesn't work for another. My goal was seizure control without side effects. This is a great resource because I was having some side effects that my doctor said were not "listed" in his journals but that I saw on websites like these that other people were experiencing. | F | 48 | 12 years 200 1X day | 4/23/2011 | 5 | Trigeminal Neuralgia | I'm so surprised w/those of you having so many side-effects. The only one I have is occassional trouble retreiving a word, however the word always comes to me within seconds. My dr. started me on 1/4 tab (200mg) 2x day...I know-pharmacist said he never seen such a low dosage-but i feel great now that I'm at 1/2 tab 3-4x day | Couldn't function last 2 yrs w/pain...anxiety of pain returning. Will be having Gamma Knife procedure next month to hopefully end pain & pills here in Toronto by a wonderful nuerosurgeon at TWH. Sure would love to gulp down something cold or a hot bowl of soup again, or even have a full ngts sleep w/out pain! ps..I,ll never use straws again after my treatment. | F | 49 | 2 months 50 mg 4X day | 12/31/2010 | 5 | MS-related muscle spasms & bipolar | Can't be sure what are side-effects and what are MS symptoms. Missing a dose causes immediate return of spasms. | Able to sleep without additional drugs because spasms are so well controlled. together w/ risperdal, frequent bipolar-like mood swings are well controlled also. Good medication for several MS issues when used correctly. Follow your Dr's instructions to a T, though. | F | 43 | 2.5 years 200 mg 3X day | 12/15/2010 | 5 | Trigeminal Neuralgia | Exhaustion, confusion, can't think of the word I want to use, slurred speech, joint pain, acne, everything I hear is a lower tone, loss of Vitamin D, short term memory loss, restless legs, canker sores in my mouth, insatiable cravings for food, weight gain, ringing in my ears. | Although the side effects are terrible, this drug saved me from the hell of trigeminal neuralgia. I hope the side effects go away, they are bad now that I recently increased the dose...I literally shut off my alarm in my sleep and don't hear it, I'm like a zombie. But I will take all of these side effects and more than be living with the pain I was in for the past three years. | F | 25 | 8 months 1200mg 1X day | 11/4/2010 | 5 | Seizures | Acne... can never get rid of it. Anyone have suggestions... have seen numerous dermatologist but have not had any success. Currently using a sulfric acid soap but not feeling like its working. | F | 19 | 18 years 800 mg 1X day | 10/18/2010 | 5 | seizures | I have had no side effects with tegretol or the generic | good but had to be i ncreased to 200 3 times a day because of several breakthrough seizures | M | 55 | 20 years 200 2X day | 5/19/2010 | 5 | epilepsy | No side effects and very good control. Had only 7 seizures during this period and 4 were on the same day. | Was taken off Tegretol because of the damage it does to the bones. | F | 70 | 16 years 2X day | 3/26/2010 | 5 | bipolar 2 | i have peace now, i take 600mg per day. only thing is it is hard for me to wake up and i don't know always what is going on if you wake me in the middle of the night. i gained weight, but i cant say for sure it is the drug, also take effexor. but without the tegretol i would not have a stable life! | TEGRETOL IS THE BEST THING. i used to be troubled with very bad dreams, now i still have the dreams but it is like the stuff in them is happening to someone in another room down the hall!!!!HOORAY FOR TEGRETOL plus i would get so angry my head would buzz, or so depressed i wanted to die, or so happy i would be overexhilirated. now i get normal mad, normal sad, and normal happy. not at all like i don't feel anything. | M | 34 | 2 years | 2/2/2010 | 5 | EPILEPSY | Gum swelling (mild), sleepier than normal, intolorence to alcohol, mild sun sensitivity | Have been using this pregnancy-safe dosage for 28 years now- eventhough I'm past the pregnancy years- no seizures. Just need more than average dental cleanings, sunscreen, more sleep (like 2 hours). Enables me to drive. Need regular liver panels to check for drug metabolism/toxicity. Want to see if 400 mg daily is still appropriate as I'm aging- drugs are more toxic generally as one gets older. | F | 53 | 28 years | 8/3/2009 | 5 | Trigeminal Neuralgia | I take it with food, if not a meal time it goes down well with half a banana and causes no nausea. When I have to increase the dose, to 200mg three times a day, I get some vision effect, so cannot drive; I sleep longer of a night and achieve less thru the day... | I have learnt to 'go with the flow' when medicated; its better than the awful pain. It comes back every year about April so I go on 100mg a day, then it gets worse as the weather gets colder for winter. Its at its worse now July. and when Spring/Summer comes it disappears again, so I can reduce the Tegretol until I am taking none Sep/Oct. I was in NZ July 2008 and suffered badly in Christchurch where it was snowing, even 1200mg a day did not help much and I got Lupus on such a high dose... so slowly went back to 200mg when I came home, where it settled down as we had a mild winter... I hope it just goes away one day like it came... wish I knew what causes it though.. | F | 62 | 7 years | 7/4/2009 | 5 | Bipolar II | Little nausea every now and then but nothing else. | I love this drug. I finally feel like a human being after 42 years of no mediation. I can think clear and my emotions seem to be in order. | F | 42 | 4 months | 2/23/2009 | 5 | Trigeminal Neuragia | I just started on Tegretol (100 mg) about 10 days ago. I am so glad there is a med out there that can control my bouts of pain. My pain would come in the middle of the night (mostly) ... couldn't take it and did not realize that there was a "condition" out there called Trigeminal Neuragia. The pain became increasingly worse over time and finally I saw a physician regarding it. My first side effects from Tegretol were slight nausia, and severe headache. Both passed. Did not experience the "tiredness" as noted with other individuals. I do notice that this med does not work as well for me when I am "stressed". | I will continue taking this med and probably increase dose if my pain increases with time. Still too soon to tell. | F | 50 | 10 days | 1/6/2009 | 5 | Seizures | Depression, tired, exhausted, joint and muscle pain, light headedness, Sensitivity to sun, lethargic, insomnia, unclear thoughts, memory loss, like living in a fog! And the list goes on and on! | i rated it a 5 cuz it does work for stopping seizures , but I often wonder if the side effects are worse than actually having a seizue! I would probably prefer the seizure if I did not live with this constant fear of them killing me! I thought I was the only one suffering from all these side effects til I stumbled onto this site! Hearing you alls stories made me feel so bad for ya til I realized "hey thats me there talking about"! I have read alot of your stories and i am trying to figure out how you all hold down a job! I would really like to work but it seems between the seizures and the side effects I cant! Not to mention the embarrassment that comes along with having seizures! And the major decrease in sex drive...or anything that requires movement...or motivation...LOL This med does work for seizures but with all the side effects I think it should be outlawed! No way a person should be forced to try to live like this! This is not a life it is just existing!!!!I have been | M | 27 | 15 years | 10/22/2008 | 5 | seizure disorder | tired, joint pain, but not too bad at all, hunger increased as well. | I have not had a seizure while taking the medication 200MG 4x daily. I did stop for one day as I was going to be drinking and I didn't want to mix. Two drinks and I was throwing up additionally I had a grand mal at night...not worth stopping. Really stupid on my part. One other thing...I am a writer and have had great difficulty with spelling and hitting keys on my computer since on med. | F | 33 | 4 months | 8/15/2008 | 5 | TLE & mood swings | Took Tegretol for 15 years and it was a total godsend. Very few side effects but now unfortunately I have to stop Tegretol as it metabolises in the same way as the only two HIV salvage drugs left open to me. Tried Trileptal but bad reaction. | M | 56 | 15 years | 7/29/2008 | 5 | bipolar/chronic pain (fibromyalgia? | drowsiness, weight gain | I am on 1000mg, I take it all at night and it helps me sleep. While on it I have been able to hold down full time stressful job and raise a child (I am single parent.) If I run out or miss a few days of meds, chronic pain comes back like I have very bad flu symptoms. This has been a lifesaver literally. I have not been hospitalized for psychiatric reasons since on it. Only downfall is the weight gain... about 80 in the last 10 years. | F | 38 | 10 years | 7/19/2008 | 5 | seizures, bipolar disorder | I remember feeling dizzy and woozy when I first started taking it for a few days. My doc described the feeling as being like a "drunken sailor". He was right. Since then , no side effects. Just necessary to get bloodwork every three months to make sure it doesn't screw up your liver. | M | 13 | 14 years | 6/12/2008 |