Your Pharmacy should have given a page with new prescription of this, but
I'll add some below that would be included.  General medications site is on
U.S. Ep. Foundation website at http://efa.org , when you go to medications,
you type in the name and then click 'go' or 'search' ? (after entry box),
and it should give a one page summary, you can print, with respect to
Tegretol (Carbamazepine).
 I'll put main stuff I've found below at **s.  G./

Hi I am new to this group and just wanted to find out what side effects
people were suffering whilst on Tegretol.I am 35 and had 4 grand mals
when I was a teenager and have had two or three grand mals every year
since. I am on 800mg a day of Tegretol and the side effects I have been
suffering for all these years are:
*** I assume these are time released?  Tegretol XR or CR, some of the
'British' versions call it Tegretol Retard also.  Plain Tegretol is rarely
used anywhere now.   If your pills are not Time Released, you could ask the
Dr. if you could use those.  They keep a stable blood level longer, even if
you are early or late on dose timing by plus or minus 4-6 hours.
  Where you can, take them as close to schedule Dr. has suggested, and do
*not stop taking them promptly, or Miss doses, or there's risk of worse
szrs. from abrupt stopping.
  Take it with milk, food or juice, **but not Grapefruit Juice or any of
its products --> one of the acids in G.Fruit interferes with Tegretol
functioning and absorption.   I use a blend of Apple/Peach or Apple Apricot
I can get here, then follow with my Breakfast in AM, and just the Juice at
night with that dose. (Check any juice blends don't contain G.fruit in
them.)
   Avoid or be careful with Alcohol.   It has a 'non-linear footprint' with
Tegretol,  where 2 drinks behave like 3, 3 like 5, etc.  and it also flushes
the blood levels of the Tegretol quicker than you want.   After I had been
using it for more than several months, I could periodically have the *odd
glass of wine, but by then I didn't like the taste any longer, and it was
just as easy to have Sprite or 7 Up while others (if it was a party) were
having alcohol.  /

· excessive tiredness
*** This could be a side effect of the med., but if you're not now taking
the AM dose with Milk, Food or Juice, try that as it slows the rate it is
absorbed, so might reduce tired effects of the whole dose being absorbed too
quickly.  /

· long and short term memory have disappeared
*** Did you have memory trouble before?  Some of the locations where the
seizures might start (like my Rt. Temporal Lobe), can affect memory on their
own, and the effects you feel could be from the source? of your szrs. and
may not be from the pills.   On the other hand too,  if the dose is higher
than you needed, that can produce a 'brain fog' or feeling of confusion too.
   When I started mine (Tegretol),  we set a morning and night dose, then
if I still had szrs. we adjusted one or the other dose upward by half a
tablet until we got to a stable level, where I also had full control.   (I
haven't needed a dose change now since 1996.)  /
· unable to concentrate
*** Some of above can come from damage to one of the temporal lobes too,
like above. But a dose level that's too high could affect that too.   The
Dr. should have tests on file on whether you had that before starting with
the pill.   /

· lack of drive or enthusiasm
· not wanting to interact with people
· bad balance
**** Some of above symptoms can arise from the area of the szrs., but also
(like the balance one) by temporary too high med. levels in the bloodstream.
/

If any one has these side effects on Tegretol or any other ones I would
like to read about them
Thanks

*** I listed above some of the symptoms I have had or still have, from my
**Complex Partial** type szrs (formerly called Temporal Lobe seizures).
They are *not because of the Tegretol CR but are symptoms of that type of
szr.    If you see one of Julie's Posts still up,  at end she lists the
Idaho Website she has developed.   Click onto it, bookmark it, then  look
for the First Aid for Seizures chart.   Under each szr. type it lists what
the symptoms and feelings are and you'll see e.g. under Complex Partial,
that some of the memory and 'deja vu'  or 'jamais vu' feelings can be part
of either a szr. that starts in the Right Temporal Lobe (mine) or the Left
one.
 I think some of the other szr. types can affect memory functioning too,
but Tegretol is usually used for CP (Temporal Lobe) szrs. more than some of
the other szr. types.  .  G./

Hi Jacko, welcome to the group.
My seizures started almost 20 years ago, in my early 20s. At first I got
grand mals, which evolved into complex partials a few years ago.
I've been on Tegretol for 3 years (after trying Dilantin and Topamax, which
I couldn't tolerate) and it's caused most of the effects you mentioned,
especially the memory and concentration problems. There are so many "files
deleted" from my memory, sometimes it's scary. My long-term memory seems to
have been affected the most, but the short- and medium-term have also
deteriorated significantly, and I feel that my IQ has gone down by at least
25%. Seizures also affect these things, so it's hard to say with certainty
that the Tegretol is to blame, but I believe it is.
I've also had a big problem with tolerance: each dosage level would work for
a few months, then the seizures would come back and I'd have to increase the
dose again. I'm now on 1000 mg per day and refused to go any higher. I was
afraid it would make me unable to work, or enjoy life.
I had surgery (right temporal lobectomy) in March and have been seizure-free
since, and my neuro says I can try reducing after a full year. I can't wait!
Best wishes,
Hilary

Hi I am new to this group and just wanted to find out what side effects
people were suffering whilst on Tegretol.I am 35 and had 4 grand mals
when I was a teenager and have had two or three grand mals every year
since. I am on 800mg a day of Tegretol and the side effects I have been
suffering for all these years are:

· excessive tiredness
· long and short term memory have disappeared
· unable to concentrate
· lack of drive or enthusiasm
· not wanting to interact with people
· bad balance
If any one has these side effects on Tegretol or any other ones I would
like to read about them
Thanks

Hi, I'm 200mg of Tegretol time release a day, as for side effects,

· excessive tiredness - if I sit down for more than a couple minutes I fall
asleep, anytime, anywhere.
· long and short term memory have disappeared - I was going to comment but
forgot what I was going to say, put it this way I go through a pad of
post-it notes a week at work (make notes, notes and more notes)
· unable to concentrate - If I have no distractions I can do ok but any
distractions at all and I forget what I was doing
· lack of drive or enthusiasm - Ask my wife, she'll tell you all about it
· not wanting to interact with people - I'd rather stay home or maybe go out
with one or two good friends but I don't like large groups
· bad balance - I don't usually have a problem with that.
I will add that when ever I have reduced my dosage these side effects
diminish substantially and if I increase them I become a total dope.
Note that 4 or 5 years ago I had a temporal lobectomy and that increased the
memory problems slightly.  It also stopped my seizures too so I'm not
complaining.

Mike

I am on 400mg XR a day. I hate the side effects. I can't seem to tolerate
anything else though. I have all the same symptoms you have. I hate feeling
tired with 4 kids. i can't keep up. I do feel better when I exercise
regularly. I'm really dopy on these meds. I get embarrassed when talking to
some people when i sound like such an idiot. I have trouble putting the
right words together.
Kris
Hi I am new to this group and just wanted to find out what side effects
people were suffering whilst on Tegretol.I am 35 and had 4 grand mals
when I was a teenager and have had two or three grand mals every year
since. I am on 800mg a day of Tegretol and the side effects I have been
suffering for all these years are:

· excessive tiredness
· long and short term memory have disappeared
· unable to concentrate
· lack of drive or enthusiasm
· not wanting to interact with people
· bad balance
If any one has these side effects on Tegretol or any other ones I would
like to read about them
Thanks

Hi Jacko
The side effects are very similar to mine.
I have been on Tegritol for 16 years..800mgs or CR 400 in the mornin and 400
after dinner.
I have a few things that happen and one is being very tired..but I do find
that if I push myself and get up and get active then in most cases I am good
to go ..
but after this many years I have realized that there are times I need to
lay down and rest and I do now....I think it is called listening to one's
body!
other symptoms are  minor depression,when I get down I seem to be at a fork
and can go into a deeper depression or do something positive quickly to get
myself out.I have 2 very active kids 10 yrs and 12yrs old so they are
keeping me hopping with horses and hockey.

My advice is try not to concentrate too much on the symptoms and learn to
live your life in a bit more positive manner...very easy advice to give but
hard for all of us"including me" to do....
If we focus on epilepsy and symptoms and dosages and potential problems
...then we are adding to the problem...
If you can learn to relax more and if you forget something be like me...I
simply blame it on the meds!!
cheers and hang in there.
remember
you have epilepsy ....epilepsy doesn't have you!!!!!!
Hi I am new to this group and just wanted to find out what side effects
people were suffering whilst on Tegretol.I am 35 and had 4 grand mals
when I was a teenager and have had two or three grand mals every year
since. I am on 800mg a day of Tegretol and the side effects I have been
suffering for all these years are:

· excessive tiredness
· long and short term memory have disappeared
· unable to concentrate
· lack of drive or enthusiasm
· not wanting to interact with people
· bad balance
If any one has these side effects on Tegretol or any other ones I would
like to read about them
Thanks

I have been taking this drug for around 20 years. I take 1200mg per day. I
have found this message board a god send as I have been wondering about a
number of related issues linked to these pills. I have a mixture of
seizures, around 4/5 grand mall, plus lots of absentcies, but mainly petit
mall seizures. I suffer from the following:

Excessive tiredness
Excessive effects from drinking small ammounts of alchohol
Lack of sex drive
Confusion/loss of speech
Nerves
Lack of drive for interaction

I would really appreciate any feedback, as I am considering a tablet
change and wonderred of there is any new drugs

I get all of these, though it's hard to tell which are due to the
Tegretol and which to the seizures themselves.  I know a lot of people
have lots more seizures than I do (1-2 per month) and I haven't heard of
many problems, but it seems like my balance, memory, typing, and speech
get worse with each seizure.  Smiles69 mentioned some others:

The effect of alcohol is commonly mentioned; I've found that one drink
will make me very tired and two will practically put me to sleep, but
don't really make me drunk the way other people are.  Lack of sex drive
is something that seems to come and go in periods of six months or so.  
Confusion is something that is very frustrating; it's like my brain
can't work as fast as my mouth, and I stumble over words a lot.  Nerves
isn't a problem for me though.  If anything I have less than most people
I know.

It's interesting that other people mention lack of drive, as that's
something I've have for a long time but hadn't heard of it as a side
effect before.  I have a hard time getting up to do just about anything
(the place I live doesn't help, as you have to very much create your own
things to do).

I started taking Lamictal along with Carbatrol (generic Tegretol XR),
and it's been a big help.  It counters the drowsiness effect of Tegretol
very effectively, though the amount you take has to be balanced right.  
I've found that if I take more than I do now it affects my sleep and I
get very frightening dreams - not in the sense of being scary, but
feeling real.  But at the current level I have normal dreams and sleep
is "satisfying", whereas under Tegretol alone I found my dreams were
incredible bland and I would wake up after 8-10 hours of sleep and still
feel tired.

I wonder if you can get somewhat "dependent" on it though.  A few months
ago I broke out in a rash all over my torso and went to see my doctor
(Lamictal, and other aeds, can cause a "rash" in which the entire top
layer of your skin sloughs off).  She told me to stop taking the
Lamictal, even though five minutes on the internet can show that a)
virtually all the reactions to Lamictal occur in the first two weeks of
taking it, and I've been taking it for 3 years, and b) the symptoms of a
reaction to Lamictal are nothing like what I had (Mary, are you out
there?).  I lasted about two days without Lamictal, because I was so
incredibly tired that I just couldn't stand it (plus I had looked
everything up on my own and found that it wasn't the problem).

Karl

This may sound odd but THANK GOD!!!!
It actually sounds like a lot of the issues I have are medication related,
from what you all say.
The Dr. has asked me to try to stop taking tegretol as he feels that it
isn't doing much for me. But I am afraid of them being wrong. I have never
had a seizure at work, actually I have not had a grand mal in about 6 to 7
years but I do have petit mals/abscence(sp?) weekly or so. I would hate to
have a grand mal again due to the whim of a Dr. I may have to reconsider
this.
thanks all.
mike

Hi I am new to this group and just wanted to find out what side effects
people were suffering whilst on Tegretol.I am 35 and had 4 grand mals
when I was a teenager and have had two or three grand mals every year
since. I am on 800mg a day of Tegretol and the side effects I have been
suffering for all these years are:

· excessive tiredness
· long and short term memory have disappeared
· unable to concentrate
· lack of drive or enthusiasm
· not wanting to interact with people
· bad balance
If any one has these side effects on Tegretol or any other ones I would
like to read about them
Thanks

Hi
I am only 14 but have been on Tegretol for 2 1/2 years and I suffer from

· excessive tiredness -- Oh Yes!
· long and short term memory have disappeared -- Yes!
· unable to concentrate -- most times
· lack of drive or enthusiasm -- Yes
· not wanting to interact with people -- Not really
· bad balance -- No.

I am on 1000mg per day (just been put up from 600mg)

Emma ( typist Bob - my Dad)

Hi I am new to this group and just wanted to find out what side effects
people were suffering whilst on Tegretol.I am 35 and had 4 grand mals
when I was a teenager and have had two or three grand mals every year
since. I am on 800mg a day of Tegretol and the side effects I have been
suffering for all these years are:

· excessive tiredness
· long and short term memory have disappeared
· unable to concentrate
· lack of drive or enthusiasm
· not wanting to interact with people
· bad balance
If any one has these side effects on Tegretol or any other ones I would
like to read about them
Thanks

Hi There,

I am 36 and take 1300mg a day. I have put a few posts on about side
effects from Tegratol. Yours are very similar to mine. I find it helps to
attribute a score of 1-10 against anyhting you deem to be possible side
effect. This will help you when you speak to the Neuro next.

In general, mine are the same as yours, with disturbed sleep and a little
depression related side effects. You may find the inability to interact
with people is associated with this.

The good news is I am now on course of Tegratol with 300mg of Lamotrigine.
This is proving to be a very successful combination. I have found it
cancels out some of the side effects from Tegratol.

Ross