Hi Phyllis,
I used to take tegretol for many yrs. for absence and complex partial sz. I have never head to the drug being used for grand mal sz. I do know that tegretol is addictive and it takes some people a long time to get off the drug.
Also you should never eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while on the drug because the enzymes in the fruit messes up the drug.
Tegretol can cause kidney stone and infections which is one problem I had and if a person needs any type of antibiotic for anything you must be very careful because often an antibiotic will make the drug toxic. This happened to me a few yrs. ago after having to go onto a antibiotic for pneumonia and I ended up in the hospital with toxic poisoning.
Tegretol can cause a person to be very moody at times and I was on it for many yrs. and then I broke out with a rash from the drug. If you are allergic to lamictal or trileptal you will more than likely be allegic to tegretol. Tegretol and trileptal and very similar. Here's wishing you well and May God Bless You!

Sue