Tegretol

Originally discovered by a chemist named Walter Schindler in Switzerland, Tegretol was first marketed as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. Its use was advanced to treat schizophrenia after noting several capabilities and potent characteristics that this drug carries. So today, Tegretol is known as an anti-seizure and mood stabilizer.

There are a lot more facts worth noting about Tegretol. In the first place, this drug works to inhibit the action and symptoms of both partial and grand mal types of seizures. This inhibition takes place by the medicine blocking or hindering the responses that the brain produces. As a result, convulsions and other life threatening symptoms of the condition are reduce or eliminated. The good news about this medication is that it is so powerful that only a single dosage of it can help eliminate the risks.

Speaking of Tegretol dosage, doctors often suggest patients to take this medication according to what is directed. Typically, you will be allowed to take the drug with full or empty stomach, depending on what you prefer. However, patients suffering from kidney or liver failure are only required to take smaller amounts of this treatment in order to avoid further complications or risks. The idea behind this is that Tegretol itself will pass through the kidney where it is excreted. The liver of those who have liver dysfunction also metabolizes it, and this must not be bothered by larger amounts of Tegretol. If the dosage is maintained under proper directions, it is also expected for every patient treatment with this medication to undergo certain stages of blood level test.

From the dosage, it is further worth noting that the anticonvulsant Tegretol may interact with a number of other medications. With this, extra caution must then be maintained especially when using other drugs for treating other medical conditions.

In some instances, patients who are taking Primidone, Phenobarbital and Phenytoin are only allowed to take Tegretol at lower levels. When not followed, certain bothering symptoms of interaction may occur, adding to the problems that need to be solved. It is also found out the this medication will create possible interactions with birth control pills, with a particular study showing it to increase metabolism of the hormones the pills contain. This, in turn, will reduce the effectiveness of these birth control medications. In fact, it has been noted that a number of unexpected pregnancies have already occurred with the intake of both the birth control pills and Tegretol.

Finally, it is necessary for patients opting for Tegretol to know that just like the rest of the prescription medications available worldwide, a number of side effects are associated with the use of this medicine. The side effects of Tegretol may vary from minor to serious, depending on the levels of doses made and the condition treated. The most notable and possible of these side effects are drowsiness, abdominal upset, and impairment of motor coordination. Blurry vision, loss of blood platelets or cells, and cardiac arrythmias may also persist as three less common Tegretol side effects. The loss of blood platelets can be life threatening though if left ignored for days, the reason that most experts who are working to help patients suffering from seizures and epilepsy make sure that proper blood tests are covered as part of the treatment. The blood tests are often needed earlier in the treatment, usually during the first few months of Tegretol use.

The other possible side effects of Tegretol are thyroid gland underactivity, reduction in the level of white blood cells, inappropriate antidiuretic hormone syndrome (SIADH), juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, hepatitis, jaundice, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, and unsteadiness. If one or two of these mentioned symptoms develop on you right after taking the medication, then there’s nothing else better for you to do than to see your health care provider. He or she may tell you everything about the problem and how to cope with it.