Hi All:

I know I've mentioned Tegretol in a previous post, wondering if anyone knew anything about this drug, but now I have first hand experience with it.

My husband was prescribed this drug earlier this month by his neurologist and he took it for almost 2 weeks before it needed to be discontinued.

Here's what his reaction was to Tegretol:

1. Initially it helped to stabilize his moods.
2. It caused blisters on his skin.
3. It caused a decrease in his urine output.
4. It caused him to have diarrhea, so bad that I had to give him Imodium AD to stop it after the medication was discontinued.
5. It caused him to become aggressive again a few mornings ago. Thankfully, he calmed down after I reminded him that he had never hit his first wife and he better not hit me, either. I then put my hands firmly on his resisting hands and talked gently to him until he calmed down. Whew!

So now the palliative care doctor and I are exploring other medication options to stabilize my husband's moods; but we're walking a tightrope in this area because my husband has Afib and he had a minor silent stroke some time in the past (although we don't know when).

When he was in rehab recently, we tried giving him 12.5 mg of Seroquel for a few nights, but it increased his hallucinations. So I'm not really sure what he's going to end up on. I do know that when his neurologist suggested Haldol, I told him absolutely not!

I am also against him seeing a psychiatrist for mood stabilization treatment, because I don't feel any of them fully understand the complexities of LBD patients who are really sensitive to medications.

Sigh.... The roller coaster ride continues.

Hi Beth,
The only thing I know about Tegratol it is used for Seizures as my daughter used to take that for epilepsy, I know when my husband was alive he had an EEG and the results were low normal but I never really understood what that meant. Sorry I didn't see this note sooner !