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Carbatrol is made in the form of slow-release tablets, with the main ingredient of the drug is carbamazepine with two strengths of 100mg and 200mg/tablet. So what is Carbatrol, what does Carbatrol do and how is it used?1. What is Carbatrol?
Carbatrol is an anticonvulsant medicine used to treat seizures and nerve pain such as trigeminal neuralgia and diabetic neuropathy. Carbatrol is also used to treat bipolar disorder.
You should not take Carbatrol if you have a history of bone marrow suppression, or if you are allergic to this medicine or to an antidepressant such as amitriptyline, desipramine, doxepin, imipramine, or nortriptyline.
Do not use Carbatrol if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, as dangerous drug interactions can occur. MAO inhibitors include furazolidone, linezolid, phenelzine, isocarboxazid, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.
Carbatrol can cause serious or life-threatening skin rashes, and especially in people of Asian descent. Your doctor may recommend a blood test before you start taking Carbatrol to determine your risk.
Before using Carbatrol, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
Heart problems. Liver failure. Kidney disease. Glaucoma disease. Porphyrin metabolism disorders. Depression. Mood disorder. Having suicidal thoughts or actions. You may have thoughts of suicide while taking Carbatrol. Your doctor should check for improvement in your condition at regular visits. Your family or caregivers should also be advised to stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms of illness.
Do not start or stop using Carbatrol during pregnancy without your doctor's advice. Carbatrol can harm an unborn baby, but seizures during pregnancy can harm both mother and baby. The benefits of preventing seizures may outweigh any risks. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while using Carbatrol.
Carbatrol may make birth control pills or implants less effective. Use a barrier form of birth control (such as a condom or a diaphragm with spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking Carbatrol.
You should not breastfeed while using Carbatrol.
2. Dosage and how to use Carbatrol
Carbatrol is to be taken by mouth with food. Swallow the tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break the tablet.
It may take up to 4 weeks of using Carbatrol before your symptoms improve. Keep using Carbatrol as directed and call your doctor at once if you notice Carbatrol seems to stop working and is not able to prevent your seizures.
Do not stop taking Carbatrol suddenly, even if you feel fine. Stopping Carbatrol suddenly may increase seizures. Follow your doctor's instructions about reducing the dose of Carbatrol.
Carbatrol dosage should be according to the doctor's prescription. The usual dose of Carbatrol for adults in specific cases is as follows:
Epilepsy : Initial dose is 200mg orally 2 times a day. You can increase your weekly dose of Carbatrol by gradually increasing it up to 200mg/day, twice daily. Maintenance dose is 800 - 1,200mg/day. Dosage should not normally exceed 1,200 mg/day. However, dosages of Carbatrol up to 1,600mg/day may be indicated in severe cases. Trigeminal neuralgia: Initial dose is 100mg orally twice a day. You can increase your dose of Carbatrol up to 200mg per day, using 100mg every 12 hours. Dosage should not exceed 1,200mg per day. Maintenance dose: 400 - 800mg per day. If you forget a dose of Carbatrol, take it as soon as possible, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses of Carbatrol at the same time.
Symptoms you may experience with an overdose of Carbatrol include severe drowsiness, weak or shallow breathing and loss of consciousness. You need to be taken to the nearest medical facility for timely treatment.
Some notes when using Carbatrol:
Drinking alcohol with Carbatrol can cause side effects and may also increase the risk of seizures. Grapefruit can interact with the drug Carbatrol and lead to unwanted side effects, so you need to avoid using grapefruit products. Avoid driving or dangerous activities until you know how Carbatrol will affect you. Your reaction speed may be impaired. Carbatrol may make you more susceptible to sunburn. Sun or tanning beds should be avoided while using Carbatrol. During treatment with Carbatrol, you should wear protective clothing and use sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) when you are outdoors.
3. Carbatrol side effects
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Carbatrol (such as hives, difficulty breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (with symptoms such as fever, sore throat, burning in the eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling).
Seek medical treatment if you have a serious Carbatrol drug reaction that can affect many parts of your body. Symptoms may include: Skin rash, swollen glands, muscle aches, fever, severe weakness, unusual bruising or yellowing of your skin or eyes.
Report any new or worsening symptoms while using Carbatrol to your doctor, such as:
Sudden changes in mood or behavior. Depression . Worried. Insomnia . You feel agitated, hostile, restless, irritable. Having suicidal thoughts or hurting yourself. Carbatrol can cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have the following symptoms:
Skin rash, no matter how severe or mild. Anorexia. Right upper abdomen pain. Dark urine. Slow heart rate. Fast or pounding heartbeat. Anemia or other blood problems with symptoms such as fever, chills, sore throat, mouth sores, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, pale skin, easy bruising, unusual tiredness, feeling light-headed or difficulty breathing. Low sodium in the body with symptoms such as headache, confusion, severe weakness, feeling unsteady, increased seizures. Common side effects of Carbatrol may include:
Dizziness. Loss of coordination. Problems with walking. Nausea. Vomiting. Sleepy. If you notice any unusual symptoms when using Carbatrol, you need to immediately notify your doctor or go to a medical facility for timely treatment.
4. Carbatrol drug interactions with other drugs
Drugs that can interact with Carbatrol include:
Some azole antifungals such as isavuconazonium, voriconazole. Orlistat . Taking an MAO inhibitor along with carbatrol can cause a serious (possibly fatal) drug interaction. Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (such as linezolid, methylene blue, isocarboxazid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, safinamide, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine) during carbatrol treatment. Most MAO inhibitors should also not be taken for two weeks prior to Carbatrol treatment. Other drugs may affect the removal of the carbamazepine in Carbatrol from the body, which may affect how carbamazepine works. As macrolide antibiotics (such as erythromycin), rifamycins (such as rifabutin), St. John's wort and other drugs. The carbamazepine in Carbatrol may speed up the removal of other medicines from your body, which could affect how these medicines work. Affected drugs include certain drugs used to prevent blood clots (anticoagulants such as apixaban, rivaroxaban), artemether/lumefantrine, boceprevir, certain calcium channel blockers (such as nimodipine, nifedipine) , nefazodone, HIV NNRTIs (such as delavirdine, etravirine, efavirenz, rilpivirine), praziquantel, ranolazine, and others. Carbatrol can make some birth control methods less effective, such as the pill, patch, or ring, so you could get pregnant. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for a reliable backup birth control method while taking Carbatrol. Tell your doctor if you are taking other products that cause drowsiness including alcohol, marijuana, sleeping or anxiety medications (such as alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine), muscle relaxers (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine), and muscle relaxants. such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine) and narcotic pain relievers (such as codeine, hydrocodone). Carbatrol may interfere with certain tests such as thyroid function tests, some pregnancy tests, and may cause false results. Make sure your doctors know you are using Carbatrol.
