How very strange !!  Tegretol was developed in the 1930s?  and is the
Older pill, so it should be cheaper.   Tegretol XR or CR (Extended Release
or Controlled Release), is a Time Release version of the original pill.
It's intended to give more stable blood levels over longer periods than the
original format, so (in my opinion) it should work better.   You can miss
taking a dose up or down several hours from when it was due without ill
effects, while I thought the Olde Tegretol was fussier about taking the dose
Close to the specific rate the Doctor had suggested or might cause side
effects.

  Your Doctor would likely write it for you, and should tell you How to
**phase over from the Plain to the XR version.  There might be a period of
up to 4? weeks to do that, OR since it's the same family you might be able
to do it in a short time.   (I'd be interested in knowing just for
information, which method they use.)

   I never had the original version-- just the Tegretol CR we have in
Canada.    Mine are solid and can be broken in half to make half doses.   I
*think the XR is a powder in a hollow plastic tube? that's swallowed whole.
There are people 'around here'  who use that so they might post in next day
or 2 to clarify that.   ONE of those 2 is called Tegretol Retard in the UK,
but I don't remember if it's the Solid one or the 'tube'.

   The Ep. Foundation of America has a Pill Glossary at their site
http://efa.org   .   I think I also have a direct route bookmarked somewhere
but couldn't find it in a short time.   Your Pharmacy might be able to give
you a link for the manufacturer if you give them a call.   If for some
reason a Glossary (like above) can't find Tegretol,  type in Carbamazepine--
but that's the Doctor / Pharmacy name of the Generic, so Tegretol XR or just
Tegretol shoud get you what you want.

   If above site is one I was thinking of, it shows actual pictures of the
various pill types and doses for Tegretol so you could see if it was the
hollow type or not.   As with regular Tegretol my instructions said to take
it with Milk Food or Juice -- but *not Grapefruit Juice if you hadn't heard
that before too -- one of the acids in Grapefruit interferes with
functioning of All the Tegretol versions.

  If above site doesn't have much on the versions of Tegretol, post back
here and I'll look for the Specific manufacturer link or the Canada one I
had some time ago, in case I still have it bookmarked.    G./.

 I found 1 of 2 sites Bob posted a short time ago too.  The General site
you might want to bookmark in case you want to use it again.
http://www.rxlist.com     Once there, there's a search box where I typed in
Tegretol ? (I think without the XR) and click on GoList ?? or whatever is
the activator you'll see.   That pulls down a description that includes
Tegretol XR but without any pictures.  There doesn't appear to be a
*Printable version option like I think the efa site has.   Also ignore
(mostly) the Warnings section.    While some of the side effects listed
might affect Some people, *no one I've met here over last ~5 years  has had
any of them.   I think there was One person  who had some kind of reaction
to it and had to change to another version, but since you're already using
the Plain Tegretol,  that shouldn't happen with you.
   The Link I copied that above took me to for tegretol is at -->
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/pharmclips.cgi?keyword=TEGRETOL :-<That's why
address above is easier to bookmark. G.

Each drug has a half-life (the time required for the concentration of the
drug in the blood to decline to half of its original value). Medications
with a short half-life, such as carbamazepine (the regular form, not
extended release) and valproate, pose a slightly greater problem than those
with a longer half-life, such as phenytoin or phenobarbital (brand names
differ per country). For drugs with a short half-life, it is important to
keep the interval between doses as close to the usual routine as possible.
Otherwise, the person risks adverse effects from high drug levels in the
blood or seizures from low drug levels. For drugs with a short half-time, it
is better to take a couple of pills during the day to keep the levels steady
then taking them all at once in the morning or one in the morning / one in
the afternoon, etc. Note that an extended release exists for Depakine which
is called Depakine Chrono (don't know in what countries this drug is
available, but I am able to take it in the Netherlands). It increases the
half-live time a bit.
I guess the same applies to Tegretol / Tegretol XR?