Posted by token on January 5, 2003, at 20:57:28
In reply to Re: my experience with topamax » token, posted by lorelai on January 5, 2003, at 19:10:13
> >
> > hi, i've been on topamax for 6 months now and it had the same effect on me- loss of words, no sense of direction, IQ drastically diminished... but what helped was to slowly increase it (took 3 months to reach 400mg).
> >
> > my neurologist also has me on singulair which is for asthma and it helps with the migraines. he said that if the topamax/singulair/maxalt mix no longer work that i should consider botox injections since my medication choices are limited. since i've been on these meds, i've only had 4 migraines that lasted less than 30 minutes (as opposed to days with vomiting). you shouldn't have to suffer- migraines are dibilitating and there are so many meds your docs can try! good luck!
> >
> In my case, the Topamax was one of several different meds my pdoc tried me on for bipolar disorder (not migraines). Have been through a whole slew of medications and am tired of trying to find the right thing. Wellbutrin was wonderful for the weight loss, but horrible for the ringing in my ears. Effexor caused scary memory loss (so did Serzone--though I believe the Serzone's caused longer term memory loss), Prozac and other similar meds have been ruled out (they cause extreme mania--for me, anyway). Depakote was awful (weight gain) and though it did work to even out my moods for a time, after a while it became ineffective. Still trying to find the right thing, but opting for the time being to simply deal with my problems via therapy. It's not going the greatest. Ah, well.
> ~Li have bipolar II...prozac confirmed that one! :) what fun! effexor worked for a while, it took some time before the side effects of nightmares and profuse sweating went away. zyprexa- that was hideous stuff! friends and family barely knew who i was anymore and i gained so much weight! seroquel was good but i only take it when i start losing sleep (and prevent mania). sometimes i take klonopin for mood stabilization and panic, as well, but i try to stay away from the narcotics. i used to have to take xanax in extreme cases (had to let it melt under the tongue). it's been 3 years of "let's see if this works" and for some reason my body likes topamax. it was amazing, for 3 weeks straight i was crying and in fits of rage and as soon as i started the topamax, i was incredibly stable. i lost weight at first but as my depression came back past couple months, so did the weight. my sister-in-law (bipolar I) is on lamictal with great results and no weight gain. i can't remember what other med she is on...she thinks it's strange that i am on so many meds when she only needs 2. well, it's not a competition and we can only support each other! has your psychdoc tried lamictal, zyprexa, or seroquel? as far as the weight gain on zyprexa, my friend has been on it 5 years and is actually trying to PUT ON weight. so maybe the side effects are different for everyone?
poster:token
thread:125424
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021230/msgs/134670.html