PRECAUTIONS: Before taking carbamazepine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to other anti-seizure medications (e.g., phenobarbital, phenytoin) or tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline, desipramine); or if you have any other allergies. This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: decreased bone marrow function (bone marrow depression), a certain blood disorder (acute intermittent porphyria). Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: high blood pressure, blood clots, blood vessel disease, heart disease (e.g., coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, heart rhythm or conduction disorders), kidney disease, liver disease, glaucoma, mental/mood disorders, certain types of seizures (atypical absence seizures), history of decreased bone marrow function due to other drugs. This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy; use caution engaging in activities requiring alertness such as driving or using machinery. Limit alcoholic beverages. This medication may make you more sensitive to the sun. Avoid prolonged sun exposure, tanning booths or sunlamps. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when outdoors. This medication is not recommended for use during pregnancy due to the risk of possible birth defects and complications in the infant at birth. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. If you become pregnant while taking this drug, contact your doctor immediately. If you are pregnant, prenatal care including tests for spinal cord defects is recommended. This medication passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Therefore, breast-feeding while using this drug is not recommended. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: See also the How to Use section. Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first. Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (e.g., furazolidone, isocarboxazid, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, selegiline, tranylcypromine) within 2 weeks before or after treatment with this medication. In some cases a serious, possibly fatal, drug interaction may occur. This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious interactions may occur: delavirdine, nefazodone, telithromycin, voriconazole. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: other anti-seizure medications (e.g., felbamate, valproic acid), lithium, SSRI antidepressants (e.g., fluoxetine), tramadol, drugs affecting liver enzymes that remove carbamazepine from your body (such as azole antifungals-including itraconazole, macrolide antibiotics-including erythromycin, cimetidine, rifamycins-including rifabutin, St John's wort, propoxyphene, danazol, calcium channel blockers-including verapamil). Carbamazepine can cause certain liver enzymes to speed up the removal of other drugs from your body, possibly decreasing their effectiveness. These affected drugs include: caspofungin, cyclosporine, doxycycline, HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., amprenavir, saquinavir), levothyroxine, psychiatric medications (e.g., clozapine, haloperidol, risperidone), theophylline, warfarin. This medication may decrease the effectiveness of birth control products that contain hormones including combination type birth control pills, patches, injections, and implants. This can result in pregnancy. You may need to use an additional form of reliable birth control while using this medication. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you also take drugs that cause drowsiness such as: certain antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine), anti-anxiety drugs (e.g., diazepam), medicine for sleep (e.g., sedatives), muscle relaxants, narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), psychiatric medicines (e.g., phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine, tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline), tranquilizers. Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of those products. This product can affect the results of certain lab tests (e.g., thyroid function, some pregnancy tests). Make sure laboratory personnel and your doctors know you are using this drug.

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Need help identifying pills and medications? Use the pill identifier tool on RxList.