Tegretol and clumsiness

[Rita68]

Hi there. I'm the snow girl from Australia who introduced herself about six weeks ago.

My neurologist prescribed me Tegretol. I avoided taking it for the first three weeks cause I am still breast feeding plus I have hippy tendencies and was scared about what this drug would do to me especially after reading all the potential side-effects.

Well...after much angst from my mother I started taking them. I live a long way away from her and she is worried about me because I'm a single mother to a little one etc etc.

I started half dose for the first week and have been on a full dose for a week. And it's awful! I'm itchy and I'm so unbelievably clumsy! And lack-lustre. Just can't get motivated to do stuff.

Two days ago I was on the phone to my mum on my iphone while walking along a street and I tripped on a curb and fell and my iphone shattered. I drop stuff all the time. And this morning I was walking down our stairs holding my two year old's hand and I fell down the stairs. We both fell and I can't believe I haven't broken anything. We just both sat there and cried. My toe is purple and swollen and I'm limping but I don't think it's broken.

Life has become so damned hard. I'm not allowed to drive. I keep knockiing things over. I'm sleepy. Itchy. And I'm falling over and hurting myself.

Has anyone else had this response to the drug? The clumsiness? And does it get better? I don't want it to stay like this. I'm hoping it is just my body adjusting or something.

Sigh!

[epileric]

Sorry to hear what you're going through. I"m on a huge dose of tegretol now, more than is recommended for the maximum dose but I've been on it so long that I need that much for any effect.

I"m a bit clumsy but I was on 3 different anti-epileptic drugs before so I was not only clumsy but forgetful, spaced out & mentally slower. I do know that with most anti-epileptic drug's the side-effects often subside after a while. I"d say give it a month or 2 if you want to see if they subside.

I've considered not taking them but that would mean having even more seizures than now & being even more messed up from the seizures than I am from the tegretol.

Also, just in case you're not already, Always take your tegretol with food. It might lessen the side-effects but if not it can have a long term effect on your stomach. Also, if you're only taking one dose a day take it before bed.

Meantime, Best wishes & best of luck.

[Endless]

Rita,

I don't take Tegretol. I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you are going through this.

[Superman1988]

I'm sorry to hear about all the difficulty you are having...

I take Tegretol and do have the clumsiness plus I am forgetful...My job requires me to handle several instruments costing about seventy dollars apeice and I constantly drop them

Sometimes when I stand up I, for a brief moment, lose my balance

My body has adjusted so much that I have to take a rather large dose two times a day...I think the side-effects get better the more consistently I take it

[Wobblez]

Sorry to hear about your problems. I haven't taken Tegretol so I can't comment but just wanted to offer my support. I hope your side effects ease off. Can you use a cream to soothe your itchy skin or is it more a sensation rather than actual dry, itchy skin?

Can you slow your movements down? I don't know if this helps with the clumsiness but it does help with my headspins. I must learn not to move at a hundred miles an hour.

[AnneC]

Hi

Sorry to hear about your reaction to Tegretol, but its a fairly common side effect.....the 'Tegretol rash', I lost all the outer layers of skin as a result of being on it, as the dosage increased my resistance lowered. I would suggested getting your doctor to change your medication.

take care
Anne