trigeminal neuralgia and Tegretol

[pearly44]

I was diagnosed with TG in July, have been on 100 mg of Tegretol which I thought was doing ok but I was still having shocks just once in a while so the dr had me take 200 mg just once a day and I had the owrst shocks I have ever had.  So I went back down to 100 and they quit, for 48 hrs I had no shocks then I went back to 200 and they began again.  So the dr has me on 100 mg 3 times a day.  Have you ever heard of this medication making a patient worse???  This is the 3rd day on 3 times a day and the shocks are bearable but worse than yesterday and the day before.  I am beginning to think I can't take this med which is not unusual for me.  I can't take many meds, they usually do the opposite to me that they are suppose to.  Thank you.  Pearly44

[jrenn]

Good luck!

[jrenn]

Hi and sorry (my own TM came back after Christmas)
I was up to 1600mg a day and some people are on even more though doctors say it's 1200 max (in my experience) , consultants say differently of course.
It hasn't worked for me in the sense of stopping pain, never know if it's lessened it the attacks or not, of course. The first time I took it 12 years ago (I really can't remember now) it seemed to work though actually but not since.
Please try your very hardest to get to see a good consultant it was a real battle for me. I was in hospital (long story) and still they wanted to chuck me out even though the consultant was doing rounds there in a couple of days (a young doc tipped me off, bless him). I stuck to my guns saw the Area consultant, he didn't really help but, sounds silly, it was good psychologically to finally get to see the one person who seemed free of BS and was quite happy to admit that he couldn't answer some questions etc and also had the power to do things etc etc.
After I'd annoyed the hospital consultant by telling him some med wouldn't work, the area consultant (sorry I'm not sure what the correct title is) happened to walk by and corrected his presciption. Of course there are lots of wonderful doctors but there are  also some just like us, normal people who have bad days and are egotistic so an so's.

[bhups1]

hi,well it seems you have to incerase the dose upto 400-600mg per day.This drug induces its own metabolism which means that it itself enhances its elimination from the body and as a result periodic increase in the dosage is required.

There are other alternatives too(gabapentin etc) which are indicated in trigeminal neuralgis.Please consult the doctor for advice and further treatment.Good luck!