Carbamazepine Tablets

Product Description

What is Carbamazepine?

Carbamazepine belongs to a classification of medications known as anticonvulsants.  It is a generic medication sold under the brand name of Tegretol.  Carbamazepine is used to treat pain conditions such as nerve pain, diabetic neuropathy and trigeminal neuralgia.  Carbamazepine is also utilised in the treatment of epilepsy, seizures and mood problems such as Bipolar disorder.

How does Carbamazepine work?

Carbamazepine works by inhibiting the electrical messengers that send signals from the nerve cells to the brain.  Overactive electrical messengers can cause epileptic fits and are also involved in the feeling of pain being received within the brain.  Glutamate is one of these messengers known as a neurotransmitter that is believed to possess nerve exciting properties.  It is released when signals of electrical activity reach a climax within nerve cells, thus moving on to excite other cells.  By inhibiting messengers such as glutamate carbamazepine reduces the number and strength of pain signals being transmitted to the brain resulting in an overall reduction in pain levels being felt by the patient.

Frequently asked questions about Carbamazepine

How does carbamazepine work to prevent fits or seizures?

Carbamazepine works by inhibiting electric activity within the nerves, this can prevent fits or seizures.

Why does carbamazepine cause weight gain?

One of the potential side effects when using Carbamazepine can be an increased appetite which can in some patients cause weight gain.

When should carbamazepine levels be drawn?

Carbamazepine levels can be drawn to measure and find the therapeutic level of Carbamazepine.

What are carbamazepine tablets for?

Carbamazepine tablets can be used for the treatment of epilepsy, nerve pain or mood disorders.

Which enzymes does carbamazepine induce?

Cytochrome P450 enzyme can be induced, this can result in an acceleration of other medications namely benzodiazepines.

Carbamazepine FAQ

How carbamazepine works to control seizures?
Why does carbamazepine cause weight gain?
When should carbamazepine levels be drawn?
What are carbamazepine tablets used for?
Which enzymes does carbamazepine induce?

References

Psychotropic effect of carbamazepin in nonepileptic children
Anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome with carbamazepine
A double-blind study comparing oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine in patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated epilepsy
Double-blind comparison of lamotrigine and carbamazepine in newly diagnosed epilepsy
Therapeutic effects of carbamazepine in affective illness: a preliminary report.
carbamazepine (tegretol) – Johns Hopkins Medicine