Carbatrol Uses

Carbatrol uses include treating various types of seizures and relieving pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia. On occasion, a healthcare provider may prescribe Carbatrol to treat conditions that it is not approved to treat. These "off-label" Carbatrol uses include treating alcoholism, diabetic neuropathy, and bipolar disorder. The drug is believed to work by blocking sodium channels in the brain, as well as nerve signals that cause pain.

Carbatrol Drug Information

Carbatrol Uses: An Overview

Carbatrol^® (carbamazepine) is a prescription medication used to treat the following conditions:

Trigeminal neuralgia -- Carbatrol is used to treat pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia.
Epilepsy -- Carbatrol is also used to treat various types of seizures in people with epilepsy.

Carbatrol Uses for Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia, also called tic douloureux, is a condition affecting the trigeminal nerve (the fifth cranial nerve), one of the largest nerves in the head. The trigeminal nerve is responsible for sending impulses of touch, pain, pressure, and temperature to the brain from the face, jaw, gums, forehead, and around the eyes.

Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms are characterized by a sudden, severe, electric shock-like or stabbing pain, typically felt on one side of the jaw or cheek. The attacks of pain, which generally last several seconds and may be repeated one after the other, may be triggered by:

Talking
Brushing the teeth
Touching the face
Chewing
Swallowing.

The exact causes of trigeminal neuralgia are not known. However, certain factors (such as physical nerve damage and stress) can trigger the beginning of the painful trigeminal neuralgia attacks.

Treatment for trigeminal neuralgia includes medication or surgery. Carbatrol is one of the medications commonly used to treat the condition.

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