Carbamazepine is an oral anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer used to treat epilepsy, trigeminal neuralgia, and bipolar disorder by stabilizing hyperactive nerve membranes and blocking voltage-gated sodium channels. It was first synthesized in the 1950s by Geigy as a tricyclic antidepressant analog, but its anticonvulsant properties led to clinical use in the 1960s. Over time, carbamazepine became a cornerstone therapy for seizures and neuropathic pain, valued for its efficacy, though it requires monitoring due to possible side effects like dizziness, hyponatremia, and rare hematologic or dermatologic reactions.
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