Therapeutic Effect of Tegretol

Tegretol (carbamazepine) is an anti-convulsant drug used to prevent and control seizures in people suffering from epilepsy. The drug also is sometimes used to treat bipolar disorder and trigeminal neuralgia (nerve pain).

How it Works

• Tegretol acts on nerve signals in the brain. It works by lowering excessive nerve signals and achieving normal nerve activity.

Epilepsy

• By normalizing nerve signals in the brain, it can help prevent the abnormal electrical brain activity that triggers seizures.

Certain Neuropathies

• Neuropathy pain results from damaged nerves. Tegretol treats diabetic neuropathy and trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia results from nerve damage on one of the cranial nerves, resulting in severe pain in the face and eyes. Diabetic neuropathy commonly affects the feet and legs. Like many anti-convulsive medications, Tegretol reduces the nerve activity that leads to this pain.

Bipolar Disorder

• The effects of Tegretol on brain activity appear to reduce manic episodes in people suffering from bipolar disorder. It might be particularly beneficial for people who swing rapidly between depression and mania, changing in hours and days rather than months.

Other Uses

• Doctors sometimes use this medication to help treat alcohol withdrawal, central partial diabetes, neurogenic pain and psychosis.