Carbamazepine is used for:

• Controlling certain types of seizures and relieving pain in patients with nerve pain in the face, jaw, tongue, or throat.
• Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant. It works by controlling abnormal nerve impulses in the brain. In trigeminal neuralgia, it reduces the activity of nerve impulses in the nerves to the face, decreasing pain.

Do NOT use Carbamazepine if:

• • you are allergic to any ingredient in Carbamazepine
  • you are allergic to tricyclic antidepressants (eg, amitriptyline, imipramine, desipramine) or similar medications
  • you have a history of bone marrow depression, the blood disorder porphyria, or other serious blood disorders
  • you have a heart condition known as atrioventricular block
  • you are taking or have taken a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor (eg, phenelzine) within the last 14 days
• Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Carbamazepine :

• Some medical conditions may interact with Carbamazepine . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:
  • if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
  • if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
  • if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
  • if you are allergic to other seizure medicines (eg, phenytoin, phenobarbital)
  • if you have a history of increased pressure in the eye (glaucoma), liver or kidney problems, blood problems, heart problems or congestive heart failure, mood or mental problems, seizures, multiple sclerosis, or severe skin reactions (eg, Stevens-Johnson syndrome)
  • if you consume alcohol-containing beverages or have a history of alcoholism
• Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Carbamazepine . Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:
  • Androgens (eg, testosterone), cimetidine, clarithromycin, diltiazem, fluconazole, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, HIV protease inhibitors (eg, ritonavir), isoniazid, itraconazole, ketoconazole, lamotrigine, loratadine, macrolide antibiotics (eg, erythromycin), nefazodone, niacinamide, progabide, propoxyphene, stiripentol, terfenadine, theophylline, tricyclic antidepressants (eg, amitriptyline), troleandomycin, valproic acid, verapamil, or viloxazine because the side effects of Carbamazepine may be increased
  • Lithium because the risk of severe nervous system side effects may be increased
  • Antineoplastics (eg, cisplatin, doxorubicin), felbamate, hydantoins (eg, phenytoin), phenobarbital, primidone, rifampin, or theophylline because the effectiveness of Carbamazepine may be decreased
  • Acetaminophen, anticoagulants, (eg, warfarin), butyrophenones (eg, haloperidol), clozapine, trazadone, tricyclic antidepressants (eg, amitriptyline), or valproic acid because the side effects of these medicines may be increased by Carbamazepine
  • Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin), benzodiazepines (eg, alprazolam), birth control pills (eg, ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone) or any other hormone-type contraceptive (eg, levonorgestrel implant), butyrophenones (eg, haloperidol), clozapine, corticosteroids (eg, hydrocortisone), cyclosporine, doxycycline, erlotinib, ethosuximide and its derivatives, etretinate, felbamate, felodipine, HIV protease inhibitors (eg, ritonavir), HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (eg, simvastatin), imatinib, itraconazole, lamotrigine, methylphenidate, nifedipine, nondepolarizing muscle relaxants (eg, vecuronium), praziquantel, quetiapine, sertraline, tiagabine, topirimate, tricyclic antidepressants (eg, amitriptyline), or voriconazole because the effectiveness of these medicines may be decreased
• This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Carbamazepine may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

How to use Carbamazepine :

• Use Carbamazepine as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
  • Carbamazepine may be taken with or without food.
  • Take Carbamazepine regularly to receive the most benefit from it.
  • Taking Carbamazepine at the same time each day will help you remember to take it.
  • Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice may affect the amount of Carbamazepine in your blood. Talk with your doctor before including grapefruit or grapefruit juice in your diet.
  • If you miss a dose of Carbamazepine , take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.
• Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Carbamazepine .

Important safety information:

• Important safety information about Carbamazepine :
  • Carbamazepine may cause drowsiness, dizziness, or blurred vision. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to Carbamazepine . Using Carbamazepine alone, with certain other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen your ability to drive or perform other potentially dangerous tasks.
  • Carbamazepine may cause increased sensitivity to the sun. Avoid exposure to the sun, sunlamps, or tanning booths until you know how you react to Carbamazepine . Use sunscreen or protective clothing if you must be outside for a prolonged period of time.
  • Before you have any medical or dental surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking Carbamazepine .
  • Carbamazepine may interfere with certain lab tests, including thyroid function tests. Be sure your doctor or laboratory personnel know you are taking Carbamazepine .
  • This medicine may interfere with some pregnancy test results. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking Carbamazepine and have questions or concerns about the result of a pregnancy test.
  • LAB TESTS, including blood cell counts, blood iron levels, liver function, kidney function, eye exams, and carbamazepine blood levels, may be performed to monitor your progress or to check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
  • PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: Carbamazepine has been shown to cause harm to the fetus. Avoid becoming pregnant while taking Carbamazepine . If you think you may be pregnant, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using Carbamazepine during pregnancy. Carbamazepine is excreted in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Carbamazepine .

Possible side effects of Carbamazepine :

• All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
  • Blurred vision
  • confusion
  • dizziness
  • drowsiness
  • dry mouth or throat
  • headache
  • nausea
  • unsteadiness
  • vomiting.
• Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
  • Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue)
  • bone, joint, or muscle pain
  • chills
  • fainting
  • fast or irregular heartbeat
  • fever
  • hair loss
  • hallucinations
  • involuntary muscle movements
  • pain, tenderness, or unusual swelling in the neck, groin, or under the arms
  • rapid eye movement
  • reddened, blistered, or swollen skin
  • ringing in the ears
  • seizures
  • severe sweating
  • shortness of breath
  • sore throat
  • stomach pain
  • swelling of ankles or fingers
  • ulcers or sores in the mouth
  • unusual bruising or bleeding
  • vision changes
  • yellowing of the eyes or skin.
• This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions or need medical advice about side effects, contact your doctor or health care provider. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088) or at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy waves often used in medicine. 2. The use of energy waves to diagnose or treat disease.

Replantation: 1. Literally, the act of planting again. 2. In surgery, the restoration of any part of the body to its original site. Also known as reimplantation.

The Chinese surgeon Zhong Wei Chen (1929-2004) was the "father of replantation." Dr. Chen was the first to reattach a severed hand with success which he did in 1963. Dr. Chen also developed many microsurgical procedures including techniques for preserving severed extremities, reattaching amputated fingers and thumbs, reconstructing muscles and repairing nerves and blood vessels.

Rheumatism: Rheumatism is an older term, used to describe any of a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.

Rheumatism conditions have been classified as either localized, regional, or generalized. Localized rheumatism conditions include bursitis and tendinitis. Regional rheumatism conditions include chest wall pain, temporomandibular joint pain, and myofascial pain syndromes. Generalized rheumatism conditions include fibromyalgia.

Another category of rheumatism is psychogenic rheumatism. With this term it is understood that the patient is reporting inconsistent pains of muscles and joints that do not correspond to true anatomy and physiology. The patient is felt to have underlying psychological causes for the symptoms.

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of the rheumatic diseases and conditions. Rheumatic diseases and conditions are characterized by symptoms involving the musculoskeletal system. Many of the rheumatic diseases and conditions feature immune system abnormalities. Therefore, rheumatology also involves the study of the immune system. Classical rheumatology training includes 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship in internal medicine, 2 years of internal medicine residency, and 2 years of rheumatology fellowship. There is a subspecialty board for rheumatology certification. The American College of Rheumatology is the official organization acting on behalf of the field of rheumatology in the United States.

T cell: A type of white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system and is at the core of adaptive immunity, the system that tailors the body's immune response to specific pathogens. The T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invaders.

Immature T cells (termed T-stem cells) migrate to the thymus gland in the neck, where they mature and differentiate into various types of mature T cells and become active in the immune system in response to a hormone called thymosin and other factors. T-cells that are potentially activated against the body's own tissues are normally killed or changed ("down-regulated") during this maturational process.

There are several different types of mature T cells. Not all of their functions are known. T cells can produce substances called cytokines such as the interleukins which further stimulate the immune response. T-cell activation is measured as a way to assess the health of patients with HIV/AIDS and less frequently in other disorders.

T cell are also known as T lymphocytes. The "T" stands for "thymus" -- the organ in which these cells mature. As opposed to B cells which mature in the bone marrow.

Teleology: The study of the ultimate purpose of the design of something in nature.

For example, "what is the true purpose of the nose?" is a teleological question and, to say that all evolutionary changes occur for a definite purpose is a teleological explanation of evolution.

"Teleology" comes from ancient Greek roots but it (and teleological) did not enter English until the 18th century. It is a compound of the Greek "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose" + the ending "logos" meaning "the science or study of" = the study of the ends or purposes.

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages the development of male sexual characteristics, stimulates the activity of the male secondary sex characteristics, and prevents changes in them following castration. Chemically, testosterone is 17-beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3-one.

Testosterone is the most potent of the naturally occurring androgens. The androgens cause the development of male sex characteristics, such as a deep voice and a beard; they also strengthen muscle tone and bone mass.

High levels of testosterone appear to promote good health in men, for example, lowering the risks of high blood pressure and heart attack. High testosterone levels also correlate with risky behavior, however, including increased aggressiveness and smoking, which may cancel out these health benefits.

Testosterone may be given to treat medical conditions, including female (but not male) breast cancer, hypogonadism (low gonadal function) in the male, cryptorchism (nondescent of the testis into the scrotum), and menorrhagia (irregular periods).