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Carbamazepine: Medications
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Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant (epilepsy medicine) and is . generally the first medication to be tried in treating Trigeminal Neuralgia, Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia and Glossopharygeal Neuralgia. For typical TN, initial pain relief is often fast and quite adequate. Carbamazepine is so effective that it has sometimes been used as a marker for determining whether a patient has TN: if a patient does not respond to carbamazepine, then he probably does not have TN. However, this is not a completely certain marker. Carbamazepine may not be as effective for Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia.
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Carbamazepine works for epilepsy by blocking voltage-sensitive sodium (Na+) channels. It is usually thought of as a partial onset seizure medication although it does have activity in some generalized seizure disorders. Carbamazepine does cause birth defects and all women of child bearing years should be taking extra folic acid to help minimize the risk of neural tube defects. The medication ... lowers the effectiveness of birth control pills by increasing the metabolism of the estrogen component and therefore it is recommend to not use the lowest dose estrogen compounds available. Women who particularly do not want to get pregnant should consider using a barrier method in addition to their birth control pill. Risks to the fetus is minimized by the patient discussing her plans for pregnancy before trying to become pregnant.
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Carbamazepine may cause life-threatening allergic reactions called Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). These allergic reactions may cause severe damage to the skin and internal organs. The risk of SJS or TEN is highest in people of Asian ancestry who have a genetic (inherited) risk factor. If you are Asian, your doctor will usually order a test to see if you have the genetic risk factor before prescribing carbamazepine. If you do have this risk factor, your doctor will probably prescribe another medication that is less likely to cause SJS or TEN. If you do not have this genetic risk factor, your doctor may prescribe carbamazepine, but there is still a slight risk that you will develop SJS or TEN. Call your doctor immediately if you develop a rash, blisters, or a fever during your treatment with carbamazepine.
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Carbamazepine is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat certain types of seizures in patients with epilepsy. It is ... used to treat trigeminal neuralgia (a condition that causes facial nerve pain). Carbamazepine extended-release capsules (Equetro brand only) are used to treat episodes of mania (frenzied, abnormally excited or irritated mood) or mixed episodes (symptoms of mania and depression that happen at the same time) in patients with bipolar I disorder (manic depressive disorder; a disease that causes episodes of depression, episodes of mania, and other abnormal moods). Carbamazepine is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. It works by reducing abnormal excitement in the brain.
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Carbamazepine is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat certain types of seizures in patients with epilepsy. It is ... used to treat trigeminal neuralgia (a condition that causes facial nerve pain). Read More
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Carbamazepine may decrease the effectiveness of several other medications by increasing their breakdown and elimination from the body. For example, individuals taking antipsychotic medications like haloperidol, quetiapine or others may require higher doses of these medications to get the same therapeutic effect. Similarly, the effectiveness of carbamazepine may be reduced by other anticonvulsants. People who are taking carbamazepine should consult their doctor before taking or discontinuing the following:
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