Compare Tegretol vs. Banzel
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Treats seizures and epilepsy.
Tegretol (carbamazepine) is useful for preventing seizures and relieving certain types of nerve pain, but reduces how well many other medications work.
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3.3/ 5 average rating with 61 reviewsforTegretol
Added to other medicines to control seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Banzel (rufinamide) is safe for children as young as 1 year old to control seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, but it cannot be taken by itself.
Upsides
- Lowers the frequency of seizures, especially for people with tonic-clonic and partial seizures.
- First-choice option for trigeminal neuralgia (nerve pain involving the face, head, and neck), and can relieve other types of nerve pain.
- Equetro is helpful in stabilizing mood for people with bipolar disorder.
- Available as a generic in many forms: pill, extended-release pill, suspension, and chewable tablet.
- Banzel (rufinamide) works well to control seizures when used with your other seizure medicines.
- If you have trouble swallowing, Banzel (rufinamide) is available in liquid and tablets can be crushed or cut into smaller pieces.
Downsides
- Takes several weeks to feel the full effects.
- Interacts with many other medicines and supplements.
- Higher risk of skin reactions compared to other antiepileptic medicines, ranging from mild to life-threatening rash.
- Requires routine blood tests to see how the medicine is affecting your body.
- Can't take the suspension form with other liquid medications.
- Banzel (rufinamide) has to be taken with other medicines to control seizures.
- Banzel (rufinamide) is for seizures caused by a very specific condition, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
- The dose of Banzel (rufinamide) may need to be adjusted frequently. You have to stick to the schedule from your doctor on how much and when to take it.
- You have to talk to your doctor if you're interested in stopping Banzel (rufinamide). Stopping Banzel (rufinamide) suddenly can make your seizures worse.
- Some people may be allergic to Banzel (rufinamide).
Used for
- Partial seizures
- Generalized tonic-clonic seizures
- Mixed seizure patterns
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Nerve pain
- Pain
- Agitation
- Depression
- Psychosis
- Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
- Restless legs syndrome
- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
Dosage forms
- Pill
- Extended-release pill
- Suspension
- Chewable tablet
- Pill
- Liquid
Price
Lowest price
$25.33
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$3152.02
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Reviews
61 reviews so far
56%
saidit'sworth it
43%
saiditworked well
23%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Tegretol (carbamazepine)?
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Side effects
The Tegretol (carbamazepine) FDA package insert doesn’t have numbers about how common side effects are.
18possible side effects
- Headache27%
- Dizziness19%
- Fatigue16%
- Nausea12%
- Sleepiness11%
- Double vision9%
- Tremors6%
- Difficulty controlling eyes6%
- Blurry vision6%
- Vomiting5%
- Movement coordination problems4%
- Upper abdominal pain3%
- Anxiety3%
- Constipation3%
- Indigestion3%
- Back pain3%
- Difficulty walking3%
- Balance problems3%
Risks and risk factors
- Life-threatening skin reactions
- Carrying HLA-B*1502 gene
- Asian ancestry
- Blood disorders
- Suicidal thoughts or behavior
- History of depression
- Serious allergic reactions
- History of allergic reaction to Trileptal (oxcarbamazepine)
- Pregnancy
- Mental changes due to low sodium
- Age 65 or older
- Dehydration
- Taking diuretics (water pills)
- Suicidal behavior
- Taking other medicines to control seizures
- Sleepiness and movement problems
- Heart problems
- Familial short QT syndrome
- Allergic reactions
- Children under 12 years of age
- Withdrawal seizures
- Stopping Banzel (rufinamide) suddenly