Carbamazepine

Carbamazepine is a drug that is licensed to treat several conditions, including bipolar disorder, epilepsy, and trigeminal neuralgia. The prescription medication is available in a number of forms, including tablets, chewable tablets, extended-release tablets, extended-release capsules, and suspension (liquid). Depending on the product, carbamazepine is usually taken two to four times daily. As with any drug, there are possible side effects with carbamazepine, such as dizziness, drowsiness, and nausea.

 

What Is Carbamazepine?

Carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®) is a prescription medication used to treat the following conditions:
 
  • Bipolar disorder -- carbamazepine is approved to treat manic or mixed episodes (which include characteristics of both mania and depression) associated with bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression.
     
  • Epilepsy -- carbamazepine is approved to treat various types of seizures, though it is usually not effective at treating absence seizures (petit mal seizures).
     
  • Trigeminal neuralgia -- carbamazepine is approved to treat pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia (also known as tic douloureux), a nerve condition that causes episodes of facial pain (typically cheek or jaw pain).
     
Not all forms of carbamazepine are approved for each of the above uses. Equetro is approved to treat bipolar disorder only, while Carbatrol, Epitol, Tegretol, and generic carbamazepine are approved to treat epilepsy and trigeminal neuralgia (but not bipolar disorder).
 
(Click Carbamazepine Uses for more information on what the drug is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
 
(Carbamazepine Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;