Also has a host of very dangerous sides.
Carbamazepine
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Carbamazepine Carbamazepine.svg
Carbamazepine (CBZ) (Tegretol, Equetro) is an anticonvulsant and mood-stabilizing drug used primarily in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder, as well as trigeminal neuralgia. Off-label uses include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, phantom limb syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, borderline personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Studies on the use of carbamazepine in pregnant women have demonstrated exposure of the fetus to the drug and its metabolites. Intrauterine exposure to carbamazepine has been shown to be teratogenic and is associated with the development of spina bifida,[2] neurodevelopmental problems,[3] craniofacial defects, cardiovascular malformations, hypospadias, and developmental delays.
It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, a list of the most important medication needed in a basic health system.[4]
Medical uses
Carbamazepine is typically used for the treatment of seizure disorders and neuropathic pain.[5] It may be used off-label as a second line treatment for bipolar disorder and as an adjunct, never alone, with an antipsychotic in some cases of schizophrenia when treatment with a conventional antipsychotic alone has failed.[5]
In the United States, the FDA-approved indications are epilepsy (including partial seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures and mixed seizures), trigeminal neuralgia, and manic and mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder.[6] Although data are still lacking, carbamazepine appears to be as effective and safe as lithium for the treatment of bipolar disorder, both in the acute and maintenance phase.[7]