Generic Name: Carbatrol (carbamazepine)
Carbatrol Reviews
For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I have been taking 200 mg of Carbatrol every day for 8 years due to TN. My TN is the typical type, stabbing facial pain. I don't know what I would do without this medication. It allows me to live a normal life without any pain, and I have no side effects. Sometimes my insurance asks me to use Tegretol because it's cheaper and has the same main ingredient, but I react horribly to it. I'm lucky to have a doctor who is willing to advocate for me. Frankly, though, I would pay out of pocket for Carbatrol before I would use a generic. If you have TN and don't have a good reaction to Tegretol, I would definitely recommend trying Carbatrol."
For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I’ve been using Carbatrol for at least 15 to 20 years and have noticed my front teeth are getting loose. But after my second MVD, I am still 5 years pain-free. Except when my brother passed away in Feb 2019, I started crying and had three massive face pains, so I had to stop crying. So that was due to stress. So I keep up to date on my blood test, but I just realized a side effect is loose teeth, which is a very small price to pay for no pain."
For Epilepsy "I am 29, and have been on anti-convulsants since 13. Tegretol made me dizzy, sleepy, and black out in random places so my doctor changed me to Carbatrol. It is crazy expensive without insurance. It works well, but Not 100%. Over the years I've noticed its effectiveness wanes. Increasing the dosage causes dizziness and doesn't seem to solve the problem. However I have been tried on 3 other seizure medicines and they did not help at ALL, so I feel I have no choice but to stick with the rough journey on Carbatrol. Its crazy how epileptics have to FIGHT to prove their disability."
For Trigeminal Neuralgia "Like a previous commenter, I have been suffering from Trigeminal neuralgia for years but thought I had dental issues. I even had a root canal that I didn't need. Then my pain moved into my face and I've been miserable since. I found tremendous relief on Carbatrol, but developed a severe allergic reaction to it and had to be taken off it. Now I take Gabapentin, and today my doctor added Lyrica and I can't seem to get any relief. Has anyone tried any of the surgical options to get rid of this horrible, painful disorder?"
For Epilepsy "I was put on this medication over 11 years ago. I had to be boosted up to 1200mg daily to get the blood serum level in the right area. It had to be combined with Keppra to finally help me obtain control of my epilepsy. It has been very effective the past 11 years, and I have had no side effects with it."
For Epilepsy "I have had epilepsy for 14 years now and during the first 9 years I took Carbatrol. At first it was great seizure free then the side effects kicked in. I was depressed and had anxiety, my emotional state changed. I felt nausea, dizzy, and sometimes uncomfortable in my body. I switched to Keppra and I'm happy. I'm normal moods and so far no side effects in Keppra."
For Epilepsy "I'm 51, been having seizures since I was 12. Carbatrol and Depakote are what I'm taking now for about 20 years. These are the only medications that seem to work for me, I've been considered controlled, I drive, the best thing that happen to me. Only thing they are just so expensive."
For Epilepsy "Dizziness for a couple of days as I adjusted to it then again had dizziness for a couple of days as dosage was later increased to 1200mg per day. Slept well, but was tired early and required going to bed about an hour earlier. Took for five years. Unfortunately it did not eliminate all seizures. Had several absence seizures requiring that I change medication."
"I have been on Carbatrol capsules for about 9 years now. I started out with taking 300mg daily, I had mild side effects, diarrhea and headaches but they subsided fairly quickly, then my psych Dr increased it to 300mg twice a day. It made me tired and didn't feel like doing anything for about 2 weeks. I slept 12-14 hours everyday and was still tired, then it got a little bit better I guess, with time. I hate getting my blood drawn every 3-6 months to check my WBC, and CBC. I also think its not working so good for me anymore. I have Bipolar Depression, and I also take Viibryd, Wellbutrin XL, Klonopin, Abilify, and Synthroid for my Hypothyroidism. I'm just wondering if there is anything just as effective as Carbatrol but don't have to have blood work done. Also my moods are all over the place, one minute I'm fine and the next I have a short fuse, and the next minute I'm crying. I'm so confused."
For Bipolar Disorder "Had a hard time putting thoughts together. "
For Epilepsy "I've been using this for 5 years now, no side effects."
For Epilepsy "Carbatrol has helped me tremendously. I have been taking it for about 12 years. All I can say is Thanks Carbatrol!"
For Dystonia "I have been taking Carbatrol 200mg for 13 years and I can only pin point me being tired from the medicine. When I take it like prescribed I do not have any episodes."
For Epilepsy "No help at all did not work"
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Other brands
Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Epitol, Equetro, Carnexiv
Professional resources
- Carbatrol prescribing information
- Carbamazepine (AHFS Monograph)
Other brands
Tegretol, Epitol, Equetro, Carnexiv
Related treatment guides
- Epilepsy
- Schizoaffective Disorder
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
