Question 1

i had a brain surgery last july and i used zyprexa (olanzapine) and tegretol daily until this january.i gained a lot of weight. will i lose weight as im off meds?

Accepted Answer

You could: You could lose weight when off these medicines, especially if you increase your exercise and attend to a healthy food plan.  Talk with your doctors about this; they'll likely have more personalized recommendations for you than we're able to provide without knowing you.  Good luck to you.

Question 2

is the generic of tegretol 200mg the same thing exactly and is it safe to change to? my daughter is on tegretol 3 weeks and is constantly hungry and putting on weight. she hasd a brain tumour surgery and on epilizine and tegretol  please advise.

Accepted Answer

Tegretol: Generic medications can vary in bioavailability up to 10% higher or lower than brand named medications. Weight gain has been described as a side effect of both tegretol and epilizine. Have blood levels demonstrated higher levels of these medications in your daughter compared to when she took brand named tegretol? Your pharmacist or neurologist may have more information about this question.

Question 3

in de novo epilepsy (age 67) mri shows signs of slightly poor brain circulation. is medication for circulation advised? the patient is now on tegretol

Accepted Answer

Brain circulaton-sz: Why poor circulation ? ischemia  (from clogged vessels)? hypoplastic vessels  ( born with small vessels? carotids? Did MRI show stroke? Do they have a fib? was the seizure  due to stroke/ TIA ( rare)? has the doctor discussed aspirin 81 mg or plavix (clopidogrel) or plental or fish oil ( blood thinners so may cause bleeding) ?  f/u and discuss w/neurology

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11286042

Question 4

used to take aed from 6 years ago - 2 years ago. after eeg, ct scan and mri being clear i stopped meds. recently had a seizure and doc put me on tegretol and told me to visit after 3 weeks. my concern is can something bad develop like a brain tumor?

Accepted Answer

INTERPRETATION: In view of your history, the correct diagnosis is idiopathic epilepsy, not a brain tumor, and new seizure indicates chronic need for AED's.  I will provide a bias, as carbamazepine is a 50 yo drug, and we have numerous better tolerated meds now.  Suggest you check out far safer alternatives with a neurologist.

Question 5

how long would it take for a steady state concentration from 100mg of lamictal to 50 mg--keeping in mind i also take 600 mg of tegretol.

Accepted Answer

Probably 2-3 days: Since the half-life of Lamictal is ordinarily about 33 hours (presuming normal kidney function) and the elimination half-life is decreased significantly by the presence of tegretol that speeds lamictal's metabolism, i think it should only take 2 to 3 days to reach steady state on 50 mg daily after having previously been on 100 mg daily.

Question 6

would 1 mg of ativan be about equal to 1 mg of klonopin (clonazepam)..keeping in mind the klonopin (clonazepam) is lowered by 600mg of tegretol by about 30%?

Accepted Answer

Longer duration: Klonopin (clonazepam) has a much longer effect than Ativan although i feel the tranquilizing effects  are comparable. However different people react in differing ways to these 2 tranquilizers.

Question 7

does nocturnal temporal lobe epilepsy disappear? i have no seizures since 7 years.
the seizures were 40 seconds long. i've always taken carbamazepine.

Accepted Answer

Can: Most large studies of withdrawing seizure medicines were done at the 2 yr seizure-free mark. Evaluation by a  neurologist can help evaluate the risk of tapering off. Eeg and MRI along with the history and exam help determine chances of success. If it's the genetic nocturnal tle, then recurrence would be likely off aeds.

Question 8

sometimes i forget my medications amlodopine  (for hypertension) & carbamazepine (for temporal lobe epilepsy). can i go without them like this?

Accepted Answer

Medications: Medicines are tested for effectiveness usually with one primary dosage methodology. If you want the outcome associated with the proof of effectiveness; you need to take the medication as it is approved and prescribed. If you don't take them as prescribed, your chances of the desired outcome are impaired.

Question 9

male 21years,7yearssigns of   epilepsy displayed,12 years takes medication,tegretol 200mg , 3 once a day.he didn't have improvement .change medicine?

Accepted Answer

Seizure management: it is advisable that the patient be switched over to other medications  which are ssecond-generation drugs such as Keppra (levetiracetam)  or Lamictal  which are normally more effective and  have less side effects..  Switching her medication has to be done  under medical supervision, please follow through with your neurologist while doing this.  Anti-seizure medications have to be individualized.

Question 10

why can't i take pregnancy pills while taking tegretol?

Accepted Answer

You can: You can still take them, they just may not be as effective. The problem is that tegretol (carbamazepine) causes the hormones in birth control pills to be broken down by the body faster than normal, so you have lower levels of hormones in your blood to prevent pregnancy. If you do take bcps, you would probably need ones with higher amounts of hormones in them. Check with your ob/gyn.

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Doctor answers about:

How does tegretol affect the brain

A member asked:

I had a brain surgery last july and i used zyprexa (olanzapine) and tegretol daily until this january.i gained a lot of weight. will i lose weight as im off meds?

A member asked:

Is the generic of tegretol 200mg the same thing exactly and is it safe to change to? my daughter is on tegretol 3 weeks and is constantly hungry and putting on weight. she hasd a brain tumour surgery and on epilizine and tegretol please advise.

A member asked:

In de novo epilepsy (age 67) mri shows signs of slightly poor brain circulation. is medication for circulation advised? the patient is now on tegretol

A member asked:

Used to take aed from 6 years ago - 2 years ago. after eeg, ct scan and mri being clear i stopped meds. recently had a seizure and doc put me on tegretol and told me to visit after 3 weeks. my concern is can something bad develop like a brain tumor?

A member asked:

How long would it take for a steady state concentration from 100mg of lamictal to 50 mg--keeping in mind i also take 600 mg of tegretol.

A member asked:

Would 1 mg of ativan be about equal to 1 mg of klonopin (clonazepam)..keeping in mind the klonopin (clonazepam) is lowered by 600mg of tegretol by about 30%?

A member asked:

Does nocturnal temporal lobe epilepsy disappear? i have no seizures since 7 years. the seizures were 40 seconds long. i've always taken carbamazepine.

A member asked:

Sometimes i forget my medications amlodopine (for hypertension) & carbamazepine (for temporal lobe epilepsy). can i go without them like this?

A member asked:

Male 21years,7yearssigns of epilepsy displayed,12 years takes medication,tegretol 200mg , 3 once a day.he didn't have improvement .change medicine?

A member asked:

Why can't i take pregnancy pills while taking tegretol?

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