Anxiety Zone Forums | Login | Register | Announcements | General Discussion | Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) | Hypochondria (Health Anxiety) | Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia | Clinical Depression | Specific Phobias | Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | Social Anxiety Disorder | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) | Other Mental Health Issues | Medications and Therapy | Addiction and Recovery | The Anxiety Zone Arcade | Conditions Index | Drug Index | Glossary | Symptoms | Therapies | Latest Health News | Chat Rooms | Search | Community Guidelines

Support Forums And Chats For Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Hypochondria, Panic Disorder, Clinical Depression, Specific Phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Social Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
- Click on the banner above to visit the Anxiety Zone forums -

Carbamazepine

Carbamazepine (Biston®; Calepsin®; Carbatrol®; Epitol®; Finlepsin®; Sirtal®; Stazepine®; Tegretol®; Telesmin®; Timonil®) is an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug, used primarily in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder; but also used to treat schizophrenia and trigeminal neuralgia.

Mechanisms

The mechanism of action of carbamazepine and its derivatives is not well understood, but appears to be primarily through the inhibition of sodium channel activity.

Side Effects

Carbamazepine renders birth control pills ineffective. Common side effects include: drowsiness, loss of blood cells, loss of platelets, motor-coordination impairment, and/or upset stomach. Very rare side effects: loss of blood cells, loss of platelets. These side effects can be life-threatening if unnoticed so frequent simple blood tests are required for the first few months followed by three or four a year to detect them. Use of carbamazepine can result in blurry or doubled vision.

For people with bothersome side effects such as nausea, Tegretol XR® or Carbatrol® taken every 12 hours can greatly increase tolerability.

There are reports of a bizarre auditory side effect, whereby patients perceive musical notes about a semitone lower than they truly are. (Middle C would be heard as a B.)

Oxcarbazepine is a derivative of carbamazepine which has fewer and less serious side effects.

The information above is not intended for and should not be used as a substitute for the diagnosis and/or treatment by a licensed, qualified, health-care professional. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It incorporates material originating from the Wikipedia article "Carbamazepine".

Copyright © 2008 Anxiety Zone - Anxiety Disorders Forum. All Rights Reserved.