Many studies using carbamazepine to treat bipolar disorder have been published. Generally, these studies have found carbamazepine to be safe and effective at treating the condition. In fact, a different brand of carbamazepine (Equetro®) is already approved to treat acute and mixed manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
Carbatrol for Bipolar Disorder: A Summary
Carbamazepine (the active ingredient of Carbatrol) is commonly used in an off-label fashion to treat bipolar disorder. It is important to remember that the drug is not approved for this use, however, and the full risks of doing so are not fully known.