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 Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR TEGRETOL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 3 | bipolar 2 | tired | This medication really didn't do anything for me. It did bring my anxiety down, but I was always tired which I guess is the point on it (to keep you from becoming manic) however, I battle with lack of energy and motivation and this never made me feel energetic or wanting to go out and do things. Was on this for about 3 months and had to get blood tests regularly yet the amount in my blood never got to be the right amount which my pshychiatrist said was odd (when I got blood tests my results were extremely low even after upping the dose) so maybe that's why I didn't get good results. Am now trying Lamictal, also on Wellbutrin SR 400mg, Concerta 36mg, Klonopin 1mg when needed, Risperdal 1mg when needed | F | 20 | 3 months | 12/3/2006 | 4 | seizures | drowsiness/fatigue, almost to the point that I cannot function during the day and restless at night mood swings, usually from being emotionless to very very angry, I now have the "I just don't care anymore" attitude/feeling (not about living but, rather the usual day to day things) memory loss - trouble concentrating, this has caused a problem in school because I don't have time to read all of my assignments 3 or 4 times, this med. makes it hard to concentrate on reading and I also process things slower "Dazed and Confused" - not the song - I often go into a daze or as I just previously mentioned, it takes me longer than average to process information and think things though | I have been trying several different meds over the years, all of which have had side effects. I started with Dilantin and found that I was allergic. Then I was on Depakote, that, along with Tegretol ER, gave me depression. Most recently I was on Keppra but, because of its short "half life" and my tendency to forget to take it, it did not stay in my system and I had seizures. So, I returned to Tegretol. It has worked well so far but, I have been having the side effects. Although, overall, I would rather have the side effects and know I will not have the seizures. I also like the Tegretol ER because if you miss a dose it still remains in your system. | M | 21 | 2 months | 11/29/2006 | 1 | Seizues | dizziness, drowsiness, cant keep balence well, nausea, increaced muscle spasums, sensitivity to light and sound, aching joints, agitation, depression, blurred and double vision, confusion, fatigue, dry mougth and throat, frequent urination, INTENCE HEADACHES, can't eat, uncoordinated, ears ringing or feel as though they need to pop, can't speak well, lots of stomach aches | i'm switching medicine | M | 16 | 1 months | 11/18/2006 | 3 | bipolar | short term memory loss, loss of appetite, moodless, i have no desire to do anything: to see friends, eat, work, study, just feel like lying in bed, that is it. Skin rash. | It did really help my mood swings, but I hate being so emotionally flat, I do not feel like living at all, just existing. | F | 21 | 1 months | 11/3/2006 | 3 | epilepsy | weight gain (30 pounds), brain fog, fatigue, poor short term memory. when first on tegretol i also experienced ringing in my ears, but that faded within a few months. | of the several seizure meds that i have tried, this one works the best with the fewest side effects. however, i must admit i am considering switching to something else due to the severity of the weight gain and fatigue. | F | 31 | 2 years | 10/26/2006 | 3 | Seizures | Constant fatigue, upset stomach, hot/cold flashes | If I miss more than a couple of doses I am pretty much guaranteed to have a seizure. this drug was prescribed to me as a teenager and I am now 37 and still taking it. I don't like the side effects at all as it can impede my ability to do a lot of things but I don't like the seizures either. | M | 37 | 20 years | 10/26/2006 | 2 | Extreme fatigue that has not gone away, dreams every night, some memory loss, some dizziness. My doctor has reduced my medication twice. That has helped, but I still can't begin to stay awake through the afternoon. | I've lost my job and don't have the sustained energy to look for or hold another one. And I have to get back to work! Each day, I do the things that I absolutely have to do...taking care of my elderly parents' finances and other needs and working around the house...and then I crash. I've only had two seizures as an adult(one 9 months ago and one 6 months ago) before taking this drug. I'm grateful that I'm not in any kind of pain, but the exhaustion is debilitating and frustrating because I just can't function for more than 4 or 5 hours at a time, and even then, I'm tired. The side effects are so much worse than the seizures themselves. And I'm only on 100mg/day now. | F | 48 | 6 months | 10/9/2006 | 2 | Seizure disorder | ITP a severe potenially FATAL illness where Platlets are DESTROYED. my son almost died after only 10 days of this drug. It is listed and many doctors and pharmasistes know of this. Drowisness, fatigue, SEVERE body Rash, Swollen Glands and Fever | this Drug works well for millions of others. my son's seizures did stop 100% when on the drug. But the DEATH side effect is too scary | M | 4 | 11 days | 9/22/2006 | 4 | Temp. Lobe Epilepsy-Comp. Part. | I take a huge, monster dose of this drug (4x/day) to maintain therapeutic blood levels; if I mess up the timing it can make me drowsy and a bit foggy, or at worst give me slight double vision. Once in a bue moon I get nausea if I take it on an empty stomach. I suspect it may be causing joint pain, but who can tell? I am getting older, too! [Very small prices to pay for freedom.] | This is a wonder drug. I had undiagnosed, uncontrolled complex partial seizures for 12 years before a clever MD figured the epilepsy out and immediately put me on Tegretol. Once I was put on T. it 100% controlled the seizures. I took it through 2 pregnancies (kids turned out totally OK & are grown now), and 4 unrelated surgeries. One oddity:the GENERIC VERSION DOES NOT WORK FOR ME--who is to say why? So it still costs me an arm & a leg to fill this Rx. . . . | F | 48 | 20 years | 9/17/2006 | 4 | Seizures followining shunt oper. | Marked increase in fatigue. I can sleep for 8 hours and still take a couple naps during the day. There may also be an impact on my ability to recall important facts and figures. Tried Dilantin, but found it affected my vision to the point where I couldn't function properly - I suffered eye muscle tremors. | Keeps my post operative seizures at bay so I'm willing to work around the side effects even though I find the increase in fatigue very noticable. I hope when I see my neurosurgeon in a few weeks we can determine whether the drug can be discontinued. | M | 39 | 5 weeks | 9/3/2006 | 4 | seizure disorder | My son had his first seizure at age 2. Between the age of 2 and 6 he had 10 other seizures. He is now 7 years old and he has been seizure free for the past 18 months. | Tegretol successfully managed my son's seizure disorder. Ensuring that he took his prescribed dose was essential. If ever we missed a dosage, he had a seizure the following morning. Knowing this, we tried to be very diligent. However, the side-effects have been noticable. Grogginess and temper swings. Our son has also been much slower to read than our other children, and sometimes appears to have a hard time concentrating. We hope to be able to take him off the medication soon. | M | 7 | 5 years | 8/27/2006 | 3 | supraorbital neuralgia | Dizziness when upping dose for 3 to 4 days. I have gained 25 lbs over the past two years while on the drug. Tired alot. Definite memory loss. | M | 47 | 2 years | 6/17/2006 | 3 | seizure disorder | Fatigue, memory loss, can't concentrate, weight gain, behavioural problems [irritability, hostility] | I take 1000mg of TEGRETOL per day [400mg in a.m., 600mg @ bedtime]. My seizures are only partially controlled with this drug. I still have partials on the average of every 2 weeks. Considering the drug has so many side-effects for me, and is only partially effective, I am only "Somewhat Satisfied" with it | M | 37 | 5 years | 6/13/2006 | 5 | bipolar II | Less energetic. Dizziness for about 8 hrs or so after a dose so I take it at night. | Started at 200 mg/day and I now take 1000mg/day. I feel consistently calm, peaceful, stable, content. Very pleased that all I have to do is take 1 kind of medication to feel like myself again. | F | 29 | 8 months | 5/16/2006 | 4 | epilepsy | no real side effect - suffer from poor memory now and certainly didn't before taking this drug... however its worth it | was taking 100mg x2 a day, haven't had a seizure since so i guess its working. unless of course i haven't had another seizure for another reason. doc's can never tell whether its the drug or just natural!!! oh well. The overall feedback seems to be good except many people on this drug seem to suffer some sort of memory loss and its up to you whether you think its worth it... | M | 21 | 1 years | 4/4/2006 | 1 | epilepsy | To this day I recall little if any of my childhood. I am still very very forgetful. I had anger problems while on this med and also still strugle processing what I read. I have to read slowly if I want to recall anything. I feel I missed out on my childhood because of my complete lack of memory. I strongly believe that NO ONE, especially a CHILD should EVER be put on this drug! | I was put on it when I was only 3 and it did control my seizures, when I finally got off it I went through withdrawls | F | 27 | 14 years | 3/24/2006 | 4 | Trigeminal Neuralgia | Drowsiness, some mild confusion, difficulty concentrating. All these lessened after about two weeks. | I have used Tegretol off and on for about ten years . I tried to switch to Neurontin for less side effects but found it much less effective than Tegretol. Also tried in combination. I am relatively pain free with Tegretol after spending many days with mutliple attacks of terrible pain. | M | 52 | 10 years | 3/7/2006 | 5 | Epilepsy (nocturnal seizures) | At the begining I took 2 doses of 400mg, morning and evening. After nausea in the morning my doctor cut out the morning dose. For the past 10 years I have been seizure free. A positive side effect was weight loss - I had to stop drinking beer! | Never stop taking the treatment without consulting your doctor. I did once due to a misunderstanding and the result was a seizure. | M | 42 | 11 years | 1/10/2006 | 5 | trigeminal neuralgia | Drowsiness first two weeks, stomach discomfort at 300 mg dose. (Take with food). No noticeable side effects now. | I suffered from excruciating trigeminal neuralgia for several years before trying Tegretol. This medication has changed my life; I can now function as an almost normal person. Before Tegretol I spent almost 3 years homebound and in bed, nauseated and vomiting from pain. If you have trigeminal neuralgia and have not had relief with Neurontin, ask your doctor about it. Now I have a life again! | F | 49 | 15 months | 11/26/2005 | 4 | Epilepsy | At the beginning nausea, equilibrium completly off for 3 weeks, some double vision, and extreme restlessness (couldn't focus on one thing. Now 10 months later I am experiencing some slight dyslexia as I write exams for school, or do homework. I can't seem to process things as quickly (ie: reading a textbook sometimes I have to read it two or three times over), If I am an hr late taking a dose, or even sleep in a few hours longer than normal, I have a headache all day and my head feels cloudy. | The drug has kept me seizure free, and for that I"m thankful. | F | 24 | 10 months | 11/18/2005 |