💊 Carbamazepine Oral Liquid 100 mg/5 mL (p)
📌 1. Prescription / Indication:
Carbamazepine oral liquid is used to treat:
- Epilepsy (partial seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures)
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Bipolar disorder (especially manic episodes)
- Neuropathic pain (off-label)
- Suitable for children, elderly, or patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets
📄 2. Description:
- Form: Oral suspension
- Strength: 100 mg per 5 mL (i.e., 20 mg/mL)
- Appearance: Usually orange or yellow-colored suspension
- Route: Oral
- Label: (p) indicates paediatric formulation or prescription-only
🔬 3. Nature / Pharmacological Class:
- Class: Anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer
- Mechanism of Action:
- Blocks sodium channels → reduces excessive nerve firing
- Modulates neurotransmitter activity (especially glutamate)
- Stabilizes overactive nerve membranes
🌟 4. Advantages:
- Liquid form allows precise dosing, especially in:
- Pediatric patients
- Elderly or patients with swallowing difficulty
- Useful for dose titration
- Effective for multiple neurological and psychiatric conditions
📦 5. Common Packaging:
| Volume | Packaging |
|---|---|
| 100 mL | Amber or plastic bottle with measuring cup/spoon |
| 150 mL | Often available for pediatric use |
| 200 mL | Large size for extended use |
🧊 6. Storage Instructions:
- Store at room temperature (15–25°C)
- Shake well before use (as it is a suspension)
- Do not refrigerate or freeze
- Keep bottle tightly closed, away from light
- Keep out of reach of children
👩⚕️ 7. Patient Advice:
- Always shake before each dose
- Use the measuring spoon/syringe provided – not a kitchen spoon
- Administer with food to reduce GI irritation
- Take at regular intervals—same time daily
- Do not stop suddenly; risk of seizures
- Watch for side effects:
- Drowsiness, dizziness
- Rash (report immediately)
- Upset stomach, headache
- Avoid alcohol
- Report signs of:
- Fever or sore throat (may indicate low WBCs)
- Yellowing of skin/eyes (liver issues)
- Attend regular blood tests (liver, kidney, sodium, blood count)
🎯 8. Purpose / Medical Uses:
- Seizure control in epilepsy
- Pain relief in trigeminal neuralgia
- Mood stabilization in bipolar disorder
- Pediatric use in childhood epilepsy
⚠️ 9. Warnings / Precautions:
- Contraindicated in:
- History of bone marrow depression
- Hypersensitivity to carbamazepine or tricyclic antidepressants
- May cause:
- Skin reactions (SJS, TEN – especially in Asian ancestry)
- Blood disorders (anemia, leukopenia)
- Hyponatremia
- Use cautiously in liver/kidney disease
- Requires dose adjustment when switching between tablet and liquid forms (not always bioequivalent)