Tegretol

I just wanted to know if any one had any side effects taking Tegretol. I know mine are 'expected' but just want to see if they are really typical as I am fairly dysfunctional.

I've been having pain in my face for around a month. Having ruled out the dentist I've been consistently taking pain killers. I went to urgent care last week and they gave me (blessed) steroids which ceased the pain, allowing me to eat for 3 whole days but making me very angry the whole time! I signed up to a GP but was told I'd have to wait 2 weeks to be seen.

On Tuesday I awoke with such chronic pain that NHS Direct called an ambulance at 3am. I was in A&E and I was prescribed tabs for migraine.

I saw my GP on the Wednesday, he told me not to take migraine tablets and he prescribed me Tegretol tabs 200mg twice a day and a sea water flush pump to see if there is a sinus infection. It's been three days, I've had 5 tablets and I'm really drowsy. My glands are up in my armpits which is painful.

Tegretol is prescribed for mood disorders, epilepsy and trigeminal neuralgia (my potential diagnosis). I'm going to see a health visitor and am going to ask questions at 1pm today. It's mere coincidence this was booked as I'd figured I'd be in work and would have to cancel it but I've just remembered the appointment! Work sent me home today and I voluntarily took 2 days off as I was completely out of it out after accidently taking my co-codamol the night before and realising the two shouldn't be mixed. I didn't properly wake up until 8pm yesterday having slept all night and day!

My symptoms are extreme drowsiness/fatigue, clumsiness, poorer eye sight than usual, glands up in neck and armpits (painful!) and generally being unable to concentrate/completely useless.

I've never really been heavily medicated before so this illness and necessity to take tabs has really crept up on me and I need to understand it more.