Tegretol Dosage: An Introduction
The dose of
Tegretol® (
carbamazepine) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- Your age and weight
- The condition being treated
- The particular Tegretol product
- Other medications you may be taking
- Other medical conditions you may have.
As is always the case, do not adjust your Tegretol dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
Tegretol Dosage for Epilepsy
The recommended dose of Tegretol for treating
epilepsy depends on the particular Tegretol product.
Tegretol Tablets
The dose of Tegretol tablets (including chewable tablets and Tegretol XR® tablets) for treating epilepsy depends on your age and weight. For adults and children over 12 years old, the recommended starting dose is Tegretol 200 mg twice daily. For children ages 6 to 12 years old, the recommended starting dose is Tegretol 100 mg twice daily. For children under 6 years old, the starting dose is based on weight -- Tegretol 10 mg to 20 mg per kg total per day (about 4.5 mg to 9 mg per pound), split up into two or three doses per day. Tegretol XR tablets are not recommended for young children, who may have difficulty swallowing the tablets (instead, chewable tablets or Tegretol liquid is recommended).
Your healthcare provider will increase your dose slowly as necessary to control your
seizures. Increased dosages (beyond the starting dose) are usually taken three or four times a day (for regular immediate-release Tegretol tablets and chewable tablets) or twice daily (for long-acting Tegretol XR tablets).
