Carbatrol (carbamazepine) Side Effects, Uses Dosages
Side Effects for Carbatrol (carbamazepine)
Was on this medicine for 4 years on 600mg then I had a seizure and my dr moved my dosage up to 800mg and my weight ballooned I gained over 20 pounds in a couple months. There was nothing I could do to get the weight off until I switched to Lamictal.
Spacey, "out of it" feeling. Losing my train of thought. Possibly lethargic (or busy life !) Not feeling like myself.
It took a few days to kick in, and then I was 100 pain-free. For 4 months, now at 5 months, has lost its effectiveness. I am having to add a dose on alternating nights. The next day seems better, less intense pain. But I will be adjusting dose and/or medication soon.
I've taken anti-seizure meds for 25 years, so I don't remember what I'm like without them. Things that I think are probably side effects: I need at least 8 hours of sleep a night to function, I think I had mood swings when I first started taking Carbatrol (at age 10), and I definitely have a foggy/dazed feeling sometimes. I've also had ongoing balance problems/dizziness/vertigo and trouble remembering words or recalling information.
Despite the side effects, I love this medication because it has helped me live a normal life. Carbatrol (and before that, Tegretol) completely controls the seizures--I'm on a relatively low dosage (400 mg/day) but it works well for me. I took Dilantin as a child, which had much worse side effects and which I later found out isn't recommended for children. Carbatrol is much better.
dramatically increased migraine frequency
While the frequent migraines are quite awful, I had experienced migraines when I was younger, so I don't fully blame the Carbatrol. On the positive side, it did stop my once-a-month grand mal seizures cold, so it's worth it.
Bipolar 2 manic depression suicidal
Fatigue, balance problems, dizziness when standing,Extremely tired when I wake up. I take 200mg at bed. My mouth is so dry when I wake that i have toi scoop the caked saliva out of my mouth so I can brush my teeth.
I hate taking all this crap.. just because I am the type of person that will tell you that you are stupid, if you are doing something stupid. The youth nowadays .. have no respect and I say and do attempt to straighten there veiws on life.
Relieved pain associated with problem within 48 hours and almost completely eliminated all pain within 7-10 days. Took 200 mg twice a day for approx 4 months before it stopped working almost overnight. Pain returned twice as bad as original within 48 hours of secondary attack. Increased medication to 200mg three times a day along with secondary medication in order to control problem again
spacey, very out of it feeling. extremely nauseous the first week. after that subsided just tiredness on 400 mg.
have had some pain relief, but not enough. have also tried neuronton & lyrica but couldn't handle the side effects.
I have been taking 300 mg carbatrol slow release since 1999. Initially, I would still get breakthrough pain and would increase the carbatrol up to 1200 mg of carbatrol a day. In the beginning of my regimen I was tired and would come home from work and go to bed. Never experienced dizziness from carbatrol, but do feel that it has affected my short term memory. Eventually my body adjusted. To this day, I take 300 mg of carbatrol a day and no longer have any side effects or am so used to them, they do not bother me. I have been pain free since 2003.
Fatigue, balance problems, dizziness when standing, slight weight gain, acne
Carbatrol works. I haven't had a seizure since I started taking it, so I can't really complain. Side effects aren't great, but I've gotten used to them (they persist). I need 8 hours of sleep or else I'm non-functional. I feel faint a lot, so that's a pain.
The first two weeks of taking Carbatrol I was so incredibly nauseous and thought it would never go away. Despite that, Carbatrol has been the only thing that has made my pain subside.
Seldomly I have breakthrough pain that is treated with Vicodin. I've had to stop taking Carbatrol cold turkey because I found out that I'm pregnant. This has caused withdrawls, similar to how sick I was when I first started taking it. I've lost the weight I gained in 4 days since stopping (only 6 pounds). Despite how nauseous I've been Carbatrol has controlled my pain in a way that Neurontin couldn't.
CARBATROL (CARBAMAZEPINE): Carbamazepine is used to prevent and control seizures. This medication is known as an anticonvulsant or anti-epileptic drug. It is also used to relieve certain types of nerve pain (such as trigeminal neuralgia). This medication works by reducing the spread of seizure activity in the brain and restoring the normal balance of nerve activity. Some forms of this medication are also used to treat bipolar disorder. Carbamazepine can help to decrease extreme changes in mood and help you feel less agitated. (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)
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