Posted by dove on April 25, 2002, at 10:47:23
In reply to Re: TEGRETOL: Does anyone take it ?????? » fiona, posted by 2sense on April 25, 2002, at 6:01:22
Tegretol was one of the first psychoactive meds I was ever prescribed. At the time, I was 19 years old, mother of one, fulltime college student, and working in the home health care business as a personal care attendant (PCA) and home health aid (HHA).
I was having 'black-outs' or fainting spells, and was told that they were either "everyday" syncope episodes or some form of epilepsy. I had MRI's, CT Scans, lots of labs, EKG's and EEG's, with no minutia that supported the Epilepsy dx.
However, I was dxed with Epilepsy and prescribed Tegretol despite those facts (or lack thereof), and was told it would significantly help relieve much of my life-long depression (since age 7) and be a splendid mood-stabilizer. I was started on 150 mgs. x3 per day, with the ramp-up plan consolidating at some 1,000 odd numbered mgs. I had blood work done only once while taking this medication, and that was before I ever started it.
Move forward, two months in and still unable (and "unwilling" in my Neuro-Doc's opinion) to up the dose from the initial introduction prescribed dosage. Tegretol was, and still is the worst med I have ever had to take; yet, many people have very good results with this med.
I had extreme brain-fog, couldn't even keep track of what day it was, or even the time of day. I became very complacent--family and friends described me as catatonic and zombie-like--unable to figure out even the simplest of tasks (like making Mac-n-Cheese). I became extremely withdrawn, depressed, suicidal, and lost all appetite. Three of my significant supporters called both my General Neuro-Doc, my specialized Neuro-Doc, my Internal Med Doc, and even my Family/OB/GYN Doc seeking help and answers. There were no replies, not a single one.
I finally contacted my prescribing Neuro-Doc and told her that I had dropped out of college, wasn't working, and thinking about suicide in a serious way. She actually had the nerve to yell at me--seriously--for being such a wimp because the amount of Tegretol I was currently on was not even the average dosage for a 4 year-old. She stated in very strong words that it was impossible for me to be depressed on this med as it is an anti-depressant and she doubled my daily dosage just to prove it.
First morning with the double dose and I was comatose for 30+ hours. Woke-up to find that I had lost an entire day and my little boy had fed himself milk and saltines while I was out-of-order. And that was the end of my Tegretol experiments. It took at least two weeks for it to clear-out. In the meantime, I had 4 "I"s for Incompletes/Fails at the University. I had lost weight during the months I was on it, but I was already skin and bones at the time (I would love to trade this post-five baby-maker body for that old scrawny one for a week or so :o) I have no idea what my libido or sexual response state was like during that time period as I was in zombie-land. Although, I did become pregnant with my second child sometime during the last two weeks I was on it.
There are so many other AED's these days that I always question any Doc wanting to put their patients on old-timers like Tegretol??? Tegretol is well known (infamous, one might say) for its dirtiness and there are many other seizure controlling and mood-stabilizing meds out there, why go back a few decades of pharmaceutical advancements? Especially considering this was a one time seizure almost assuredly med-induced?
I hope you have good results with it, or they prescribe something else and do additional scan and lab tests before sending you through hell and back. A second opinion, or even a third may be crucial and pivotal in your situation.
Best Wishes to You!
dove
poster:dove
thread:103031
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020425/msgs/104101.html