No Date: question about Tegretol

Dear Friends,

I was scheduled for a LSH but it was postponed. The reason? I began having very heavy bleeding mid-cycle about 1 month prior to the surgery and I was showing as anemic. This was not new--I had already become used to heavy bleeding; hence the decision to have the surgery. But the one thing that was new was a decision to see a psychiatrist about ongoing mood swings and a prescription for Tegretol. Usually it's prescribed to treat seizures, but some docs use it for "soft" bi-polar. Anti-depressants have never worked for me, so my doc and I agreed that it was worth a try. The mood swings were getting pretty intense so I was starting to think that it had something to do with fear of the surgery. I kept my GYN in the loop and started taking the drug about a month ago. So far I feel a little less moody, but I can't say the mood swings are gone. The bigger worry, though, is the weird hormonal issues that have now showed up but that I didn't have before. I'm not menopausal yet, and though I have horrible periods they are pretty regular. But, since taking the Tegretol I can hardly put on a bra! The breast soreness is really bad, and now I have skipped a period and an ovarian cyst (3 cm) has appeared on ultrasound. So, here's what's bothering me. I took this drug to try and get more stable so I could have the operation. But I swear I think it has made me MORE hormonal. Is this possible? Does anyone know? In one month I have gained weight (6 lbs)! I keep asking the docs whether Tegretol has hormonal side effects and both keep saying it does not. Does ANYONE out there have an experience like this? I really want to get just a little comfortable, a little less anemic and a little more positive so I can go ahead with this surgery in December. Your thoughts are most appreciated.

Hi Pandora3 -

I am sorry you are dealing with this, and I wish I knew the answer to your question.

It sounds as if you are talking to your doctors already. Keep everyone in the loop, and hopefully everything can proceed.

We have numerous women on this site with a wide range of experiences. Hopefully someone who has some knowledge of this will see your post and respond.

Thank you for your kind reply.

hi,

I don't have personal experience but I can point you in the direction of some information I found on a reputable website.

If you put into your google search engine the words " tegretol Novartis Australia" there is a 25 page drug information PDF that describes the drug and how it works in great detail.
Much of it I think is hard to understand but weight gain is mentioned as a side effect of taking the drug.
On page 10 there is a paragraph on the endocrinological effects which says that taking "Tegretol may cause cause failure of the therapeutic effect of any drugs containing oestrogen and/or progesterone"
So yes there does seem to be an impact on hormones.

Hopefully, some others ladies who take tegretol will be able to share their experiences.

All the best!

Thanks. I'm going to look that up right now.
Best Regards,
P

I take Tegretol for mood stabilization. It has really worked for me. I did not have any "hormonal" changes that you describe, however I have had weight gain associated with the Tegretol & lexapro ( SSRI /antidepressant ). I am more than willing to accept the weight gain, because these drugs have literally given me my life back. Also, in the 5 weeks since my DVH I feel great! hormones and anxiety/ depression all in good places!