CARBAMAZEPINE

Carbamazepine may rarely cause very serious (possibly fatal) skin reactions.

This drug has rarely caused very serious blood disorders (aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis).

Tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly if any of these effects persist or worsen:

• nausea
• vomiting
• dizziness
• drowsiness
• constipation
• dry mouth
• unsteadiness

Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including:

• mouth sores
• swollen lymph nodes
• persistent vomiting
• severe stomach/abdominal pain
• yellowing eyes/skin
• dark urine
• change in the amount of urine
• persistent or severe headache
• fainting
• fast/slow/irregular heartbeat
• unusual eye movements (nystagmus)
• vision changes (such as blurred vision)
• joint pain
• swelling of the ankles/feet
• pain/redness/swelling of the arms or legs
• numbness/tingling of the hands/feet
• sun sensitivity
• signs of low levels of sodium in the blood (such as persistent nausea, extreme drowsiness, mental/mood changes including confusion, seizures)

A small number of people who take anticonvulsants for any condition (such as seizure, bipolar disorder, pain) may experience depression, suicidal thoughts/attempts, or other mental/mood problems.

Tell your doctor immediately if you or your family/caregiver notice any unusual/sudden changes in your mood, thoughts, or behavior including signs of depression, suicidal thoughts/attempts, thoughts about harming yourself.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Precautions

• Allergic reaction to this medication.
• Patients with medical history of:
  • decreased bone marrow function (bone marrow depression)
  • blood disorders (such as porphyria, anemia)
  • glaucoma
  • heart disease (such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat)
  • kidney disease
  • liver disease
  • mental/mood disorders (such as depression)
  • mineral imbalances (such as low levels of sodium or calcium in the blood)
• Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely.
• Avoid prolonged sun exposure, tanning booths, and sunlamps. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when outdoors.
• Tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products) before having surgery.
• Older adults may be more sensitive to confusion, unsteadiness, irregular heartbeat, or mineral imbalance (low levels of sodium in the blood).
• Used only when clearly needed during pregnancy. Do not stop taking this medication unless directed by your doctor.
• Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Consult your doctor regarding the precautions mentioned above.

Interactions

Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions.

Azole antifungals (such as itraconazole, isavuconazonium) may interact with this drug.

Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine) during treatment with this medication.

Other medications may affect how carbamazepine works. Examples include:

• macrolide antibiotics (such as erythromycin)
• rifamycins (such as rifabutin)
• John’s wort

Carbamazepine may affect how other drugs work. Examples of affected drugs include:

• artemether/lumefantrine
• boceprevir
• certain calcium channel blockers (such as nifedipine, nimodipine)
• nefazodone
• warfarin
• HIV NNRTI (such as delavirdine, efavirenz, etravirine, rilpivirine)
• praziquantel
• ranolazine
• Voriconazole

This medication may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control such as pills, patch, or ring.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other products that cause drowsiness including alcohol, antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine), drugs for sleep or anxiety (such as alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants, and narcotic pain relievers (such as codeine).

Check the labels on all your medicines (such as allergy or cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness.

This medication may interfere with certain laboratory tests (including thyroid function, some pregnancy tests), possibly causing false test results.

Overdose

If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately.Symptoms of overdose may include: slowed breathing, loss of consciousness, muscle twitching, uncontrolled movements, very fast heartbeat.

Notes: Do not share this medication with others.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (such as complete blood count, blood mineral levels, kidney/liver function, eye exams, carbamazepine blood levels) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Keep all regular medical and laboratory appointments. Consult your doctor for more details.

Missed Dose: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up. Call your doctor if you miss more than one dose in a day.

Storage: Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.

Brands

Available Brands

• Carbilepp [ Medochemie ]
• Epazin [ Torrent ]
• Mezacar/Mezacar SR [ Kusum Healthcare ]
• Tegrepin [ Intas ]
• Tegretol [ Novartis Healthcare ]

Also marketed as

• Epikor [ United Douglas Pharm ]
• Lestremor [ Flamingo ]