![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1609 to 1633 of 1838. Go back in thread:
Posted by headachequeen on July 16, 2005, at 20:33:24
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by stresser on July 16, 2005, at 19:01:47
Things did get better for me, and my daughter as well. They will for you. Give it a little time. -L
"Give it a little time" is sound advice...
and is something that should become a mantra for you and for all of us.
Nothing happens to us overnight, so we should not expect change to occur overnight either...
but we do.Thursday I was helping in a friend's shop... she has a storefront where she sells essential oils, jewellery, chakra crystals, and angel figurines, and some wonderful clothing, while the treatment rooms for reiki, iet, reflexology, swedish massage, massage therapy and so on, are in the same building.
This has been our community's summer festival weekend with the main street closed off and all sorts of goings-on. We featured mini-therapies and specials on clothing and jewellery (she also hangs my prints I might add <s>) and when one of us was busy doing treatments, someone was there to deal with customers or book clients.
One woman came in and wanted to try on one of the spaghetti strap thii dresses... she told us she weighs 252 pounds and when she gains about 20 more pounds she just KNOWS her doctor will refer her for stomach stapling...
we were trying to suggest safer ways to lose weight... she has an excuse for her weight gain - she is about 5'5" - a 'sensitivity' (I had mentioned losing 11 pounds or so in a matter of about a week when I quit eating grains of any kind because I have a sensitivity to grains) and she countered with her sensitivity that caused her weight gain: she had a hysterectomy... well, big deal, there were at least three of the practitioners there who were in the same canoe...
I suggested she try the nuts before meals and the raw vegetables and fruit... doesn't work for her, because she is still hungry after a salad (so eat a larger salad???) -- she eats mostly potatoes, meat and brown bread...
I also mentioned that since I started taking topomax and quit the grains, I had lost interest in food for the most part....
the look on her face... one of the reiki practitioners had to leave and run to the back of the clinic because she had to laugh. This woman does not want to lose interest in her food...
she wants the fast fix...
have her stomach stapled get thin, then eat to her heart's content...
and it is not going to work that way.
She quickly told me that topomax would not work for her because it is a pharmaceutical and she just knew that her doctor would never approve anything that dangerous... so, stapling her stomach and then cramming herself with food is safe???????????
Gaining even more weight is safe?????
Then she mentioned that she noticed I had lost a lot of weight so how could I understand her problem.... and added that she often saw my husband and me walking together... and offered to join us...
Oh, I can see that going over really well with the dogs and him... so, we quickly convinced her that her idea was not a wise one LOL
She told me that she walks a lot, from her house to the local variety store in the evenings to get snacks and pop to watch television....
Oh, she needs time too... with her attitude she will never be a candidate for stapling and she has to realise what a risk it is anyway, but did not want to accept the risks... it was the fast track to being slim... with the added convenience of being able to eat all she wanted afterward...She was also disgusted when I told her that I could not perform reiki to help her become slim... it is a great way to balance energy and help deal with pain and to increase the efficacy of medical treatment, not an alternative to medical treatment and certainly not a magical way to banish extra pounds...
told me I would never make any money with that attitude <GGGG>so I have to remember that it takes time to educate people about things... including weight and alternative therapies ....
but Michelle, when you use topomax to help balance mood and food habits, give it time... take the slow approach for your ongoing well-being and let it do its work slowly and safely and don't expect overnight results...
it will happen in its own time...Here I am, slimmer... now a size eight and really comfortable with it, no migraines, and best of all, no seizures for almost a month....
and that is the best news of all!!!! and taking only topomax, no other AEDs....
it is good working stuff as long as it is given time to work....kat
ps -L I miss hearing from you too... and your email address no longer works
Posted by jelly on July 17, 2005, at 18:29:00
In reply to Re: topomax » stresser, posted by headachequeen on July 16, 2005, at 20:33:24
I started out slowly on Topamax and so far, haven't had any noticeable side effects. I'm currently on 50 mg - 25 mg in the morning and 25 mg at night. My doctor recently increased the dosage to 100 mg - 50 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night.
I'm wondering if going straight from 50 mg to 100 mg will be a big change...or if I'm worrying too much (I've read what a lot of you have gone through). I didn't have any problems going from nothing to 25 mg or from 25 mg to 50 mg. Does everyone have problems when increasing the dose - or is do the side effects occur only at much higher dosages? Should I go a few days at 75 mg or not worry about it and go straight to 100 mg?
Posted by michelle1 on July 17, 2005, at 19:49:52
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by jelly on July 17, 2005, at 18:29:00
My children are 3 and 5. I definitely am glad I have found this website. Finally someone(s) who understands what I am going through. Great words of encouragement. I have taken your advice and cut back to 25 mg and the pain in my right arm seemed to go away. When I do increase I think I should try 25mg in the day and 25mg at night that way not all at once. There is no simple solution to weight lose you have to I think consider everything how long it took to get that way, what are you eating, how has my lifestyle changed. I mean I have so may variables here. The point is I don't want to increase to that eating of the nuts before meals sounds interesting I have already begun to increase my fruits and vegetable thatI loved back in the day before I married the MEAT MAN I DON'T EAT FRUIT OR MANY VEGETABLES.
Posted by Nickengland on July 18, 2005, at 8:59:39
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by jelly on July 17, 2005, at 18:29:00
Hello Jelly & and also hello there to the other posters of this Topamax thread. I'm fairly new to Topamax myself and thought I would join this thread to add my own experiences :-) (I know stesser already - Hi stresser too :-)
I'v been through the more tradiditional mood stabilisers in the past year and not had the best of results which is why I have now finally ended with - and am extreamly happy with Topamax. I also take a low dose of Neurontin for anxiety and find this combination the best so far...and one that I do feel I really dont need to alter in anyway. I think I've found that this is probably "as good as it gets" so to speak and like I say im doing well (such a relief to be able to say that lol)
Im bipolar.. I would fall under the bipolar 2 diagnosis - im from England, here they just call you "bipolar"
>I'm wondering if going straight from 50 mg to 100 mg will be a big change...or if I'm worrying too much (I've read what a lot of you have gone through). I didn't have any problems going from nothing to 25 mg or from 25 mg to 50 mg. Does everyone have problems when increasing the dose - or is do the side effects occur only at much higher dosages? Should I go a few days at 75 mg or not worry about it and go straight to 100 mg?
I would suggest though my experience, if you didnt have any problems going from 25mg to 50mg....the hopefuly you wouldn't have any problems going from 50mg to 75mg - but if you make a 50mg jump..then possibly you may increase side effects? Might be best to stick with what you know you can handle, and what works?
I actually have the Topamax "sprinkle capsules" (just happened to be what my doctor prescribed me) I've started off by actually dividing the capsule in half..so I started with 12.5mg - then going to 25mg and up like this. I've persoanlly found that the slower you increase the far better the decrease in side effects is. Really it makes a big difference.
I did experiment - I tried with 25mg at first and got hit by side effects...but since I used the 12.5mg..its been far better.
Also I only plan (so far) to use 50mg a day of Topamax as my dosage...purely because out of all the medications I take, I always use and only need low doses in general. I guess why take more of a powerful drug if you have your symtoms under control? This is what dosages my doctor prescribes me too.
Kind regards
Nick
Posted by jelly on July 18, 2005, at 11:59:21
In reply to Re: topomax » jelly, posted by Nickengland on July 18, 2005, at 8:59:39
Nick,
Thanks for your kind response. I do think your approach may be wisest. There is certainly no reason for me to hurry right up to 100 mg.
I'm glad you're doing so well with Topamax. I had no idea it was useful for such a wide range of conditions. I had realized it was originally intended for epilepsy, but I've been taking it for migraines. It has worked beautifully. I'm down from one nearly every day to maybe one or two a week. My doctor's goal is one or two a month (almost unimaginable to me!), which is why he increased the dosage.
I had no idea it worked as a mood stabilizer as well. I'm so glad it is working for you and you've hit on a combination that "works." It seems so seldom that one hears of that kind of success in putting together a course of treatment.
Posted by headachequeen on July 19, 2005, at 10:05:06
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by jelly on July 17, 2005, at 18:29:00
> I started out slowly on Topamax and so far, haven't had any noticeable side effects. I'm currently on 50 mg - 25 mg in the morning and 25 mg at night. My doctor recently increased the dosage to 100 mg - 50 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night.
>
> I'm wondering if going straight from 50 mg to 100 mg will be a big change...or if I'm worrying too much (I've read what a lot of you have gone through). I didn't have any problems going from nothing to 25 mg or from 25 mg to 50 mg. Does everyone have problems when increasing the dose - or is do the side effects occur only at much higher dosages? Should I go a few days at 75 mg or not worry about it and go straight to 100 mg?TAKE IT SLOWLY>>> this is not meant to be interpreted as shouting but as speaking slowly and articulating every syllable... <s>
go up by 25 mg over a two week period...
I cannot say it often enough...
it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
important if you want this to work.....
25 mg for two weeks then up to the next level...
if the doctor wants you at a total of 25 mg.. then go to 50 in the evening and then start at 50 in the morning... right now you are at 25 and 25... so up it to 50 at night and when it is settled and your system has adjusted... no earlier than 2 weeks....
start adding the other 25 mg in the mornings...if he wants 100 twice a day, then go to 100 at night by 25 mg increments over a slow period of 2 week increments and then start mornings...
it is VITAlkat
Posted by headachequeen on July 19, 2005, at 10:09:29
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by jelly on July 18, 2005, at 11:59:21
> Nick,
>
> Thanks for your kind response. I do think your approach may be wisest. There is certainly no reason for me to hurry right up to 100 mg.
>
> I'm glad you're doing so well with Topamax. I had no idea it was useful for such a wide range of conditions. I had realized it was originally intended for epilepsy, but I've been taking it for migraines. It has worked beautifully. I'm down from one nearly every day to maybe one or two a week. My doctor's goal is one or two a month (almost unimaginable to me!), which is why he increased the dosage.
>
> I had no idea it worked as a mood stabilizer as well. I'm so glad it is working for you and you've hit on a combination that "works." It seems so seldom that one hears of that kind of success in putting together a course of treatment.Ah,the good old migraine...
while I am primarily taking topomax for epilepsy, it was actually prescribed because of its side effect that deals with migraine...
and I have had only one migraine since I started taking it in January of 2003...
that when the neuro I now see tampered with the dosage...
now that I am back on my regular dosage and not taking the other pills I have no migraine and no seizures...
topomax all by itself is doing the job beautifully for me...
and I have no side effects...
no hair loss, no cognitive stuff, no tingles no nothing...
it is incredible...
and best of all, no tegretol...
am I gloating, believe it LOL
kat....
Posted by headachequeen on August 9, 2005, at 17:12:57
In reply to Re: topomax » headachequeen, posted by Rainy on July 14, 2005, at 11:32:35
but Topamax isn't the magic bean for losing weight. Almonds are a good idea.
> Kat mentioned taking an increase in the morning when you get to a certain point--for example, you could take 25 mgs in the evening and 25 in the morning to increase to 50 when it's time. Not Now.
> Kat, congratulations on getting off the clozabam and back to photography, as well as taking charge of your medical life (in this arena). Emergency appointments indeed. This time last year you were not a happy camper.
> I'm a week into new bottles of serzone (generic) and Topamax and have to be walking the bottom rings of hell--there's a definite difference in my mood and behavior since I opened those meds. Crabby and depressed and snappish and sullen and annoyed and uncharming. Bipolar II is showing its little face. It always does in the summer but I can usually "be nice." There's something different about the pills.
> I am learning Russian, which is good.
>
> rainy
Rainy, I have been perusing the archives trying to catch up; for some reason I have not been getting the posts from this board.. wondering if my firewall is causing me to miss posts????found this post and do not remember seeing it...
learning a language is certainly one way to divert stress... or to create it, I am not sure which...
I remember when I decided that I wanted to learn to speak Gaelic... as if there are simply dozens of people with whom I can converse in the auld tongue!!! my stress levels actually eased because I was fascinated by the different approach to language and grammar. As usual I became totally absorbed in, obsessed by actually, the new...
I hope Russian works for you...as for weight loss, almonds and cashews really do help... an ounce or so of the nuts, unsalted preferably, before a meal help take the edge off appetite and are healthy as well...
as for the clobozam, I feel so much better without it..
I am running on 600 mg of Topomax at the moment... 300 mg twice a day and I am doing just fine...
no hair loss, no memory loss, none of the bad things...
I have had three seizures in the past little while but there have been some extreme stresses... and I don't think they can be blamed upon meds; once my lifestyle calms down to something related to calm and stress-free I think it will be smooth sailing again... there were two full months with nothing... not a blip on the radar...
and I like that !!!
This medication works if taken properly and slowly worked up to its right dosage for the individual... other meds can make it tricky to deal with or increase its intensity so one has to be careful and it is not something to play with...By the way, following is information I found in one of my searches:
A slower initial titration schedule for the anti-epileptic medication Topamax(R) (topiramate) Tablets and Topamax(R) (topiramate capsules) Sprinkle Capsules has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Topamax is indicated as add-on treatment for the majority of seizures affecting the 2.3 million Americans diagnosed with epilepsy.
Post-marketing data from physicians with clinical experience with Topamax have shown that slower titration improves tolerability and may reduce the rate of discontinuation due to a lessening of side effects. The new dosing schedule recommends that Topamax be administered initially at 25-50 mg per day, and titrated in increments of 25-50 mg per week until an effective daily dose is reached.
A commonly used titration schedule is to initiate Topamax at 25 mg/day, with weekly increases of 25 mg for the first four weeks. Thereafter, the daily dose may be increased by 25-50 mg weekly to an effective daily dose. Although time to reach an efficacious dose may be delayed relative to the faster rate in the original label, some adult patients may begin to see a clinical response at 200 mg per day of Topamax.
"My own clinical experience and that of my peers, published in the medical literature, shows that Topamax is better tolerated when initiated at a low dose and increased slowly. This new dosing schedule may allow more adults and children with seizures that have not been controlled with other medications to obtain better control with Topamax," said B. J. Wilder, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Neurology and Neuroscience at the College of Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "It also provides greater flexibility to prescribing physicians in their treatment of patients," he added.
Topamax was first approved by the FDA in 1996 as add-on treatment for adults with partial onset seizures. In July 1999, Topamax was approved as the first "newer generation" anti-epileptic drug to treat partial onset seizures as add-on therapy in pediatric patients as young as two, and in October 1999 was approved as add-on treatment for primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in adults and pediatric patients ages two to 16.
Seizures, the hallmark of epilepsy, are abnormal electrical discharges in the brain that temporarily disrupt normal brain function. Seizures are classified as either "generalized," when the abnormal discharge affects both sides of the brain simultaneously, or "partial," when the discharge affects one part of the brain initially.
Approximately 25 percent of Americans diagnosed with epilepsy have seizures that resist treatment with traditional anti-epileptic drugs, according to a recent report by the Epilepsy Foundation, a national organization serving people with epilepsy. Physicians may prescribe an add-on medication, such as Topamax, when their patients fail to respond to a single anti-epileptic drug. The newer generation anti-epileptic drugs, developed since 1993, generally are associated with fewer side effects than earlier medications.
Topamax is approved for marketing in more than 65 countries and to date, has been used to treat more than 500,000 patients worldwide.
In clinical trials, in combination with traditional AEDs, the most common side effects associated with Topamax in pediatric patients included excessive drowsiness, loss of appetite, fatigue, nervousness, difficulty with concentration/attention, weight decrease, aggressive reaction and difficulty with memory. The safety and effectiveness in patients younger than two have not been established. In adults, the most common types of side effects were somnolence, dizziness, coordination problems, speech disorders, psychomotor slowing, abnormal vision, difficulty with memory, sensory distortion and double vision.
Topamax is available as a tablet and in a capsule formulation that can be opened and sprinkled onto food for easy swallowing. The capsule also can be swallowed whole, offering patients greater flexibility.
Topamax was discovered and developed by the R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute, and is marketed in the United States by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, both Johnson & Johnson companies. Ortho-McNeil markets Topamax and other pharmaceutical products in several therapeutic categories including infectious diseases, central nervous system, wound healing and women's health.
In the meantime, Rainy, I am sending you strength and wishes for all sorts of health and well-being
kat
Posted by Anne Marie on August 9, 2005, at 21:09:15
In reply to Re:topamax weight loss???, posted by dfwHomer on September 1, 2001, at 14:47:31
Hello All!
I was diagnosed about six months ago with Bipolar Disorder. Have had it for many years but really didn't have any truly challenging problems until after the birth of my second child...I completely went bonkers! Have been on every medication I can think of trying to get it under control but have really not had much success to note but have managed to add 55 lbs...which as we all know can do really bad things for the psychie! I recently went off of Zoloft...my most recent poison...because it did nothing but make me irritable and weepy...my doctor has agreed to let me try Topamax in conjuntion with Adderall ( did I mention I also have ADHD?) thinking the Adderall might help ward off the "brainfog" that is sometimes associated with Topomax. Has anyone tried this combination? First, did it help with the fogginess and second, were you able to lose any weight?
Posted by klyates79 on August 9, 2005, at 22:10:58
In reply to Re: topomax » Rainy, posted by headachequeen on August 9, 2005, at 17:12:57
today is my first day taking topamax strictly for weight loss....is there anyone else taking topamax for that purpose and if so how long have you been taking it and how much weight have you lost
Posted by headachequeen on August 9, 2005, at 22:31:29
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by klyates79 on August 9, 2005, at 22:10:58
> today is my first day taking topamax strictly for weight loss....is there anyone else taking topamax for that purpose and if so how long have you been taking it and how much weight have you lost
Heavens above!! Weeks and weeks of no activity and suddenly there is someone out there <g>
I have no experience with Topamax for weight loss alone, so stricctly speaking I should not be speaking, but since I started using Topomax have lost something in the region of seventy pounds...Over the years of trying to deal with this epilepsy nonsense I had gained a lot of weight I really didn't want or need, some of the meds I was given were surefire weight add-ons ...
when I was married I weighed less than one hundred pounds, so that my husband used to joke that he married me because someone had to take me home and feed me...
and I would counter that he did too good a job of it.
with the help of the topomax and whatever it does I am now in control of the seizures and migraines and have left the weight for someone else to deal with... let some other anorexic put it to good use is my theory...I have been using topomax for almost three years now..
the trick is to start topomax slowly...
and to wait between two and three weeks before increasing the dosage...
I found that it was best to start with evening dosages.. as in follow the neurologist's directions (duh) and then when I had reached half of the target dose over a period of weeks, start the next half in the morning, again starting slowly...Instead of following the directions on the brochure he gave me, I started with 25 mg in the mornings and was really ill for a while... so much for basic intelligence... sigh...
when I read the destructions life became much simpler <s>
and drink lots of water with it...
that helps your kidneys to deal with any build up of toxins that might hang around...
good luck
kat
Posted by rainy on August 10, 2005, at 7:22:48
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by klyates79 on August 9, 2005, at 22:10:58
Hi, Klyates. Taking Topamax strictly for weight loss may be disappointing for you. It isn't a weight loss drug and not everyone who takes it loses weight. I lost about ten pounds but there were other variables like: summer and I was living on ice water--I hate summer. We had just moved to a place I did not want to go and I was grieving loss of job, friends and the beginnings of a fraying marriage; my rib had broken during the packing process and I was in serious pain. I couldn't eat worth a damn. Plus I was depressed, living on the deep down side of bipolar II.
So yes, I lost weight, but was it the drug or the circumstances? Please pay close attention to Kat's suggestions about starting slowly even if you become impatient--most people who do lose weight don't see any change until around 200 mgs.
Resist the temptation to just zip on up there as fast as possible no matter what your doctor says.
And sad to say, stupid calories and carbs do count, so focus on the veggies and all that blah blah blah.
Have a just wonderful day with this wonderful message. Really, though, best of luck.
rainy
Posted by compguy on August 13, 2005, at 22:59:45
In reply to Re:topamax, posted by Anne Marie on August 9, 2005, at 21:09:15
I am getting ready to take my first dose of topomax 25mg for mode, headaches does anyone have any advise also is there terriable side effects when you first start?
Posted by compguy on August 13, 2005, at 23:05:50
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by jelly on July 18, 2005, at 11:59:21
> Nick,
>
> Thanks for your kind response. I do think your approach may be wisest. There is certainly no reason for me to hurry right up to 100 mg.
>
> I'm glad you're doing so well with Topamax. I had no idea it was useful for such a wide range of conditions. I had realized it was originally intended for epilepsy, but I've been taking it for migraines. It has worked beautifully. I'm down from one nearly every day to maybe one or two a week. My doctor's goal is one or two a month (almost unimaginable to me!), which is why he increased the dosage.
>
> I had no idea it worked as a mood stabilizer as well. I'm so glad it is working for you and you've hit on a combination that "works." It seems so seldom that one hears of that kind of success in putting together a course of treatment.
I was wondering with your migranes did they cause dizzyness and if so did the topomax help?
Posted by compguy on August 14, 2005, at 6:59:06
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by compguy on August 13, 2005, at 23:05:50
ok i took the topomax last night and woke up this mourning real shaky is this normal? If so is it just a side effect that wares off or does it get worse?
Posted by headachequeen on August 14, 2005, at 11:40:19
In reply to Re:topamax, posted by compguy on August 13, 2005, at 22:59:45
> I am getting ready to take my first dose of topomax 25mg for mode, headaches does anyone have any advise also is there terriable side effects when you first start?
The only side effect I noticed when I first started taling topamax was because I miscued on the destructions...
I was told to take it in the evenings until I reached half the total dosage, then to start taking it in the mornings... somehow I confused the issue and started with mornings and it made me nauseous...other than that it was not a problem
Some people find that topomax causes problems, but usually because they increase the dosage too quickly or start with too high a dosage...
you are starting low which is good...
stay at that dosage for at least two weeks to give your body a chance to get used to it... if need be wait a third week before moving up to 50 mg....
strength for the day
kat
Posted by headachequeen on August 14, 2005, at 11:42:17
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by compguy on August 14, 2005, at 6:59:06
> ok i took the topomax last night and woke up this mourning real shaky is this normal? If so is it just a side effect that wares off or does it get worse?
This will not last... it is not something that I remember at all...
let your body adjust....
drink lots of water by the way... vital with any med that can build up in the kidneyskat
Posted by compguy on August 14, 2005, at 13:53:57
In reply to Re: topomax » compguy, posted by headachequeen on August 14, 2005, at 11:42:17
> > ok i took the topomax last night and woke up this mourning real shaky is this normal? If so is it just a side effect that wares off or does it get worse?
>
> This will not last... it is not something that I remember at all...
> let your body adjust....
> drink lots of water by the way... vital with any med that can build up in the kidneys
>
> katThank you for your responces, I went fishing this mourning and had some dizyness but and maybee its just in my head but i already feal a little better
Posted by sunsplashinwaves on August 20, 2005, at 17:43:31
In reply to Re:topamax, posted by Anne Marie on August 9, 2005, at 21:09:15
> Hello All!
>
> I was diagnosed about six months ago with Bipolar Disorder. Have had it for many years but really didn't have any truly challenging problems until after the birth of my second child...I completely went bonkers! Have been on every medication I can think of trying to get it under control but have really not had much success to note but have managed to add 55 lbs...which as we all know can do really bad things for the psychie! I recently went off of Zoloft...my most recent poison...because it did nothing but make me irritable and weepy...my doctor has agreed to let me try Topamax in conjuntion with Adderall ( did I mention I also have ADHD?) thinking the Adderall might help ward off the "brainfog" that is sometimes associated with Topomax. Has anyone tried this combination? First, did it help with the fogginess and second, were you able to lose any weight?***** OMG!!! My Dr just added Topamax to my daily meds. I have been on it before but was taken off of it b/c it made me so very mean. So, now I have been on Adderall & Adderall XR for about a year and Xanax (for emergencies he says **smiles**) and Percocet (for disc pain in my back) and newly added back Topamax... I was just thinking the same thing... He said that I am the only patient he had prescribed these together for. He says I just have to loose this weight. I lost 2 lbs between my last 2 visits and he was rather happy with it considering the time before I had gained weight. I was on Zoloft during my last pregnancy b/c it was safe to take and I don't really feel like it did anything. The Xanax really "saves" me when I feel overwhelmed and know I need to keep it under control or keep my mouth shut. So, as for side effects... I have been on all of these for about the past week... Starting slow on the Topamax at 25mg at bedtime and I feel like a truck has hit me... How about you?
Posted by rainy on August 20, 2005, at 18:57:14
In reply to Re:topamax » Anne Marie, posted by sunsplashinwaves on August 20, 2005, at 17:43:31
Hi, oh-my-gosh, I've forgotten your name, but you were worried because Topamax has "made you mean"when you've taken it before. Me too. I think the key to not being so mean is to increase the dosage very slowly and to be aware of what's going on; I bit my tongue and counted to ten more times than I can tell until it got awfully boring and still I had to continue with that kind of self control because truth to tell, I am sort of mean.
Myy husband commented on my hostility and he was right. Just go up at a snail's pace; I found it wasn't as bad the second time around.
Sorry about forgetting your name.
Mine's rainy, and I wish you the best.
Posted by headachequeen on August 20, 2005, at 21:09:13
In reply to Re:topamax » Anne Marie, posted by sunsplashinwaves on August 20, 2005, at 17:43:31
> > Hello All!
> >
> > I was diagnosed about six months ago with Bipolar Disorder. Have had it for many years but really didn't have any truly challenging problems until after the birth of my second child...I completely went bonkers! Have been on every medication I can think of trying to get it under control but have really not had much success to note but have managed to add 55 lbs...which as we all know can do really bad things for the psychie! I recently went off of Zoloft...my most recent poison...because it did nothing but make me irritable and weepy...my doctor has agreed to let me try Topamax in conjuntion with Adderall ( did I mention I also have ADHD?) thinking the Adderall might help ward off the "brainfog" that is sometimes associated with Topomax. Has anyone tried this combination? First, did it help with the fogginess and second, were you able to lose any weight?
>
> ***** OMG!!! My Dr just added Topamax to my daily meds. I have been on it before but was taken off of it b/c it made me so very mean. So, now I have been on Adderall & Adderall XR for about a year and Xanax (for emergencies he says **smiles**) and Percocet (for disc pain in my back) and newly added back Topamax... I was just thinking the same thing... He said that I am the only patient he had prescribed these together for. He says I just have to loose this weight. I lost 2 lbs between my last 2 visits and he was rather happy with it considering the time before I had gained weight. I was on Zoloft during my last pregnancy b/c it was safe to take and I don't really feel like it did anything. The Xanax really "saves" me when I feel overwhelmed and know I need to keep it under control or keep my mouth shut. So, as for side effects... I have been on all of these for about the past week... Starting slow on the Topamax at 25mg at bedtime and I feel like a truck has hit me... How about you?I don't know about this combination of meds...
I do know about ADD and ADHD... oh yes indeed I do sighone of the first things I am going to suggest is that you stop panicking and worrying about past reactions and anyone else's reactions...
our thoughts create our realities... that is not quite the way I want to phrase it, but it is the gist of what I want to say...
oh but I hope that makes sense...
it is one of those days when I am so exhausted that I have not enough energy to sleep...
but I feel this is important and I am going to try and write it...
so try to read what I mean please :)too often we read other people's reactions and worries and allow them to frame our responses and realities... and it gets us nowhere...
you are starting now at a low dose and starting in the evening. That is good. That is a great way to start. The people who have done serious studies on this med recommend this... and they have good reasons for it...
as for feeling as if a truck has hit you, of course you do. Your body and system have been through so much -- you have disc problems, you have gained weight which does not help those discs nor does it help the rest of your body adjust to the problems or the pain, need I catalogue the rest?
Your body feels the need to have a rest and is saying that it needs a break, it feels as if it were hit by a truck...
when I started topomax I started taking it in the morning.. somehow got the schedule mixed up and I felt as if I had swallowed a cement mixer... my fault... always read the destructions!!!
My body was trying to tell me something that I needed to know...The neurologist told me to take at least two weeks before moving on to the next dosage... because I messed up the time table, I waited an extra week... at least I got that part right...
and it worked...
and I began to lose weight almost at once.. in the first week or so I lost three pounds...
no great landmark, but a beginning and it was encouraging, although the main reason was to control epileptic activity and migraine...at this point I have lost track of the weight loss but topomax is controlling the epilepsy all by itself...
at first it was a support med for tegretol and later I was given a third med as well...
I quit taking tegretol and with the information I now have about tegretol I think the neurologists need to take some refresher courses on pharmaceuticals. That is a truly DANGEROUS medication... I knew it had side effects but I had no idea how deadly it was...
I have also quit using the holy batman stuff and am doing wonderfully with just topomax...
no migraine and no seizures, despite a recent hurricane level of stress in my life...The early information I received about topomax had me wondering if I should simply abandon it and stick to tegretol alone, put up with the migraines and hope that increased doses of tegretol would eventually deal with my seizure activity...
well I know now that it would not have worked; the tegretol was exacerbating the problem and would have caused irreversible liver damage and heaven alone knows what else...
Topomax has given me a great deal of freedom...
it does not affect my mood, it has not caused my hair to fall out, and it has not affected my memory...
as long as I follow the directions, drink lots of water and don't forget to take the meds at the proper intervals... forgetting to take the pills at the right times means a seizure is likely to occur...
I am going to be fine...you have to give it a chance to work for you...
positive energy and positive thoughts about your future will shape your reality...
don't look for the negative things that happened to someone else or that happened in the past...
see what happens this timeStay on the low dose for two or three weeks or longer if your system requires it, before you move up to the next level...
give your body a chance...
and lots of good luck and energy
kat
Posted by DonnieW on August 30, 2005, at 3:02:49
In reply to Re:topamax » Anne Marie, posted by sunsplashinwaves on August 20, 2005, at 17:43:31
I am a 37 yo male that was diagnosed bi-polar in Feb 05 . After being put on prozac, then lexapro and having no luck My doc put me on Depakote er in April. I currently take 2000 mg of Depakote ER ,200 mg Trazadone for sleep, 1 mg risperdal for paranoia and 22.5 mg tranxene for anxiety. Since going on Depakote I have went from 215 lbs. in April to 250 now . My Dr. just put me on Topamax today 50 mg a day for week 1 then 100 mg a day week 2. Can I expect any weight loss ? I am already cloudy at times from the drug cocktail He has me on and worry about more side effects from Topamax
Posted by headachequeen on August 30, 2005, at 8:35:57
In reply to Re:topamax, posted by DonnieW on August 30, 2005, at 3:02:49
> I am a 37 yo male that was diagnosed bi-polar in Feb 05 . After being put on prozac, then lexapro and having no luck My doc put me on Depakote er in April. I currently take 2000 mg of Depakote ER ,200 mg Trazadone for sleep, 1 mg risperdal for paranoia and 22.5 mg tranxene for anxiety. Since going on Depakote I have went from 215 lbs. in April to 250 now . My Dr. just put me on Topamax today 50 mg a day for week 1 then 100 mg a day week 2. Can I expect any weight loss ? I am already cloudy at times from the drug cocktail He has me on and worry about more side effects from Topamax
Donnie W, good morning, at least it is morning here,
you can certainly expect side effects in the beginning if you start at such a high dose and move up so quickly.it is fat better and safer to start at 25 mg and stay on it for two weeks then move up to 50 and stay there for at least two weeks and so on...
and take it in the evening if you are prescribed only one dose a day...
many doctors who are conversant with the med prescribe it in half doses, part in the evening and part in the morning...
good luck
kat
Posted by DonnieW on August 30, 2005, at 15:15:34
In reply to Re:topamax » DonnieW, posted by headachequeen on August 30, 2005, at 8:35:57
Thanks Kat, My Dr. did say to take 25 mg. twice a day but I will start at 25 mg a day Thanks again , Donnie
Posted by headachequeen on August 30, 2005, at 16:02:43
In reply to Re:topamax, posted by DonnieW on August 30, 2005, at 15:15:34
> Thanks Kat, My Dr. did say to take 25 mg. twice a day but I will start at 25 mg a day Thanks again , Donnie
That is a good idea...
the side effects start when people take too much too soon...and be sure not to titer up too fast...
stay on the 25 for at least two weeks
you can give your system longer at that dosage too if it seems the right thing to do...let your body be the guide... it knows best some times....
another good idea is to take it in the evening...
for some reason starting in the morning is really not the best idea...
trust me, I've been there, done that, and did not want the t-shirt
kat
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