# Carbamazepine in Nigeria

Carbamazepine has 12 active NAFDAC registrations in our October 2026 copy of the register, from 10 registration holders; 11 further listings have lapsed.

- Source: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/carbamazepine/
- Drug class: Antiepileptic and mood stabiliser (sodium channel blocker) (Epilepsy)
- Also known as: Tegretol, Carbamazepine CR, Carbamazepine retard
- Prescription required: yes
- On the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
- Last updated: August 2026

## Price in Nigeria

Carbamazepine prices in Nigeria vary by brand, strength, and where you buy it. Confirm the current price with a licensed pharmacy, and always check the product is NAFDAC-registered before you pay.

## What is Carbamazepine?

Carbamazepine is one of the oldest and most widely used antiepileptic medicines, and in Nigeria it is often the first drug a person with focal epilepsy is given. It works by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in nerve cells, which stops them firing in the rapid, repetitive bursts that produce a seizure. The same mechanism makes it strikingly effective for trigeminal neuralgia, a facial pain so severe it has been called the suicide disease, where carbamazepine remains the treatment of first choice worldwide.

Our copy of the NAFDAC register shows twelve active carbamazepine registrations from ten companies, including the original brand Tegretol from Novartis — both the standard 200mg tablet and the controlled-release CR version — alongside Indian-made generics such as Maopin, Tenzeltol and plain-labelled carbamazepine. That depth of supply is one of carbamazepine's practical advantages in Nigeria: it is generally available and generally affordable, which matters for a medicine somebody may take for decades.

Its drawback is interactions. Carbamazepine is a powerful inducer of liver enzymes, meaning it speeds up the breakdown of many other medicines — and of itself. This is not a footnote: it is the single most important thing to know about the drug, and the reason a doctor needs to see your full medicine list before prescribing it.

## What is Carbamazepine used for?

- Focal (partial-onset) seizures, with or without secondary generalisation — its main use
- Generalised tonic-clonic seizures
- Trigeminal neuralgia — the first-line treatment, often dramatically effective
- Bipolar disorder, particularly for preventing manic episodes where lithium is unsuitable
- Some neuropathic pain syndromes, including glossopharyngeal neuralgia
- Alcohol withdrawal in specific supervised settings

## Dosage

Always follow a doctor's or pharmacist's instructions; this is general reference information.

- Adults: Carbamazepine is always started low and built up slowly, because starting at a full dose causes dizziness and double vision. For epilepsy a typical start is 100mg to 200mg once or twice daily, increased in steps of 200mg at weekly intervals to a usual maintenance dose of 800mg to 1200mg per day in divided doses. For trigeminal neuralgia the starting dose is lower, often 100mg twice daily, increased until the pain stops. Controlled-release tablets are taken twice daily and give steadier blood levels with fewer peak-related side effects.
- Children: Children are dosed by weight, generally starting around 5mg per kg per day and increasing gradually toward 10 to 20mg per kg per day in divided doses, under specialist supervision. Because carbamazepine induces its own metabolism, the dose that worked in the first month often needs raising by the second — this is expected, not treatment failure, and is a reason children on carbamazepine need regular review.
- Elderly: Older adults are more sensitive to the dizziness, unsteadiness and low-sodium effects of carbamazepine, and are more likely to be taking other medicines it interacts with. Doses are started lower and increased more slowly, and sodium levels are worth checking.

CARBAMAZEPINE INDUCES ITS OWN BREAKDOWN. Blood levels fall over the first few weeks even on an unchanged dose, so a dose that worked initially may need increasing — your doctor plans for this. Never stop carbamazepine suddenly: abrupt withdrawal of any antiepileptic can trigger severe seizures. And be aware that a fever with mouth ulcers, sore throat, bruising or a rash in the first months is not an ordinary illness on this drug — it needs a blood count the same day.

## Side effects

Common: Dizziness and unsteadiness, especially when the dose goes up; Double or blurred vision; Drowsiness and fatigue; Nausea, vomiting and dry mouth; Mild rash — which still needs reporting, because rashes on carbamazepine are not all mild.

Serious (seek medical help immediately): Severe skin reactions — Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, which can be fatal; DRESS syndrome — rash with fever, swollen glands and organ involvement; Aplastic anaemia and agranulocytosis — a dangerous fall in blood cells; Hyponatraemia (low blood sodium), causing confusion, headache and in severe cases seizures; Liver injury and, rarely, heart rhythm disturbance.

When to see a doctor: ANY rash on carbamazepine should be reported the same day, because the difference between a harmless rash and the start of Stevens-Johnson syndrome cannot be judged at home. Seek urgent care for a blistering rash, mouth or eye ulcers, or a rash with fever. See a doctor promptly for unexplained fever, sore throat, mouth ulcers, easy bruising or bleeding — all possible signs of a falling blood count — and for confusion, severe headache or new unsteadiness.

## Warnings

Do not take if: Known hypersensitivity to carbamazepine or to tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline — the structures are related; Atrioventricular heart block or a history of bone-marrow depression; Use with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), or within 14 days of stopping one; Acute intermittent porphyria; Carbamazepine can worsen absence and myoclonic seizures — it is the wrong drug for those seizure types.

Interactions: HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES — carbamazepine speeds their breakdown and can cause the pill, implant or patch to fail; an alternative or additional method is needed; Warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants — levels fall, reducing protection against clots; Antiretrovirals for HIV, and rifampicin for tuberculosis — significant two-way interactions requiring specialist advice; Other antiepileptics including sodium valproate, phenytoin and lamotrigine — levels shift in both directions; Erythromycin, clarithromycin, fluconazole and grapefruit juice — these RAISE carbamazepine levels and can cause toxicity; Paracetamol taken long-term — carbamazepine increases the liver-toxic metabolite.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Carbamazepine crosses the placenta and carries a recognised risk of birth defects, including neural tube defects such as spina bifida — lower than the risk with sodium valproate, but real. Any woman of childbearing age taking carbamazepine should be on folic acid supplementation and should plan pregnancy with her doctor rather than discovering it. Do not stop the medicine on finding out you are pregnant: uncontrolled seizures are dangerous to both mother and baby, and the decision needs a doctor within days, not a unilateral stop. Carbamazepine passes into breast milk in small amounts and breastfeeding is usually considered compatible, with the infant watched for drowsiness and poor feeding.

## Brands in Nigeria

Well-known NAFDAC-registered brands: Tegretol Tablets 200mg (Novartis Nigeria Limited, made in Italy); Tegretol CR Tablets (Novartis Nigeria Limited, made in Italy); Maopin Tablets (Pharmexco Pharmaceuticals Limited, made in India); Tenzeltol 200 Tablet (Maydon Pharmaceuticals Limited, made in India); Carbamazepine 200 mg Tablets (Mankind Life-Sciences Limited, made in India).
Full searchable brand list: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/carbamazepine/brands/

## How to verify it is genuine

1. Check the NAFDAC number on the pack — Tegretol 200mg carries 04-0024 and Tegretol CR carries 04-0037 in our copy of the register.
2. Nigerian-market generics include Maopin (A4-9213), Tenzeltol 200 (04-8649) and Mankind's Carbamazepine 200mg (B4-5055).
3. Confirm the number with our NAFDAC checker before paying, and be wary of loose tablets sold without a pack — an antiepileptic identified only by its colour is not identified at all.
4. Buy from a registered pharmacy. Carbamazepine is taken daily for years, and a substandard batch shows up as breakthrough seizures, not as an obvious fault.
5. Note whether you are given the standard or the CR (controlled-release) tablet — they are not interchangeable dose for dose without medical advice.

Verify any NAFDAC number free (no login): https://ogbogwu.com/nafdac-checker/

## FAQs

### Does carbamazepine stop birth control from working?

Yes, and this is one of the most important interactions in medicine for women of childbearing age. Carbamazepine induces liver enzymes that break down the hormones in the combined pill, the progestogen-only pill, implants and patches, which can cause them to fail and lead to an unplanned pregnancy on a medicine that carries a risk of birth defects. A copper IUD, a hormonal IUS or the depot injection are generally unaffected. If you are on carbamazepine and using hormonal contraception, raise it with your doctor — do not assume you are protected.

### How much is Tegretol in Nigeria?

Tegretol, the Novartis original, sits at the top of the price range for carbamazepine, while Indian-made generics such as Maopin and Tenzeltol are substantially cheaper. With around a dozen companies holding active registrations, carbamazepine is one of the better-supplied antiepileptics in Nigeria and prices are generally more stable than for newer drugs like levetiracetam. Check the price section of this page for current sampled figures and compare a few pharmacies.

### What is the difference between Tegretol and Tegretol CR?

The active medicine is identical; the difference is how fast it is released. Standard Tegretol releases carbamazepine quickly, producing a peak in the blood a few hours after each dose — and it is those peaks that cause the dizziness and double vision many people get. Tegretol CR (controlled release) spreads the release out, giving steadier levels, fewer peak-related side effects and twice-daily rather than three-times-daily dosing. Switching between them should be done with your doctor, as the dose may need adjusting.

### Is carbamazepine good for nerve pain?

For trigeminal neuralgia specifically, carbamazepine is the first-line treatment worldwide and is often dramatically effective — many people get complete relief. For other kinds of nerve pain, such as diabetic neuropathy or post-shingles pain, it is less clearly the best option and drugs like amitriptyline or pregabalin are usually tried first. Nerve pain needs a diagnosis before a prescription, because the right drug depends on which nerve problem you have.

### Why do I need blood tests on carbamazepine?

Carbamazepine can rarely suppress the bone marrow, causing a dangerous fall in white cells or platelets, and it can also lower blood sodium and disturb liver enzymes. Doctors therefore often check a full blood count, sodium and liver function before starting and periodically afterwards. Where routine monitoring is not practical, the safety net is symptom awareness: unexplained fever, sore throat, mouth ulcers, bruising, bleeding, confusion or any rash should be reported immediately rather than waited out.

### Can carbamazepine be taken with malaria treatment?

This needs a pharmacist or doctor to check rather than a general answer, because carbamazepine interacts with several antimalarials in both directions and the picture depends on which one you are given. It is a genuine and common issue in Nigeria, where a person on long-term epilepsy treatment may be prescribed an antimalarial by a different clinician who does not know about it. Always tell whoever treats your malaria that you take carbamazepine, and carry a written list of your regular medicines.

## Sources

- NAFDAC Greenbook (official register of approved products in Nigeria)
- WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
- British National Formulary (BNF)
- Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health)