Posted by MB on July 20, 2001, at 13:23:48
In reply to My topamax experience, posted by AKC on July 20, 2001, at 12:31:37
> Not sure why I feel this is so important to do, but just feel like sharing my topamax experience. Part of it is because I was very scared to go on this drug. All that off-label stuff, it being so new, and the side effects just seemed a little scary to me.
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> Anyway, I am now have been on this med for 5 weeks, having bumped my dosage to 150 mgs yesterday. My doc's and my goal is 200 mgs - we have been increasing the dosage 25 mgs per week. My initial side effects were some pins and needles in my feet mainly - nothing real bad, off and on throughout the day, lasting just a few minutes (maybe at most a dozen times). It wouldn't start until a couple of days after an increase in the dosage, and would stop a couple of days after that. And that pretty much has stopped altogether now.
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> Throughout I have also had dry eyes - though that could also be allergies do to the summer heat and being in the midwest - I had eye surgery a year ago, so this is my first full summer after that. Nothing that the natural tear drops doesn't deal with.
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> I also had some menstrual issues early on. And may be having some more problems with (some bleeding yesterday - again not my normal time). I'm keeping close track.
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> The final side effect is one that has appeared the past few weeks. When I increased from 75 mg to 100 mg, I had one day of cognitive dullness, I think is the word. Then last week when I went from 100 to 125, I had about 3 days. Both times it went away. It is not a very good symptom in my line of work, but as long as it leaves, I don't care. Hopefully, on these last three bumps, it won't get too much worse.
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> So those are the bad things.
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> The good thing is the med is doing wonderful things for my emotions.
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> I am also on 75 mg of Effexor XR (have been on Effexor XR for almost 2 years - never more than 225, this level for probably over a year). Also on Seroquel 200 mg twice a day. My depression level is zero. My anxiety is zero 90% of the time. I am neither high or low. I suffer from bipolar II (my doctor is certain, I am starting to understand and agree). Depression and anxiety are my biggest problems. To be symptom free of both at the same time - I don't know if I have ever had an extended period of this ever - at least never more than a day.
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> So this cocktail is working for me at the moment. The devil is on one shoulder saying it won't last - that it will crap out after 6 months or a year or two (I have read some of your stories to know that can be the case) - but, the angel is on the other shoulder saying the glass is half full and to enjoy this while I got it.
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> What a crap shoot - it has taken 3 hard years to get here (hard in the sense that I and my treatment team have really been trying to find the solution). This doesn't count the years of agony before that when I and others were aware that there was something wrong, but didn't really even know to go try to find a solution.
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> Thanks for reading this far. I'll keep you posted. Though I'll try not to be so long winded next time - damn lawyers - We never no when to shut up! :)
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> Your resident hounddog.
That makes me really happy to hear that you're doing well!
poster:MB
thread:71064
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010720/msgs/71068.html