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Medication causes excessive tiredness.

Go me, I had an appointment with my psychiatrist yesterday and didn't bring this up. I'll bring it up next time, but since that is two months away from now I thought I'd ask you lovely people here.

One medication I take for my mental health is Tegretol (XR, which is possibly important). When I first started taking it last year I slept constantly. That wore off after a few weeks, for the most part.

This year we decreased the Tegretol in half because it was making me too much of a zombie emotionally (and I honestly usually slept through the second dose). Right now I feel much better emotionally compared to where I was. But I am so tired all the time. I can sleep for almost 24 hours if not longer after taking my medication. I used to have bad insomnia, but I don't need any sleep medication most of the time.

I'm thinking it might be from it being extended release and maybe taking the regular version would alleviate some of the drowsiness. Otherwise I've no clue why this side effect got worse after decreasing it. I will be discussing this with my doctor in December and will call her if I need to, but I was wondering if anyone here on TeenHelp has experienced this if they have taken it before.

Cheers, y'all.

Re: Medication causes excessive tiredness.

Typicaly XR medication doesn't make you as tired as slow released medication. This is because the XR is extended release so it is basically slowly beign release in to your problem so then the side affects are going to be lessened. However it it was the other way around you would have it all goingin your system at once making you really tired. I only know this because I am on quitipaine XR.

My sister was on this medication and it made her so unwell she was sick and couldn't walk or anything so I had to call am ambulance and she was taken to hospital for it.

I really think that you should talk to someone about this. If you can put up with it then talk to your psych about it when you next see them, however, if its bad try see a doctor. And if yu have any further questions shoot away :)

Re: Medication causes excessive tiredness.

I've been bouncing between different medications all year from side effects and I can usually call the prescribing doctor's office and they'll give the doctor a message about whatever I'm experiencing and they'll call back with the recommendation.

Re: Medication causes excessive tiredness.

Having your medication decreased and feeling tired from it could actually be a symptom of withdrawal, and not of the medications expected response. It's not a full withdrawal cause you still take it but lowering the dosage means your body/ brain isn't getting what it's used to.

That's my first thought about why your experiencing being tired again. I think it is important to talk to a physician any how. Perhaps you can call your psychiatrist and let him/her or their receptionist know tat this is a problem and if they can possibly let your physician know what to do if he/she can't see you any sooner. Hopefully that helps.

Re: Medication causes excessive tiredness.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palmolive (Post 1255167)

Typicaly XR medication doesn't make you as tired as slow released medication.

I think you mean instant release medication.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Always * (Post 1255231)

Probably not.

To OP: Did you always take the extended release version? Did the pills change at all? Are you sure it is the same brand as before?

Tegretol is notorious for drowsy feeling. You should talk to them and see if they feel like a different medication is more appropriate.

Re: Medication causes excessive tiredness.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Always * (Post 1255231)

I don't think it would be withdrawal symptoms. I've been on this dose consistently for quite a few months now. I'm just now starting to get fed up with always being tired and needing to sleep often and never really getting a restful sleep regardless of duration.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lelola (Post 1255616)

To OP: Did you always take the extended release version? Did the pills change at all? Are you sure it is the same brand as before?

Tegretol is notorious for drowsy feeling. You should talk to them and see if they feel like a different medication is more appropriate.

I've been taking the XR form since I started it sometime July 2015. All of 2016 I've received the generic form of the medication from the same pharmacy and manufacturer as well. I take Seroquel XR (for the anti-psychotic benefits) at the same time as the Tegretol, but I've never experienced drowsiness with Seroquel by itself. Tegretol is definitely notorious for the drowsiness. I am also notorious for the majority of psych medications not working as they should or at all. Tegretol was tried after many others, but there's always the option of trying one I haven't or one that I have (that may not have been given enough time/at a high enough dose to work), so I will definitely discuss that when I see my doctor.

I'm thinking I could try taking the Seroquel in the morning and the Tegretol at night to see if it makes a difference. Something to try within the next one to two months while I wait. I'm obviously not a doctor and none of you are, but I was thinking if I were to be prescribed the regular release form instead of XR if the drowsiness would wear off in a reasonable amount of time instead of being an all day drowsy thing? Just a thought. More things to discuss.

Thank you all for your input! It has really given me some things to bring up with my doctor when I talk to her this week (read: leave a message and play phone tag for a couple weeks ;)).