Hey all I just started tegretol on Saturday and am having very unpleasant side effects horrible headache cranky itchy and feel like a zombie I only take 600 mg a day. As far as my TN pain I feel like it has only dulled it. Should I keep taking it or stop and wait until Tuesday when I can talk to my neurologist? I really feel like the percocet worked just as well with less side effects but I don't have enough of it to get me through until Tuesday when the dr opens
I would call the neuro ASAP. Th office must have an on all doctor even on the long weekend. I had an allergic reaction to Tegretol, but couldn’t get in to see my doctor, or get the nurse to understand the severity of my reaction funtil two days after I started having the rash. I continued to take the Tegretol until I could see him, and by that time I was covered in a rash and my whole face and head was swollen. I had to take prednisone to address the allergic reaction. He took me off the Tegretol immediately, and I now take gabapentin.
Although it is very rare, some people can have an extremely serious reaction to Tegretol called Stevens Johnson’s . Please call your doctor today.
All the best to you!
I was prescribed 400mg a day but my pharmacist highly recommended that I start with a half dosage the first week and told me not to drive...so at only 200 mg, 10o in the morning and 100 at night I was dizzy, dopey, etc. so I can't imagine what shape I would have been in if I had taken the full dose the first week. It did work for me in managing my pain and continues to do so but does have side effects I don't like even at low dosage.
I have never been itchy on it and that would be a symptom that would concern me most since that is usually my first sign of an allergic reaction.
Hi, it takes up to 3 weeks to get into your system and reach its full effect. But if you are extremely uncomfortable check with your doctor!! :)
That is how much Tegretol I take and I have the same side effects. I took it for 4 months before switchin to Gabapentin, and I can also say Tegretol keeps the pain away better. I am gonna request a blood test for my liver function and go back to Tegretol. The side effects sometimes stick with people. Like you I was a zombie, couldn't carry on a conversation properly without tripping on words, and I was a tired alot. I don't recommend just cutting it off cold turkey. That is a drug that you need to ween off of.