Carbamazepine

Carbamazepine is a type of 'mood stabiliser'. It controls feelings of excitability and over-activity. It can also help with periods of low mood. Carbamazepine is usually only prescribed after you have already tried other mood stabilisers such as lithium. It is still not fully understood how carbamazepine works to treat bipolar disorder, but the reduction on glutamate activity in the brain is thought to play an important part in this. 

There are gateways in the brain called 'socium channels', which can be open or closed. When they are open, there is more electrical activity in the brain. Carbamazepine locks on to closed sodium channels and keeps them closed. Reduced electrical activity leads to reduced release of chemical transmitters (neurotransmitters) that excite the brain, like glutamate, dopamine and noradrenaline. 

Side effects are common when you first start taking carbamazepine some of them include:

• dizziness and tiredness

• feeling unsteady or finding it difficult to control your movements

• feeling or being sick

• changes in the blood making you more likely to bruise or bleed

• weight increase 

• low sodium in the blood which might result in confusion 

• headach 

• double or blured vision 

• dry mouth 

• loss of appetite

These are only some of the most common side effects, if you would like more information about how this medication might effect you please talk to your doctor.

An uncommon but important side effect to be aware of is thoughts of harming yourself, thinking about taking your own life or trying to take your own life. This may be symptoms of you illness, including depression, but may be a side effect of medication. If you experience these thoughts, contact your doctor to seek immediate support to keep yourself safe.

Please do not worry about these side effects. Some people will not get any side effects at all. If you think you are getting side effects from taking Carbamazepine, speak to your doctor or pharmacist. If you do get a side effect, please think about reporting it via the 'Yellow Card' system.

If you have taken more carbamazepine than the dosage recommended by the doctor who prescribed it to you, you must get medial help immediately - even if you do not feel any different.