Carbamazepine and Sleepy: What Users Say

• rsc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 18, 2014

Carbamazepine for Bipolar Disorder "This medication is saving my life! It really stabilizes my mood. Before I started taking carbamazepine, I would experience horribly crippling depression in the afternoons combined with very strong urges to self-medicate with alcohol or narcotics. Now I feel about the same all day, never really up and never really down. I have no conflicts taking it with Suboxone. I have only noticed two side effects: nausea (taking it with food fixes that) and increased sleep. I sleep longer than I did before and wake up feeling tired. Actually, it helps me to sleep through the night, which isn't all bad. After I get up, take my other medicines, and have some coffee, I am ready to face the day. Note: I was previously misdiagnosed with major depression."

• Mon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2016

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "I've been on Tegretol for 4 days. It has taken me from excruciating pain to dull soreness. It's a wonder drug. I'm sleepy but almost pain-free. I'm lucky that I was diagnosed after only six weeks. I'm praying it lasts!"

• ggr...
• May 14, 2011

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "I've been using CARBAMAZEPINE 200mg twice a day for about two years. It does a good job in limiting the amount of pain I have with Trigeminal Neuralgia. I found it best to take the medication regularly. If I skip days when I am not having problems, the pain will be right back and it will take several days to get it back under control. I've tried GABAPENTIN 300mg and OXCARBAZEPINE 150mg, but they did not help. The CARBAMAZEPINE makes me tired and sleepy but that is a lot better than the pain."

• Gur...
• August 26, 2016

Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia "I started taking Tegretol 500 mg every night after dinner. The initial ten days were extremely tough.... very sleepy and was sleeping over 12 hours a day. Slowly, there was some improvement, but still very lethargic, struggling to concentrate, do day-to-day activities. Going back to the doctor for a reassessment. The pain is down almost 70% and has given me some relief and relaxed me a bit."

• Anonymous
• June 19, 2011

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I went to several doctors and wasted 5 months and a lot of dollars before I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia. I was originally diagnosed with TMJ disorder. My excruciating pain was right in the middle of my ear, and it was the worst stabbing, electric-like pain anyone could imagine. It would just paralyze you. No indications on when it would happen. I have been on carbamazepine for about two months, and it has worked fantastically. It did make me a bit sleepy and unsteady in the beginning, but that has waned, and now I really do not have any side effects. I do sleep better at night than I did before I took it. I take 2 chewable tablets, 100 mg, 2x a day, and that has taken care of the pain. I have not had any episodes since I started taking it."

• Tpm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 26, 2016

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I've been taking Tegretol for over a month now, right after my TN diagnosis. It took a couple of days to fully work. Ever since then, the pain went completely away. Side effects for me are feeling sleepy and dizzy all the time."

• deb...
• April 7, 2016

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "Dear God, never experienced such pain like it (not even childbirth) - started with twitching to lower face 5 days ago and then bouts of explosive pain to left cheek, jaw, upper and lower teeth. Pain coming every half hour and lasting between 7-10 mins each - can't do anything other than wait for it to pass (and cry at times)! Started carbamazepine yesterday a.m. twice daily and pain lessened already, but feel very sleepy and a bit nauseous / 'loose' - still feel the underlying pain there, but so much better. Emergency dental appointment today with X-rays - no dental cause. Have had tinnitus in left ear for the past 8-9 months after a heavy cold plus some cervical disc bulging and nerve root impingement at C7. Anyone else been given a cause for this??"

• Tin...
• February 13, 2013

For Trigeminal Neuralgia "I started taking gabapentin for my trigeminal neuralgia nearly 3 years ago, but it gave me alarming mood swings. I nearly hit my wife! This sent me back to the doctor, and I was put on pregabalin, which was slightly better on the mood swings but became less effective over time. Now on Tegretol slow release (400 mg morning and 600 mg evening), it allows me to work but in some pain. I tried 600 mg twice a day, but I slept all day, every day for a month. Breakthrough pain can be helped by taking tramadol and co-codamol, although only slightly. Overall, good, but it will leave you sleepy and forgetful - don't forget its job is to slow the neurons in your brain (I believe it was originally developed for epilepsy). Don't expect to be completely pain-free, and good luck."

• Jes...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 3, 2012

Carbamazepine for Epilepsy "I am 29 and have been on anti-convulsants since 13. Tegretol made me dizzy, sleepy, and black out in random places, so my doctor changed me to Carbatrol. It is crazy expensive without insurance. It works well, but not 100%. Over the years, I've noticed its effectiveness wanes. Increasing the dosage causes dizziness and doesn't seem to solve the problem. However, I have been tried on 3 other seizure medicines, and they did not help at all, so I feel I have no choice but to stick with the rough journey on Carbatrol. It's crazy how epileptics have to fight to prove their disability."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 9, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I’m a 20-something female with rapid cycling bipolar 1 and Crohn's disease. I've been on all psych meds out there: SSRIs, SNRIs, and Wellbutrin. Then the mood stabilizers: gained 20 lbs on them except Lamictal. The dreadful antipsychotics left me like a fat zombie (gained about 50 lbs). Some worked briefly-about a month. Some left me like an empty shell. Some I was aggressive, lost friends due to Keppra rage. Finally, the doctor placed me on Tegretol 2.5 months ago. By day 3, people started saying, “You seem relaxed and calm.” I was first on 600 mg in the am and pm, but I was too sleepy. I’m usually the opposite-chronic insomnia. Now I’m sleeping all night and day. Called the doctor, he cut me down to 300 mg morning and night. I’m actually sleeping like typical people. If you’re bored, please give this med a chance."

• agg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 26, 2015

Carbamazepine for Bipolar Disorder "As far as the depression goes, it works. But at the same time, I'm so sleepy all the time. I go from them making me sleepy to knocking me out. They have affected my mind, from making my memory worse to making me feel out of it."

• My ...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 21, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on this medication for about 8 months now. I started at a low dose, 200 mg a day, and now I'm on 600 mg, 300 mg in the morning and at night. I find that it makes me sleepy, but what doesn't? I am not so sleepy that I cannot function, just sleepy when I know I had a good night's sleep. Anyway, I am moody, and my moods swing from very happy to super mad, like many people with bipolar. This helps me control that. It does nothing for depression, but it's not meant to. The side effects are very mild."

• Anonymous
• September 6, 2010

Carbamazepine for Peripheral Neuropathy "Makes me very sleepy and dizzy. Takes a long time for the side effects to wear off. The pain has been reduced to a degree."

• ana...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2015

Carbamazepine for Bipolar Disorder "It kind of helped me in addition to my Abilify, but since I have type 2 bipolar disorder, I just felt sleepy and knocked out all the time. Not the best of times."

• jim...
• September 6, 2010

Carbamazepine for Peripheral Neuropathy "Makes me very sleepy and dizzy. It takes a long time for the effects to wear off. It does help with the pain. It does not get rid of the pain entirely, but it tones it down."

• Lui...
• November 30, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "Sometimes I feel like a metallic flavor. I feel dizzy and sleepy, but it's very helpful controlling my hypomanic disorder. Not too good controlling depression as well."