alternative to tegretol?

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  Following a car accident and head trauma five years ago, my husband was put on tegretol to control auras and siezures (not epilesy). He is at 800 mg/day. My question is twofold and regards side effects. He is experiencing lowered libido and anorgasmia. We have done some research and know that this is a known side effect of the drug. Is there anything that can be done to overcome this side effect (something that can be taken in conjunction with tegretol, perhaps)? Secondly, I remember reading about another drug that is an alternative and supposedly did not have these side effects, but cannot find the reference. The drug was newly approved by the FDA and is now avail. here in the USA. I believe that it was from Britain. He has a neurologist appt. soon and any information you could provide would help us in choosing treatment options. NOTE: Lowering his dosage may not be an option. Thank you
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Thanks for the question. Of course these become difficult questions because you have the confounding problem of the head trauma itself that can cause similar problems. You could consider an endocrinologic workup to make sure there is no obvious abnormality with his thyroid  or testosterone level. We will at times treat patients with stimulant medication such as ritalin but controversy arises as to if this could increase his seizure frequency. There are several seizure medication and you will need to discuss this with the neurologist. It is sometimes trial and error in terms of side effects versus treatment response. One also has to watch out for problems of underlying depression which can cause similar problems. Good luck
This information is provided for general medical education purposes. Please consult your doctor regarding diagnostic and treatment options.