Children’s bodies digest carbamazepine, the medicine in Carbatrol, faster than adults’ bodies do. Because they absorb it so quickly, side effects like sleepiness, double vision, or dizziness can be a problem for children when they take forms that are quickly absorbed. This kind of effect should be reduced if they take Carbatrol, because the level of medicine in their blood will be more even.

Because their bodies break down the medicine faster, children need to take more, pound for pound, than adults do. Even so, the smallest Carbatrol capsule, 100 milligrams, may be too large a dose for a very small child, especially when treatment is just beginning.

By the time children reach their early teens, their bodies absorb, digest, and excrete medicines more like adults do, so they may need to take less medicine than they took when they were a little younger.

Carbatrol is useful in treating many kinds of seizures that occur in children. But other types that are also common can be made worse, so a correct diagnosis is very important.

Parents and doctors also need to watch for problems with thinking or behavior. These problems are uncommon, but if they occur they can interfere with the child’s development and school performance.