Tegretol is an Anti-Epileptic Drug (AED), also used for bipolar disorder as a mood stabilizer. in epilepsy, it is used to raise the "seizure-threshold" so ppl who suffer from epilepsy dont have seizures or have fewer of them.

However, even for those without epilepsy, abrupt discontinuation of ANY AED-class medication will lower the seizure threshold and possibly produce seizures. i have personally experienced this with Depakote. Like Mari i cannot understand why the pharmacy or your doc's office is not being cooperative. The electrical sensations you are experiencing are not a good sign, although seizures with retained consciousness are typically unilateral. The sizzly stuff seems more related to SSRI (Paxil) discontinuation...

Indeed, the fact that you actually halted both simultaneously could somewhat counter the seizure risk, since SSRI's actually lower the sz-threshold (opposite to AEDs), but now i am doing some serious NON-DOCTOR arithmetic here and you should still not be allowed to just drop off Tegretol abruptly, period.

Please call your doctor's office again and tell them what the pharmacy told you (clearly there was a "mixup" ? calling in the refill?) Ask the doc's office call in a NEW script AS OPPOSED to a refill ..... one can't refill same script# beyond the max number allowed, and perhaps that was the "legal" problem, given you had ordered by mail as well.) Insist the doc's office call in the NEW script ASAP and "lay it on thick" about the sensations you are having. If you don't get to speak to the doc in person, tell the receptionist/nurse that you are aware abrupt tegretol suspension can cause seizures, and that they need to work with you to prevent that. Call the pharmacy before driving there.

if you can't get your meds SAME DAY, i would go to an urgent care or preferably ER. There are other meds they can give you to help you out.... i am wondering about your insurance coverage now... do you have as-needed benzodiazepines prescribed, at home, such as Xanax, Ativan, Serax, Klonopin, Valium? Taking those as indicated could help in the immediacy - don't go overboard lol. specifically if you have any Klonopin or Valium until you resume the Tegretol, since those are easier meds to manage.

AND......are your symptoms worsening / getting better? Any changes?

GOOD LUCK. HOPE YOU WILL BE OK.

~ waves ~