Hi all!
How many of you on carbamezepine have experienced weight gain? I was just switched from Topamax to hopefully control my siezures better. I've always had trouble controlling my weight and the topa helped me loose some weight an I'm worried that it'll be all down the drain. Of course seizure control is more important, but I also have high blood pressure to worry about as well, so it's just something I'm a little worried about.

Thanks!

I did gain! And believe me, I gained a lot!

But Tegretol is supposedly to be weight neutral, so it is very individual!
I can only say that the weight gain, compared to the gain on Depakine is far less! But don't know if that is any help to you!

I've been on Tegretol for most of 20+ years, and it has had no influence on my weight. Ironically, the brief stint on Topamax (which I will never go on again) caused a 15 pound weight gain in a month. I'm not amused.

Everybody responds to stuff differently. It could be that going off of the Topamax could be the culprit....I didn't gain weight on it (was too dopey to eat), but after going off of it. I think the stuff was developed in terror cells......:)

Well that certainly makes a difference too it developing into fat cells!
But neither is very nice............

I'm pretty sure Tegretol caused weight gain for me. I don't know if I'm remembering it right, but I believe when I went on Tegretol, I slowly gained 10-15 lbs. Then my doctor added Keppra, and I lost what I had gained. And then my doctor increased my Tegretol again, and I gained 15 lbs since then (about 4 years ago). ...Although my Keppra was increased a couple years ago, and I didn't lose anything...
I wonder if I have that backwards and the Keppra caused the weight gain! Gaah! I don't remember!