I'm currently taking Phenobarbital for my seizures and it's not working out. My Dr is going to put me on Carbatrol and I was wondering what other people thought of this drug. What side effects do you have? Does it make you tired? I have also heard about the drug Lamictal. Is this better than Carbatrol? Please let me know if you have any advice. Thanks.

Greetings,
I take Carbatrol and Lamictal. My Doc is slowly increasing the Lamictal while lowering the Carbatrol since I do have some side effects from Carbatrol (sleepiness, difficulty concentrating etc.) So far I seem to be more clear headed, and my short term memory retrieval is improving. I have suffered from Grand Mal seizures, including Status Epilepticus. I now seem to have mostly one-sided partial seizures. I hope the medication is right for you. My Neurologist insists that he will be able to keep my seizures under control, with minimal side effects. We'll see! Don't be afraid to insist on a med change if you're unhappy. One drug may work for some, and not for others. Good luck, Kathy

Cabatrol (tegrotol) was a drug I never had a good experience on, although it is prescribed for a lot of people and everyone's experiences will be different.

I experienced severe fatigue, balloon weight gain and depression.