Tegretol

carbamazepine

Tegretol is a mood stabilizing drug known generically as carbamazepine. It belongs to a class of drugs known as anticonvulsants, which are used primarily in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. They are also used to treat schizophrenia and trigeminal neuralgia.

In a recent article in Metroactive by Loren Stein, entitled “Without Warning,” anticonvulsants were singled out as a possible cause of Steven-Johnson syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Both diseases are potentially fatal diseases in children that cause severe, systematic blistering and burning of the skin.