I just started taking tegretol last week 200mg's three times a day but the pain is breaking through and I can't take it so I took another half tablet a few minutues ago. I don't see my new doctor until Thursday.Do you see any harm in doing this? Tegretol makes me feel ill, very dizzy and blurred vision but the pain is unbearable.

You really do have to ramp up on the anti-seizure meds slowly, but I doubt that half a pill (100 mg, right/) would be enough to be harmful. But -- you are having some pretty nasty side effects. That's why they start with a low dosage and gradually up it -- to keep the amount of side effects down. Maybe you can call your doctor and get your appt. moved up a day or two. I feel for you with that relentless pain. We all do.

Mary

Angel,
I just read your other posts. I see you've been through the drug ramp up before. Oh vey, I know exactly what you are talking about with the Tegretol / Neurontin combo. My doctor had me on that for several months until I came within a hair of losing my job. I got off those drugs and am now on Lyrica, which was fine until the weather started getting cooler. Now the only way I can get the pain to a manageable level is to take a vicodin, which makes me kind of loopy and forgetful -- I'm on a written notice at work now and today I screwed up bigtime and it made my boss look bad and she is furious so I am toast. I came home and ate a half a pan of brownies even though I wasn't the least bit hungry, LOL. Now I feel sick and the vicodin has worn off so I'm in pain again and worried that I will be fired tomorrow. This is a 30 year very well-paying career that I am being forced out of thanks to TN. Either I'm in too much pain to be functional or I'm too drugged to be functional. If you find a solution to this -- please share! Wish you lived close to me -- we could sit down and cry and eat the WHOLE pan of brownies together!
Mary

Oh Mary,
I am so sorry that they are being that way to you! Please write everything down that they do to you, as well as any conversations that you may have with them, and then talk to folks afilliated with ADA. I hate how so many bosses seem to find their way around our legal protections. GRRRRRRR
I would join you all for that brownie eating session. Sending healing thoughts your way,
Lily

Hi mary

Eating a whole pan of brownies sounds like a good plan but I don't think I could chew so I'll watch you eat them....just the though gets me all excited....I'm sorry to hear about your troubles and I hope things work out for you and you keep your job. Maybe you could explain to your boss that your on meds that make you a little loopy,hopefully she will understand and have some compassion..good luck with that....I can smell those brownies, your making me hungry :-) good luck mary

I guess I've been lucky up until now. I'm just returning to work, after 8 months. I've missed 2 shifts in the last 2 weeks because of flare ups & not being able to take my meds & function. My boss is a nurse & she doesn't understand or care what my dillema is.
I feel badly for you. Do you have any disability coverage thru your employer?? I'm always up for brownies myself. Thanks to the meds!!

At the present time I'm not employed so I don't have that worry, thank god because I don't think I could deal with this pain and a uncompassionate boss who didn't care about my illness...don't mean to be nasty but she'd be wearing the pan of brownies at this point...it takes everything I have inside not to be nasty to the ones trying to help me through this and thank heavens I have a very compassionate hubby and family because there are days when I just want to give up big time and they are the ones who help get me through....I just need to find a med that doesn't make me loopy,dizzy and itchy so I can get on with my life because at this point I feel useless and that doesn't go over well with me...laying on the couch all day is not living...I despise this illness but I suppose it could be worse so I should stop my whining...

Geeze mary I think I am replying about the brownies to someone else, thats how loopy I am at this point.....Can barely see out of my eyes, is that a side effect of tegretol?

I get blurry vision from them all, Angel. I haven't bothered to get an eye exam in the past three years because I'd just see blurry anyway, might as well keep wearing the old prescription!

Well thanks for clearing that up for me.I thought it was just me and possibly a bad side effect but if everyone else has blurry vision then I suppose I will have to hang in and stay on these meds though I would perfer an answer to my problem instead of being drugged. Lets face it the neurologist know what the problem is so why can't they fix it for everyone so we don't have to suffer with this debilitating pain that can destroy our lives....just fix the damn pain and get it over with..I don't understand