Tegretol-XR is the brand name for the drug carbamazepine. Tegretol-XR is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating epilepsy and neuralgic pain. Northwest Behavioral Medicine of Atlanta points out that some "off label" uses for this drug include the treatment of bipolar disorder and acute mania. As with any medication, Tegretol-XR has the risk of side effects.
Agranulocytosis
The use of this drug can cause a sudden drop in white blood cells in the body, called agranulocytosis. When a specific type of white blood cell, called granulocytes, are depleted, the individual is susceptible to life-threatening infections, reports Northwest Behavioral Medicine of Atlanta. This rarely occurs with the use of Tegretol-XR, but early warning signs include sore throat, fever and a general feeling of illness.
Aplastic Anemia
Tegretol-XR, on rare occasions, causes aplastic anemia, a potentially fatal condition. Aplastic anemia occurs when the bone marrow fails to produce blood cells, such as platelets that are responsible for clotting. Individuals with this type of anemia can develop infections due to the diminished white cell count, anemia from minimal red blood cell levels and can bleed unusually from a lack of platelets. PsychEducation.org points out that blood tests are often done for the first six months of use of the drug to identify such blood cell conditions right away.
Serious Skin Conditions
RxList.com identifies toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome as two possible adverse reactions to Tegretol-XR. These conditions occur in about one to six new users per 10,000 Caucasian users and about 10 times more often in patients of Asian descent, according to RxList.com. New patients are monitored for the development of a common rash from the medication as this rash can progress into one of the two serious dermatologic conditions. In addition to a rash, Drugs.com suggests patients experiencing toxic epidermal necrolysis or Stevens-Johnson Syndrome due to Tegretol-XR may notice hair loss, a sensitivity to light and unusual bruising. Merck Manual suggests patients may experience body aches, fever, a flat red rash, blisters that appear on the mucous membranes and skin peeling. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is likely to cause small areas of peeling skin but toxic epidermal necrolysis causes larger patches. If left untreated, the skin will continue to peel away over the course of one to 14 days. Rarely do these conditions become progressive from using Tegretol-XR because new patients are monitored closely for early symptoms.
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