Carbamazepine and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Old...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2020

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I'm 72 years old, living in New Zealand, which is in lockdown for Covid-19. I started with dreadful pain in my face 5 days ago. I managed to get an appointment with my doctor, who diagnosed trigeminal neuralgia immediately! She gave me 10mg Amitriptyline to take at night, & said she'd phone me the next day. I managed to get about three hours sleep, but still had the pain attacks. She rang, & decided to put me on carbamazepine, 200mg at night for a week, then increasing by 200mg in the morning, and increasing by one tablet daily, if needed. Wow! A wonderful night's sleep & a huge decrease in pain. I can still feel an attack starting, but the pain is getting duller by the day. This pain is the absolute worst I've ever experienced. I had pancreatitis 20 years ago & I thought that was horrendous, but this is so much worse. Fingers crossed, the attacks will start to decrease now. The only side effect I have is being very drowsy, but I can cope with that."

• PJD...
• October 15, 2014

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "When I was first diagnosed, I thought I was dying. I take this (200 mg) - 3 times a day with another medicine. I have been pain-free for 7 months. I stay drowsy and stagger at times, but I can deal with that as long as the medicines continue to help me."

• Spa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 18, 2019

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "I think Tegretol (Carbamazepine) is a wonder drug for trigeminal neuralgia (TN or TGN) pain. That being said, the side effects are horrible. I was doing well on it, but suddenly, the spaciness has returned with memory loss, intense lassitude, drowsiness, weight gain, constipation. I am going to have to reduce my dose. Not sure whether to notify my doctor(s) first or not (as I plan to do it anyway, as I simply cannot function). I guess I will leave them a message with the office staff; it's impossible to get a doctor to call back. I plan to reduce it by 100 mg slowly the same way I started, which was to slowly increase the dose. However, I will only reduce it by 100 mg until I can see the doctor. Wish me luck!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2012

Carbamazepine for Bipolar Disorder "I found Tegretol amazing. It made me so calm and stable even after a few days. The only issue with it is it makes me very drowsy and a little disoriented. That's the one side effect I've noticed. So if you drive a lot or operate heavy machinery or are a surgeon, this is not the medication for you. Otherwise, it is a great mood stabilizer."

• TN ...
• April 23, 2016

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "The first time I took Tegretol, it worked immediately and the pain went away. The pain comes and goes every year, and most importantly, the pain was not bad for the last 4 years that I did not even take Tegretol. This time the pain is unbearable, so I'm on Tegretol. Even with the medication, I still feel the shock once in a while. Definitely feels better with Tegretol. The side effects, for me, are sleepiness, weight gain, excitement with no reason."

• mig...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 5, 2025

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I could not live with the pain. I thought it was a dental problem but was diagnosed with TN. Everything was tried, and nothing worked. And then Tegretol. Within 2 days, no more pain, I could sleep. I could have a relationship again. I was alive again. I've been on Tegretol/carbamazepine for 8 years now. I don't know what I would do without it. I do 200 mg one in the morning and one at bedtime. Side effects: sleepiness and occasionally forgetfulness, but no pain."

• lau...
• August 22, 2009

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "I have been on Tegretol for only 2 weeks and it gave me much relief. Neurontin and Topamax did not work for me. Only side effect of Tegretol is sleepiness. I sleep very well at night. I was prescribed 200mg twice a day, but only take it once a day. Sometimes I take it twice a day if pain in the morning is constant."

• Mio...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2019

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "Was diagnosed with TN pretty swiftly after about three weeks of face pain, one week of which was worse than giving birth! Was put on 100 mg twice a day, and after one week, the pain subsided. I was very happy. Only side effect was a terrible drowsiness most of the day, but better than the pain. However, by week three (still on only 200 mg per day), I started to feel very unwell. I felt like I was dying. I got a terrible fever, and the drowsiness got so unbearable I could hardly walk. I got a mouth ulcer (never get them), then another. I could hardly eat, felt nauseous, dizzy, and very unwell. Finally, the doctor ordered a blood test, and he then called me up a couple of days later to tell me to stop taking the drug immediately because I had an allergic reaction, and it had affected my liver. Off it now and feeling more like my old self. Luckily, the TN has subsided, and hopefully, it won't come back for a long time. If it does, I won't be taking carbamazepine again."

• Wiy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2017

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "Diagnosed with TN about a week ago. I tore a cartilage in my right knee, which I thought was painful. Well, nothing compares to TN, I’d rather have a daily torn cartilage than this terrible pain. Ended up in the hospital being given morphine, diazepam, and a diclofenac suppository, which is not the most enjoyable method of administration. The doctor has prescribed Tegretol. This has provided some relief, inasmuch as the frequency of the episodes has reduced, but not the severity, which has not been attenuated in any way. At least I can function better than last week. Though now I do feel a bit zombified, and as I am unemployed and looking for work, this does give me some apprehension about how I am going to cope with pain, sedation, and interviews. I am a Brit."

• Tay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 24, 2012

Carbamazepine for Bipolar Disorder "Caused me to be very drowsy all of the time, sleeping about 16 hours every night, and I developed an itchy rash of red pimple-like bumps on my scalp, neckline, and middle of my back after taking it for a few days."

• Cro...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 3, 2018

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "Been taking 3x a day for several years. Suffered on and off for decades from head/facial pain with no diagnosis. Finally went to a good neurologist. Tried gabapentin. Didn't work at all. (Neither does Dilaudid.) This does make me groggy still, and I have nausea, brain drain, and more. I would take any side effect for relief from that horrific pain. I've had it so bad, I literally couldn't breathe in. The breakthrough pain I now get is mainly an ache in my ear and sometimes teeth. The side effects also may be from the 15 other meds I take for various problems."

• BDT...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2017

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "Diagnosed after an auto accident and airbags smashed me in the face and broke my glasses. Pain of the trigeminal neuralgia was 3 to 5 minutes each time it hit and was, as everyone on here describes, indescribable. This drug worked, but I continually had to keep increasing the dose from 200 mg to 600 mg and, on occasion, 800 to 900 on bad days. I have found great success with this drug combined with an acupuncture regimen, this combo has stopped the continued progression/escalation of pain and has me living on about 600 mg daily, sometimes as low as 400 mg. The reduction has helped with drowsiness, and I am not quite as scared regarding the continual progression/elevation of pain and meds. Just hope it lasts, every bit of reprieve you can get counts for a lot. GOOD LUCK ALL."

• Lat...
• March 20, 2015

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "I've had Trigeminal Neuralgia for over 16 years, and the only relief I've ever had was Carbamazepine. Until recently, Walmart was trying to save me money by giving me the equivalent, Epitol, which I was told I'd have the same formulary. This can't be correct, because I can barely function due to being extremely sleepy with this drug. I had taken Carbamazepine for so long, and it worked 11 on a scale of 1-10. Changing my medicine without my consent was not a cool thing to do, and I urge others to make sure that they look into these things before taking different medicines. I'm not pleased with Epitol at all."

• Red...
• September 29, 2016

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I got the TN problem 3 years ago. Initially, thought the problem was with my teeth and did a root canal. It was not necessary and was diagnosed with TN. Tegretol helped to reduce the pain to a manageable condition. I took 400 mg 3 times a day. But that much medicine every day made me feel so drowsy. So, I read about the chiropractic and started doing the adjustments and started doing brisk walking every day for 4 miles. With this for a year, the medication is reduced to half. Now I am taking only 200 mg 3 times! This is a good improvement in my case and want to continue the same until I stop taking any medication to reduce my pain completely. Hope this helps many who are going through this mega pain to reduce the medication."

• Mny...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 25, 2019

Carbamazepine for Epilepsy "Tegretol is the only medicine that stops my tonic-clonic seizures. I've been on it over a year, taking 1,000 mg a day. The first month I had memory problems and drowsiness, but that went away fast. The biggest side effect I had that never went away is severe depression caused by it. My depression is gone thanks to Lexapro 20 mg a day. I highly recommend Tegretol for tonic-clonic seizures due to epilepsy."

• k4f...
• November 23, 2014

Carbamazepine for Bipolar Disorder "Before this, I'd been ineffectively diagnosed and treated for ADHD and recurrent depression. I've taken this medication for only four days following a bipolar II re-diagnosis, but despite this, I feel much better than I had on Prozac. My combination of irritability, depression, lack of motivation, and suicidal/homicidal ideation (in the form of intrusive mental images) has vanished, and I find it much easier to talk to people and look them in the eye again. I'm taking 200 mg tablets twice a day and initially noticed mild dizziness, headache, and sleepiness, but these quickly vanished. The only persistent symptoms have been hardly perceptible ringing in the ears and lowering in the pitch at which I hear sounds, esp. familiar songs."

• Joa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 25, 2021

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I have had a terrible reaction to this drug. I have lost total control of my hands. My hands shake very badly, and things keep falling out of my hands. I have loss of my balance and coordination. I have dizziness and double vision. I also have drowsiness and am extremely sleepy. I can hardly type these words on the computer, as my hands and fingers are shaking so badly. I can barely write on paper because my hands shake so badly. I feel like I'm living in a 'zone.' It's just terrible. I would not recommend carbamazepine to anyone."

• Joa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 25, 2021

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I have had a terrible reaction to this drug. I have lost total control of my hands. My hands shake very badly, and things keep falling out of my hands. I have loss of my balance and coordination. I have dizziness and double vision. I also have drowsiness and am extremely sleepy. I can hardly type these words on the computer, as my hands and fingers are shaking so badly. I can barely write on paper because my hands shake so badly. I feel like I'm living in a 'zone.' It's just terrible. I would not recommend carbamazepine to anyone."

• pau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 17, 2022

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I have suffered with TN for about five years and was almost unable to function. Every breath of wind, eating, cleaning teeth, any movement in my facial expression, and talking resulted in complete agony like a thousand volts and stabbing with a knife on the right side of my face. I've had lots of antidepressants over the last few years where it seemed my doctor wasn't believing me. I've just started on carbamazepine, 100 mg twice a day, but after four days it wasn't really doing anything. Then the dose was changed to 400 mg a day, and OMG this is a game changer. Save for a few twinges every now and then, I'm pain-free. It actually feels weird as I'm expecting pain, but it doesn't happen. I'm still getting used to it. I'm used to drowsiness from other medications, so I'm not worried about that. I just hope the effects continue to last."

• Pop...
• August 11, 2017

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I am taking time-released carbamazepine for vestibular paroxysmia. I was experiencing machine-gun type tinnitus accompanied by vertigo for about 15 seconds at 45-second intervals. I started on 100 mg twice a day; I felt improvement within 12 hours. After one week, my symptoms returned and my doctor increased the dose to three, then four times a day. It has greatly reduced the tinnitus and vertigo, though I still get it if I lean over or lie down on that side. I experienced severe drowsiness and occasional dizziness the first few days, and after 6 weeks, I am still sleeping about 2 hours more than usual. I have become extremely sensitive to the sun (must wear strong sunblock, hat, and polarized glasses whenever outdoors.)"

• tha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 16, 2020

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I came down with terrible shooting pain on my left side from the chin to my mouth to my ears, it was so unbearable that I literally cried from pain while running around with ice attached to the painful area. First, I started at urgent care with eye infection meds, then to ENT, to dentist, to neurologist who finally diagnosed me with TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia). I started on Carbamazepine with 100 mg twice a day, but it didn't work at all, then upped to 300 mg a day. After a few days, it did work well as pain disappeared - but the side effects still didn't stop. I'm extremely dizzy, weak, drowsy, have problems walking, and now trying to lower the dose to prevent side effects."

• dmm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "No good made me with no energy, zero libido, foggy thoughts, drowsiness, forgetfulness, made me more irritable, and after a few weeks got the feeling I was going to snap and lose it. Got taken off this medicine and changed to Lamictal, and things got a lot better."

• Anonymous
• May 30, 2010

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "The trigeminal neuralgia is very painful. My neurologist prescribed my medicine over the phone, and it relieved my pain within hours. I am very thankful for it. The only side effect is that it makes me drowsy."

• sab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 5, 2016

Carbamazepine for Bipolar Disorder "As I've only been on the medication for a week, don't take this review exactly to heart. My first day on this medication was extremely brain foggy, trouble concentrating, and very sleepy. I was already sleeping excessively to begin with, which is something I was needing help with. The first night I took this, I slept for 14 hours, which is actually way more than I usually do. I also didn't really feel like myself taking this medication, it kinda sucks the life right out of you. I would reply slower to things, take longer to think of responses, and, all in all, lack the normal enthusiasm I usually had. Now, as far as my mood swings went, I believe I have a mild case of bipolar. My doctor prescribed me 200 mg twice a day, which I've just been halving."

• Anonymous
• April 9, 2009

Carbamazepine for Epilepsy "I have been diagnosed with absence seizures for 6 years now and have been taking Depakote ER. I have been seizure-free for 4 years, but have had severe migraines on and off, usually more during times of intense stress. My doctor prescribed me Tegretol to take as needed for them about a year ago, and it has always been 100% effective. The only side effect is that it makes me very drowsy."