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Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine) within 2 weeks before, during, and after treatment with this medication. In some cases a serious (possibly fatal) drug interaction may occur.

This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious interactions may occur: darunavir, delavirdine, etravirine, nefazodone, voriconazole.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: other anti-seizure medications (e.g., felbamate, valproic acid), lithium, SSRI antidepressants (e.g., fluoxetine), telithromycin, tramadol, drugs affecting liver enzymes that remove carbamazepine from your body (such as azole antifungals-including itraconazole, macrolide antibiotics-including erythromycin, cimetidine, rifamycins-including rifabutin, St John's wort, propoxyphene, danazol, calcium channel blockers-including verapamil).

Carbamazepine can cause certain liver enzymes to speed up the removal of other drugs from your body, possibly decreasing their effectiveness. These affected drugs include (this is not a complete list): certain cancer drugs (dasatinib, lapatinib, sunitinib, irinotecan), caspofungin, cyclosporine, doxycycline, HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., amprenavir, saquinavir), levothyroxine, psychiatric medications (e.g., clozapine, haloperidol, risperidone, trazodone), theophylline, warfarin.

This medication may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control such as pills, patch, or ring. This could cause pregnancy. Discuss with your doctor or pharmacist if you should use additional reliable birth control methods while using this medication. Also tell your doctor if you have any new spotting or breakthrough bleeding, because these may be signs that your birth control is not working well.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you also take drugs that cause drowsiness such as: certain antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine), anti-anxiety drugs (e.g., diazepam), medicine for sleep (e.g., sedatives), muscle relaxants, narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), psychiatric medicines (e.g., phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine, tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline), tranquilizers.

Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of those products.

This product can affect the results of certain lab tests (e.g., thyroid function, some pregnancy tests). Make sure laboratory personnel and your doctors know you are using this drug.

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly. Symptoms of overdose may include: slowed breathing, loss of consciousness, muscle twitching, uncontrolled movements, very fast heartbeat.

NOTES: Do not share this medication with others.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., complete blood count, blood chemistry, kidney and liver function tests, eye exams, carbamazepine blood levels) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Keep all laboratory and medical appointments. Consult your doctor for more details.

Wear or carry identification indicating you are using this drug.

MISSED DOSE: If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up. Call your doctor if you miss more than one dose in a day.

STORAGE: Store at room temperature (77 degrees F or 25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

MEDICAL ALERT: Your condition can cause complications in a medical emergency. For enrollment information call MedicAlert at 1-800-854-1166 (USA), or 1-800-668-1507 (Canada).

Information last revised May 2011 Copyright(c) 2011 First DataBank, Inc.