Tegretol

Brand Names

Tegretol, Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, TEGretol, TEGretol XR

What is Tegretol

Tegretol (carbamazepine) is an anticonvulsant that effective in the treatment of seizures and nerve pain such as trigeminal neuralgia and diabetic neuropathy. It can also be used to treat bipolar disorder. It works by decreasing nerve impulses that cause seizures and pain.

Side effects of Tegretol

Tegretol may cause such most common side effects as:

• drowsiness
• dizziness
• unsteadiness
• nausea
• vomiting
• headache
• anxiety
• memory problems
• diarrhea
• constipation
• heartburn
• dry mouth
• back pain

Once you have noticed the following serious side effects, you should stop taking this medication and inform your doctor as soon as possible:

• confusion
• loss of contact with reality
• chest pain
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• vision problems

Indication

Tegretol is used to treat the following conditions:

• Epilepsy. The medication is beneficial in various types of seizures, although it is usually not effective for treating absence seizures (petit mal seizures).
• Trigeminal neuralgia. Tegretol is also effective to treat pain linked to trigeminal neuralgia (also known as tic douloureux), a nerve condition that causes episodes of facial pain (typically cheek or jaw pain).

Precautions

Please, do not take this medication if you have:

• Anemia or other blood disorders
• Absence seizures (petit mal seizures)
• Acute intermittent porphyria
• Glaucoma
• Heart disease
• An irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
• Thyroid problems
• Liver disease, including liver failure, cirrhosis or hepatitis
• Kidney disease, including kidney failure (renal failure)
• Any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes or preservatives
• Are pregnant, breastfeeding or want to be pregnant

Dosage forms

Tegretol dose for Epilepsy

Tegretol tablets

The dose of Tegretol tablets for treating epilepsy depends on your age and weight. If you are an adult or a child over 12 years old, you should take Tegretol 200 mg twice daily. The recommended starting dose of Tegretol for children ages 6-12 years old is 100 mg twice daily. For children under 6 years old, the starting dose is based on weight- 10-20 mg per kg total per day (about 4.5-9 mg per pound), split up into 2 or 3 doses per day. It is not recommended to use Tegretol XR tablets in young children, who may have difficulty swallowing the tablets (instead, chewable tablets or Tegretol liquid is recommended).

Your doctor may increase your dose slowly in order to control your seizures. Increased dosages (beyond the starting dose) are usually taken 3 or 4 times a day (for regular immediate-release Tegretol tablets and chewable tablets) or twice daily (for long-acting Tegretol XR tablets).

Tegretol Suspension

If you are an adult or a child over 12 years old, you should take one teaspoonful (100 mg) of Tegretol 4 times daily to treat epilepsy. For children ages 6 to 12 years old, the recommended starting dose is ½ teaspoonful (50 mg) four times daily. For children under 6 years old, the starting dose is based on weight- 10-20 mg per kg total per day (about 4.5 mg to 9 mg per pound), split up into 4 doses per day. It is important to remember that each teaspoonful of Tegretol suspension contains 100 mg of Tegretol.

Tegretol dose for Trigeminal Neuralgia

The recommended starting dose for treating trigeminal neuralgia is Tegretol 100 mg twice daily (for Tegretol tablets or Tegretol XR tablets) or ½ teaspoonful of Tegretol suspension (50 mg) four times daily. Your doctor may slowly increase your Tegretol dose to control your symptoms.