Bad reaction to Tegretol

[cbdesign]

I was put on a low dose of tegretol as a mood stabilizer and had a severe reaction after being on it 100 mgs for 3 days. I experienced head splitting pain down the left side of my face in line with the center of my eye. The pain persisted for about 3 weeks and began to die down some. Now 4 months later I am still left with an everyday headache in the left front of my head, and a numbness extending in a line down my cheek from my eye. My prescribing doctor tried telling me none of this was possible, which is total BS because it happend. I went to the hospital and had a CT scan showing everything to be fine, so what kind of damage could have possibly been done and where can I seek help?

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

If your symptoms are indeed due to neuralgia, migraine and pain meds will not provide relief. Anticonvulsants and antidepressants are usually prescribed to reduce the nerve firing in order to control the symptoms.
Hope this helps!

[cbdesign]

I am no longer on the tegretol, but there is no doubt to me that it is caused from it, as it has been a continuous issue since the episode. Thanks for the suggestions, I will have to see my physician again about it, last time he gave me migraine medicine which didnt help. Also no head ache medicines seem to help it.

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Tegretol is known to cause headaches as a side effect. It is important to know if you are still taking tegretol.
Your symptoms are suggestive of neuralgias like trigeminal neuralgia or trigeminal neuritis which are characterized by pain and numbness on one side of the face.
http://www.tna.org.uk/pages/facepain.html

It is important that you undergo a clinical evaluation by your GP as it is difficult to say if your one sided facial pain is due to Tegretol or not.