Tegretol And Feeling Suicidal

I’ve been on the anti-convulsant medication carbamazepine (Tegretol) for about 4 years. I was prescribed it for rampant anxiety and mood swings when I had to be taken off the beta-blocker propranolol because of asthma, had been on every anti-depressant and anxiolytic known to medicine and my GP figured maybe this was worth a try. I hate taking it because of one of the side effects, and I’ve tried to come off it a couple of times over the years.

I stopped taking it again around 6 weeks ago and, since then my anxiety has gone through the roof and I’ve become very depressed for the first time in ages. I’ve also felt lonely (NOT like me at all and what prompted me to go the no more panic forum the night they banned me), I’ve been hyper-sensitive, slept more and had much less energy. When I started to seriously consider the practicalities of hanging myself last night (f***k’s sake) I decided it was time to do something drastic because, for me, now, suicide is no longer an option.

So, after talking to my partner and having her confirm that my feelings have worsened since I stopped the drug, I’ve gone back onto the Tegretol……again.