chrysopoetics Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 (edited) I'm currently on 200mg of Tegretol (generic) 3 times a day, and holy crap, I can barely keep myself awake most days. It wasn't too bad when I was on 200mg twice a day (though I still felt a bit tired), but now I'm just always so exhausted. Has anyone else experienced this/does it ever go away? Edited May 2, 2012 by chrysopoetics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 How long have you been on it? When did you raise the dosage last? Lots of ACs have this side effect. Usually, if the sedation doesn't go away after a couple of weeks, a different med will be tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirlygrl Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I have been on 1600 extended release (Equetro) these last 18 months. I started in the hospital, where agitation masked the initial sedation. Now I sometimes sleep an extra hour at night (8.5 hours) or need 15-30 minutes down time after lunch. I'll bet it's just the dose increase that's getting you. But do complain if it doesn't resolve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I took 800 mg of Tegretol for years. I don't really recall if it made me sleepy at first, but if it did, it went away because I was not sleepy on it. I think that it is probably just the dose increase, and the sleepiness should go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screamingbutterfly Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Yes it makes me sleepy. I take my whole dose at night for that reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrysopoetics Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Yes it makes me sleepy. I take my whole dose at night for that reason. Can you do that?? I asked my neuro if I could and he said that I couldn't and had to take it at different times. Also, to everyone else: I've been on the increase for a few weeks now. I've been on this med in general for a few months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 When I was on it awhile back, it did make me sleepy. But it wore off after maybe a month and I was fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screamingbutterfly Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 (edited) That's how my dr. prescribed it, 600 mgs at night. Been on for years and had no problem with taking it all at night. I'm taking it to help keep my moods stable and for my chronic pain. Do you have seizures at all? Maybe if you did that was the reason he wanted you to spread it out? Otherwise I never heard that you couldn't take it all at once. If the Dr. tells you not to take at once I wouldn't, or if you really wanted to you could get another Doctors opinion about taking it all at night. Edited May 3, 2012 by Screamingbutterfly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIMBO Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 (edited) I have to take it twice a day or it kind of poops out but I'm not on the xr. Im finding it a little activating but not in a good way. No tiredness. Forgot to mention I take it strictly as mood stabiliser. Edited May 3, 2012 by BIMBO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 To be honest, I don't remember sedation on Tegretol either, the one that sedated me was Lamictal. But it passed, and I am still on Lamictal. I don't know, you are kind of on the boundaries of what I would be willing to put up with before giving up, myself. Given your scenario, I personally would give it at least two more weeks. I am not prescribing, I am just saying, after having tried a number of meds, given the circumstances you describe, I would give it just a bit more time before making a decision one way or the other. Of course, I don't know how disabled you are by it, and I am in a situation where I am not working, so I can be more flexible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrysopoetics Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Thanks everyone! I'm on it for epilepsy, not as a mood stabilizer. I see my neurologist in a couple of weeks, I think. Hopefully it will have passed by then. It just really sucks being so tired all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbirdblue80 Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 I ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browri Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 (edited) If the drowsiness of Tegretol doesn't go away you can always talk to your doctor about Trileptal. Tegretol is carbamazepine. It's broken down into 2 different metabolites. One of those metabolites causes the increase of several liver enzymes which can decrease levels of MANY other medications. This metabolite also seems to be associated with the sedation as well as the other serious side effects of Tegretol. Trileptal on the other hand is oxcarbazepine. They took the carbamazepine molecule and added an oxygen atom at the top. This prevents the medication from being broken down into the toxic epoxide metabolite that I was talking about previously. Studies of patients who were on Tegretol and converted to Trileptal saw an improvement in side effects. Trileptal is regarded as being far more tolerated than Tegretol, but the efficacy of Trileptal over Tegretol is still kind of up in the air. I've never taken Tegretol. However, I'm on Trileptal now and I love it. Very calming, very soothing. When I first started taking it I described it to my doctor as a warm, fuzzy feeling. Side effects that I noticed were a little dizziness/disorientation/vertigo. This decreases over time and/or you notice it less. Confusion is something I also notice during an increase. Like you need someone to explain something to you 2-3 times before you fully comprehend that, but again all of these side effects that I've noticed go away over time. This all being said, I do enjoy my coffee, and I am on Aplenzin (alternate version of Wellbutrin, for those who aren't familiar). So the sedation may be counteracted by those two things. I really enjoy Trileptal, and I think I'm actually going to have my doc increase the dose next time I speak with him. Edited November 13, 2016 by browri incomplete thoughts (shocked, anyone?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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