side effects of carbamazepine

[wife and mother]

I got a new manufacturer of my med carbamazepine-generic for tegretol. It came with a list of side effects and adverse effects. The first thing is it says that it has proven not to work for multiple seizure types-which I have. It says it also increases tonic clonic seizures in patients with complex focal. It can increase liver enzymes to the point of failure so it recommends blood tests which I've never gotten. It says this drug should not be used long term, I've been on for a year now. It can change hormonal birth control so it is less effective. Thank god I use other methods because it has been proven to cause cleft palet, breathing problems and liver failure in infants. There have been reports of aplastic anemia-effecting iron in your blood and liver. The list goes on and on and on. If you'd like to know more you can leave me a private message and I will message you back with the rest. I'm just stunned that noone bothered to tell me any of this. I work at GNC for eight years now and have always tried to use natural means for health whenever possible. Even just having the information to do that. You'd think our doctors who have to take an oath would feel the same.

[wife and mother]

I'm not trying to scare anyone. I just want you to have to info that I wan't given so you have tools that your doctor may not and you are aware of this drug and can open a dialog with your doc for info that even he/she may not know.

[Meetz1064]

pick up a prescription from the pharmacy, the first words out of my mouth to the pharmacist are: "So, what exactly can go wrong with this stuff?" And then, I make him/her tell me before I even pay for it. I'm a little witchy like that....LOL.

And sometimes, if I find it totally unacceptable, and usually the pharmacist will, too, by that point, knowing my case, then I insist they call the doctor and get a different med.

I'm not always the easiest patient.....

[wife and mother]

I asked them and they didn't say crap. I even asked them for pamphlets they told me ask my doc. He said he chose this med for me because the other drug that is most perscribed can cause facial hair growth in women and at my age that wouldn't be very attractive.But that is all I could get from him.