Tegratol side effects

[bernie40]

I started on Tegratol (carbamazepine) on Saturday, my tummy has bloated and I am constipated!!!!  Also have this weird foggy head feeling yet can't sit still for long.  I'm just wondering how others have reacted to this medication.  I know its early days.

[Twelvesgirl]

so i guess i just see a disussion at the top and dont look at the date! whoops! i guess i need to ask you bulldozer, how do you like tegretol? are you still on it? what did you do to releive bloating/constipation issues? what a dork i am.

[Twelvesgirl]

Hi! I am on 600mg Tegretol daily for a mood stabilizer, and I live in the U.S., I'm also on Topamax for Migraines. I've been on it for a while and they are going up in dosage too slowly if you ask me! I'm a mess! But it's the way my docs have to do it I guess. I don't have s/e from the Tegretol really at all, at first I did, a bit of dizziness for the first week, then that went away. And everytime I increase in dose I get the dizziness again, but it only lasts for about a wk. I just wish I could get to a good therapeutic level and even out. I do feel bloaty too, I drink caffeinated coffee, one small cup in the morning, that helps w/ constipation. Yucky I know, but its a very real thing. If you can tolerate caffeine drinking a small cup in the afternoon might be good too. I don't know natural ways that work as fast as coffee! But I drink it before I take my medicine and eat. Anyhow, now that I've grossed out people w/ weak tummys!!! Feel free to contact me anytime.

[ILADVOCATE]

Trileptal is a mood stabilizer almost chemically identical to Tegretol but is safer because it doesn't require the blood tests. Well aware of antipsychotics and the next generation of antipsychotics in study won't cause those side effects (read through my posts) but they are not available yet. However, there is a wide variety of options of FDA approved medications that are used off label as mood stabilizers:
http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/moodstabilizers.htm
You can read up on them and you can speak to your psychiatrist about available options.

[bastet56]

  My dr put me on lamictal for mania. Couldn't use it and now am on Tegretol also. Never heard of the other drug. I didn't get bloated but after a week my system overcame it and the dose had to be increased. I find my thinking is slower and my fingers do what they want on the keyboard if not constantly watched lol. The only side effects so far are headache and restless legs which I think is funny if this is what they use to treat it.
I went the gamit of the newer anti psychotics and ended up fatter, prediabetic and for a while with psuedo parkinsonism. What out for the new anti psychs- have your blood sugar tested often.

[ILADVOCATE]

Tegretol can increase the extra pyramidal side effects of anti-psychotics, that is the temporary movement disorders. As well, most psychiatrists in the United States have changed prescribing Tegretol to prescribing Trileptal which is clinically similar but in having less of a chance of the blood dyscreias does not require blood work. For that reason Tegretol is rarely used. And it can interact with antipsychotics. The only information I posted that may have been incorrect is that Depakoate is better on mania than depression though as I said Lamictal is better on depression than mania. Lithium works well on both though I listed the side effects which can be severe and although effective commonly causes cognitive blunting.. If you find the Tegretol works well but you are getting too many side effects perhaps ask if it could be updated to Trileptal as it would cut out the neccessity of bloodwork which is a start right there. But if you find it intolerable Lamictal is generally a standard mood stabilizer and has been approved as one for first line treatment in the United States though I understand that the way the medical system works is different outside of the United States.

[adel_ezz]

Hi

I am starting tomorrow on tegretol 400 mg. I intend to keep the risperidal 1 mg. Do you know of any interactions between the tow meds

help please
ezz

[bernie40]

Thanks for all the info, and thanks for the web-link, I shall certainly be having a look at that.

[ILADVOCATE]

Mood stabilizers vary in effectiveness on both mania and depression. Lamictal from what I believe is better on depression than mania. Depakoate is better on depression. Lamictal in high doses can enduce mania as it did in me so it had to be discontinued by my psychiatrist. However, that was over time. Generally I found it safe and effective. Tegretol is hardly used in the United States anymore due to drug interactions. Trileptal which is derived from it has replaced it because it doesn't have the side effect potential of loss of white blood cells which is why Tegretol requires blood tests. Its difficult when people are from different countries as the regulations differ there but in the United States if a medication is approved it can be prescribed for any purpose legally. Except for Lithium, which is highly effective but an old line medication that will cause weight gain and cognitive confusion and if taken over time a potential for kidney damage (has happenned to 5 people I know) all the mood stabilizers were other medications first, usually anti-convulsants, then used experimentally for mood stabilization. I was on Clonidine until recently which is a blood pressure pill but used experimentally for mood stabilization but it made me severely depressed so I asked and it was discontinued and I am looking around, having tried about 15-20 of them, everything that's out there in fact. The medication I am on in study as an antipsychotic glycine along with the natural compound in study for tardive, rhodiola as it has some mood stabilizing effects are covering but I'm still looking for a primary mood stabilizer but my psychopharmocologist assures me and research confirms I've tried everything out there that's safe and effective.   If people are doing alright on any mood stabilizer, can cope with the side effects and aren't having anything develop that's severe side effect wise its best to stick with what they are on though many psychiatrists in the United States won't keep a person on Lithium more than 10 years due to the potential of long term kidney damage. The only thing I would say, unless someone actually has schizoaffective as I do or bipolar with psychotic features is to avoid being given an anti-psychotic as a mood stabilizer because all of the current ones including Abilify can cause tardive dyskinesia such as I have. But the best thing to do rather than trade reccomendations as each person's body is different is to see a trained psychopharmocologist as I do or if needed a mood disorders specialist and to do comprehensive internet research on medically reliable sites. Fish oil which is used by many psychiatrists as an adjunct mood stabilizer was developed into Lovaza an anti-cholesterol medication which is being used experimentally for mood stabilization. New treatments are developed all the time. People (applied to everyone here) if they are not happy with their treatment need to research online and advocate to their psychiatrist to have it changed. I'll post one here that's a great link to all medications currently used as mood stabilizers:
http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html

[BipolarBear75]

I am in Canada, I am on Lithium (and yes, gained a ton of weight). I am still on it cause it worked. Now, my new pdoc added Lamictal to it, and quite frankly, it is only ok to me. I haven't been on it long enough to give a full opinion. I just went up to 75 mg last night.

Now, I find the lithium has worn off it's good use....I still feel manic while on it and depressed while on Lamictal (which my pdoc assures me ....that Lamictal cures depression). So, I will be speaking to him on monday to see what to do. And you can't just up the lithium just like that either....it has everything to do with the lithium levels in your blood....

[bernie40]

Hi, its certainly a complete mystery to me all these different meds and effects etc.  Egypt sounds a lot like the UK, we are behind our American cousins in the world of medication.  My advice to you when considering any medication is try and avoid lithium and depakote as both can have an effect on the thyroid, lithium in particular can have some nasty side effects for some.  They also have the nasty habit of causing weight gain, and Im not talking a small amount.

Of all the ones I've tried I have to say that so far (and its only been a week) I've had no major side effects from tegratol, I can put up with slight bloatedness for a few days as I know it will ease eventually.  I found the depakote turned me into a zombie, seroquel gave me major muscle twitching, mertazapine made me swell up like a balloon, another one gave me facial twitches and swollen throat and breathing problems - its a wonder I dare try any others really, haha!!!

Hope you manage to find one that suits you.

[adel_ezz]

Hi

I don't take any right now. Not yet. this is why I am shopping around to see which has the smallest side effects. Eventually it will be my pdoc to choose. I bet all of them are rotten but at least better than the awful mood swings. About lamictal, it just happens that I noticed in american forums everybody is prescribed lamictal. As you said both compare well. As to other MS I know there are plenty of them. I only meant that here pdocs chose one out the three most popular (depakine, tegretol, lithium)

Who knows perhaps some decent scientists devoted can discover something in the future. Just hope to be alive then
thanks
ezz

[bernie40]

I think it depends where you live, if you are in America then Lamictal is prescribed, if you live in the UK or Egypt then Tegratol is prescribed.  The side effects seem to be similar and as you say the effects of tegratol are well known because it has been around for so long.  Pdocs have a lot more than 3 options for mood disorder drugs, lithium is another old one, depakote is relatively new in the treatment of mood disorders, but there are so many others.  It depends on the area you live, your pdoc and what your body will accept.  What suits some does not suit another which is why it is common for lots of different medications to be tried before finding the "right" one.  So which one are you taking and how have you found it?

I tend to be a little careful when reading research as each research is always going to be slightly biased in some way, newer drugs obviously haven't had the same extensive and intensive research done on them as the older drugs so I don't think it is really possible to do an accurate comparative study, mainly due to the fact that numbers of people taking or having taken the drug are going to be vastly different.

[adel_ezz]

Thanks

I mean aside from effectiveness the side effects compared. Lamictal is a new drug. Tegretol is very old and cheaper. Where I come from (Egypt) pdocs are more accustomed to writing tegretol. They also say since it is old the complications and side effects are known to them. Lamictal in all yahooforums is more reputable i 've seen everybody on it. except for rashes. but tegretol does too. I would have thought - contrary to what you sai- that tegretol is more effective because all pdocs have 3 options (lithium, depakot, tregretol) so it is thought the 3 most effective. But some sites say lamictal is as good as lithium.
ezz

[bernie40]

Hi again, I have done a quick research on lamictal - it is not licensed in the UK for the treatment of mood disorders so I would not be able to get it.  It appears that lamictal is given when all others have failed to do the job adequately, so perhaps that means that it has a higher success rate than tegratol etc.  It is the same with topomax, I asked my pdoc for that but it has not yet been licensed for mood disorders yet it can be prescribed for severe migraine!  Oh well.  The tegratol does seem to helping a little, my mood swings seem to have calmed down and I don't feel like a zombie, just slightly thick headed on and off throughout the day, also the bloatedness and constipation should ease up once my body gets used to it so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be the one for me.

[bernie40]

Hi, I would have to do some research on a lamictal tegretal study.  I'm not sure whether lamictal is licensed in the UK, something else I shall have to look into.

Helen

[adel_ezz]

I wonder have your pdoc considered lamictal. Do you know of any comparative study between tegretol and lamictal. I am BP II.
ezz

[Jikan]

Namaste,

Tegretol is used in the treatment of seizure disorders, including certain types of epilepsy. It is also prescribed for trigeminal neuralgia (severe pain in the jaws) and pain in the tongue and throat. In addition, some doctors use Tegretol to treat alcohol withdrawal, cocaine addiction, and emotional disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and abnormally aggressive behavior. The drug is also used to treat migraine headache and "restless legs."

All of the symptoms you describe are consistent with the use of Tegretol especially in the early stages.

As your body becomes acustomed to it, these side effects should dissipate.

Michael