Silly Tegretol

[Bee91]

I'm on Tegretol 200mg 3x a day plus a couple other things...

It pretty much makes me act like a drunk. Not only that, but I get really emotional on it. I will cry for no apparent reason. Sure, my friend did just get a concussion (That's what started my epilepsy and I'm afraid she's going to have the same problems I have had) and that has something to do with crying all the time, but I just have been acting really crazy on it. I know it's the Tegretol, because this didn't happen before I was on it. I'm a drunk crybaby pretty much...

I know I am very sensitive to most meds...(I can get "goofy" on a regular dose of tylenol)

Anyone on Tegretol and has this happened to you? Will it go away do you think?

[speber]

As with MANY neurological drugs, they can make you feel/act drunk or fatigued to the point of looking drunk because you're trying to deal with the situation. Emotional symtoms are another common side effect.

I did real well on Tegretol "way back when" in the early 90's...and I can't remember exactly what issues I had with it. However, I can tell you most of the drugs that DID work for me did cause me a little grief in the beginning of their use while I adjusted to them.

Watch it closely!.....and hang tough.
Peace

[Bee91]

ermm...I started it November 28th but have been increasing the dose. I just started 200 3 times a day on monday and thats when I started becoming "drunk"..

[RobinN]

Rebecca use to cry too. She would find herself in places that didn't make sense. Of course the neurologist at the time said that if there was crying it was to be blamed on a psychogenic seizure.... ya right. I would cry if I didn't know how I got from one place in the morning to sitting at lunch. Are these doctors clueless.

I think all meds have made Rebecca more emotional.

[brain]

I know I am very sensitive to most meds...(I can get "goofy" on a regular dose of tylenol)

Anyone on Tegretol and has this happened to you? Will it go away do you think?

I am ALLERGIC to Tegretol! But Tegretol did
effect my emotions usually within the few
hours after taking it, and I wasn't goofy.
It made me extremely quiet, you would have
to take a crowbar to pry words out of my
mouth, all I would do was nod my head
yes, no or shrug my shoulders, but once the
meds kind of got into my system (that hump
level), then I'll be talking. So it was weird.
But the allergic reaction developed where I
couldn't breath, broke out in hives, and it
messed up my cardiac system, and I had this
huge booming effect in my ears .. and it finally
really screwed everything up where they had
to take me off of it, and that became the next
anti-epileptic drug on the list of allergy (Phenobarbital was
the first).

I sort of got a little irritated and mad at my
epileptologist when he put me on Trileptal (which is
Tegretol with oxygen) and I started to get the
same effect I had with Tegretol. I should have
done my research / homework on Trileptal,
but I didn't. And Trileptal became the 3rd anti-epileptic drug
on the allergy list (Phenobarbital, Tegretol,
Trileptal ..... then Keppra.)

[TeeTees]

Hmmm....I haven't had the drunk feeling on Teg, but I do get kinda tired quite easily. Now, the question is : can I blame the Tegretol, or is it cuz I'm on Clobazam, and more meds for my Colitis as well ?

[Bee91]

I am ALLERGIC to Tegretol! But Tegretol did
effect my emotions usually within the few
hours after taking it, and I wasn't goofy.
It made me extremely quiet,

It is the exact opposite for me...They cant get me to shut up. I can't count the times I have been sent to the office because I won't stop talking in calss...

[Megan]

I'm on Tegretol 200mg 3x a day plus a couple other things...

It pretty much makes me act like a drunk. Not only that, but I get really emotional on it. I will cry for no apparent reason. Sure, my friend did just get a concussion (That's what started my epilepsy and I'm afraid she's going to have the same problems I have had) and that has something to do with crying all the time, but I just have been acting really crazy on it. I know it's the Tegretol, because this didn't happen before I was on it. I'm a drunk crybaby pretty much...

I know I am very sensitive to most meds...(I can get "goofy" on a regular dose of tylenol)

Anyone on Tegretol and has this happened to you? Will it go away do you think?

I took tegretol for years and I finally told the Doctor that he has to take me off of it because it was affect my schoolwork. It made me feel like I was a crazy person.

[BensalemAngler]

When my son was on it he would be so bad, he is 3. He would be volient, wild, and sleepy all at once. I hate Tegretol the side effects are terrible, bone marrow problems among others.

He is on Triptal now and is not so wild and it is a lot safer. No need for blood tests.

[Bee91]

yeah....I threw a text book across a classroom in "a fit of rage" I guess...I think Tegretol is to blame...

[RobinN]

I think overall the drugs are nasty. The side effects are just not acceptable to me.

[Bee91]

yeah...I go to the doctor tomorrow...I think I am going to have to change drugs...I don't think the side effects are worth it. Plus, I'm still having seizures

[RobinN]

Grrrrr......

Yea, that you go to the doctor tomorrow. Copy some ideas down from CWE to discuss with him/her. Let us know how it goes.

[epileric]

Wow, I've been on tegretol since I was a teenager (I'm almost 50) & I've always been extremely sensitive. I also know that when I get upset it takes me a long time before I can let it go. Yesterday I was angry at something that someone did 5 months ago. It consumed me for the morning.

[Bee91]

Grrrrr......

Yea, that you go to the doctor tomorrow. Copy some ideas down from CWE to discuss with him/her. Let us know how it goes.

I will

[Bee91]

I went to the doctor, I told him what Tegretol was doing to me and he thinks I might be on too much; either that or it's just not the right drug for me. So to find out the answer, we did some lab work today, and we decreased the Tegretol to 100mg 3x a day instead of 200mg 3x a day. Then on the 20th, I stop it completely. If I feel better on a lower dose and worse without it we know I was just taking too much and that it was just a medication level issue. (I don't think that made very much sense...sorry) He also raised my dose of Topamax to 400mg instead of 200mg a day.

[RobinN]

I am so surprised that he has you drop it that quickly. You don't look like you are a big girl. When Rebecca was going up on Trileptal (and Lamictal too) we did 1/2 a pill (75mg) changes. We were seeing side effects from just that amount. So this doctor wants you to go from 200mg to nothing? Or is he having you step that down very slowly.

Is he having you step up the Topamax all at once too? All I can say is ... WOW
Can I ask how much you weigh? Rebecca is about 115 lbs.

[Bee91]

I am so surprised that he has you drop it that quickly. You don't look like you are a big girl. When Rebecca was going up on Trileptal (and Lamictal too) we did 1/2 a pill (75mg) changes. We were seeing side effects from just that amount. So this doctor wants you to go from 200mg to nothing? Or is he having you step that down very slowly.

Is he having you step up the Topamax all at once too? All I can say is ... WOW
Can I ask how much you weigh? Rebecca is about 115 lbs.

No. It's 200mg to 100mg. A whole pill to half then on the 20th I will be off completely.

Yeah. The Topamax wasn't working corectly so he doubled it..I was surprised when he did that too! I thought he was just going to increase it by 50mg or something...
I can definately feel side effects already from uppage of Topamax...I had to leave school early today, and I guess I had a small seizure...

I am a little over 5'8" and I weigh 154 pounds.

[speber]

...hopefully your latest suspected seizure is a small 'breakthrough' seize spurred on by you trying to get used to all this change?


Topamax, while definitely another drunk and sleepy (they don't call it 'Dopamax for nothin') drug......it is a drug that has been around a LONG time. No worries about Guinea pig scenarios here. In fact, if you can overcome the side effects it will probably be one of the better ones for awhile.

Bummer Bee....Hope you see some acceptable circumstances soon!

[Bee91]

eh...I'm not too worried about the seizure. I wasn't feeling really well and it was probably best to go home...

I heard somewhere that Tegretol can actually lowers the concentration levels of Topamax...That is probably why my Topamax wasn't working well..

HAHA!!
When I went to the doctor, my doctor told me I was his smartest patient!! Which is funny, because:

a) I am his youngest patient.

and

b) most of my family(including my parents) go there.

hehe..I'm smarter than my parents!