Carbamazepine and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Its...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 3, 2022

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I was diagnosed about 18 months ago with trigeminal neuralgia. My pain was in my left lower jaw and teeth. I told my dentist about it, and he told me I can't find anything wrong with your teeth on that side. The pain worsened to the point where I was getting desperate. Then my wife googled jaw/teeth pain and found the term trigeminal neuralgia. I contacted a neurologist who put me on Gabapentin and carbamazepine. They worked after a week and a half or so. I weaned myself off of the carbamazepine over time with no bad episodes until COVID!!! When COVID hit, my teeth pain came back with a vengeance. I was put on carbamazepine again with a 6-day dose of steroids, which finally brought me relief. However, the carbamazepine made me very tipsy, and I was unable to drive or walk in a straight line. I stopped the carbamazepine gradually and now just take 300 mg Gabapentin twice daily with no pain and no headaches. So very thankful!!!!"

• Han...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 23, 2022

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "My neuro said that it would help because I have MS. So I had a bad episode of TN and started carbamazepine. Side effects, which I try to separate from MS, seem to be hard. Because I have, with MS, gait problems, constipation, dizziness, blurred vision, foggy mind, and drowsiness. The one side effect that does come extra with the medication is I have to watch my sodium level. The one thing that is bothersome is I tried changing to other medications, and well, it was not good. I started at 200 mg and now I am at 800 mg. I take it four times a day. And I don't know why I forget to take it at times. When I forget too many times, I have a reaction. The benefit of taking carbamazepine is I have had a lot of days with no pain."

• Coa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 10, 2022

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "Generic carbamazepine 200 mg x 3 times per day helped me survive TN, stay employed, and rear my children for more than a year. I had to be careful not to miss or delay a dose. Because of side effects (daytime sleepiness, mental sluggishness), my meds were transitioned to generic oxcarbazepine x 2 times per day. I think the oxcarbazepine works for a longer period of time and is more forgiving of a delayed dose, but has similar side effects. If I had to go back to carbamazepine I would: great relief from TN pain."

• sab...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2016

Carbamazepine for Bipolar Disorder "It helped with the mania, but I was always drowsy and could not concentrate. Also, I gained weight."

• Jen...
• March 5, 2017

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "Caused drowsiness but did depress some of the pain."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 29, 2021

Carbamazepine "I've had this prescribed for mood swings, and overall it works better than other meds. The first few weeks you may feel drowsy, but it goes away once your body is used to it."

• rea...
• July 18, 2017

For Peripheral Neuropathy "Made me extremely sleepy. I would wake up in strange places, i.e., kitchen floor with no knowledge of how I got there. Most importantly, it didn't help with nerve pain in my feet at all."