Anticonvulsant medicines such as carbamazepine (for example,
Tegretol) and valproate (for example, Depakene or Depakote) are often used
along with antipsychotic medicines to treat
schizophrenia.
While anticonvulsants are usually used to treat
seizures or unusual electrical patterns in the brain,
they can also help regulate mood. Anticonvulsants taken along with
antipsychotic medicines may reduce the severity of symptoms during
relapses of schizophrenia. They may also reduce
agitation and violent behaviors that are sometimes associated with
schizophrenia.
Side effects of valproate may include drowsiness, low energy, and
stomach upset. Uncommon side effects can include weight gain, temporary hair
loss, headaches, and confusion. A new warning label has recently been added to
valproate injections and divalproex tablets/capsules that warns of a possible
increased chance of
pancreatitis in anyone who takes these medicines and
polycystic ovary syndrome in women who take them.
Valproate may also cause problems with liver function and blood
disorders. These problems can be monitored by liver function tests and blood
counts.
Carbamazepine is not used with the medicine clozapine because both of
these medicines can cause a severe drop in the number of
white blood cells (agranulocytosis).
People of Asian ancestry may be at a higher risk for skin problems
from taking carbamazepine. These skin problems, which include
Stevens-Johnson syndrome and
toxic epidermal necrolysis, can be dangerous. The FDA
recommends that people of Asian background be tested before they take
carbamazepine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on
anticonvulsants and the risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts. The FDA does not
recommend that people stop using these medicines. Instead, people who take
anticonvulsant medicine should be watched closely for
warning signs of suicide. People who take
anticonvulsant medicine and who are worried about this side effect should talk
to a doctor.
For more information on anticonvulsants, see Drug Reference. (Drug
Reference is not available in all systems.)
