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Do anticonvulsant drugs effect sports performance?

Hi,
My 12 year old daughter suffered a brain abscess age 9 which required surgery and long term IV antibiotics. She was left with a brain injury as a result. She was a very promising swimmer prior to her illness and despite everything she has been through, she was back in the pool training and competing again within three months of her illness. She continued to perform well and last year gained a scholarship for swimming to a top school in the UK. Unfortunately she was recently diagnosed with epilepsy as a result of the brain injury she acquired. She immediately started taking Carbamazepine (Tegratol) 300mg twice daily. She has been on the drug for three months and has remained seizure free which we are so thankful for. She has gained a bit of weight but is not experiencing any other side effects. However, since starting the drug she has struggled with her swim performance. As she is also starting puberty, I am unsure if the weight gain and her swim performance is related to this or as a result of the medication. As epilepsy is also new to us we are unsure if the condition itself once treated effects sports performance. Has anyone got experience of taking this drug whilst taking part in competitive sport.
J
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Avatar universal
I have had a seizure disorder for 40 years.  It started when I was 9.  I have been on tegretol (a.k.a carbamazepine) over 20 years.  My problems with speed seemed to surface after being diagnosed with a seizure disorder and starting medicine.  I believe it is the medicine.  Seizure meds have always made me slower.
For inspiration. There is a Chicken Soup story called "Run, Patti, Run" about a epileptic who did distance running.
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1780921 tn?1499301793
hello I am sorry to hear about your daughter.
I for one am allergic to Tegratol but I am still able to answer the question for you. Two of the side effects of the drug is unusual drowsiness, trouble concentrating, and rapid weight gain.

One of my daughters swam competitively for 8 years and the other one for 10. As you know in swimming there are many things that can effect ones performance; starts, turns, going out to fast and even the type of suit a person is wearing.

I believe that her performs issues are a result of her medication side effects.If the doctors are able to get her seizures under control then they will not have any effect on her sports performance.
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1780921 tn?1499301793
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