Posted by AKC on July 27, 2001, at 15:12:59
In reply to Starting Topomax -- PLEASE respond, posted by Briana on July 27, 2001, at 14:30:55
I have been on Topamax for 6 weeks now. I started at 25 mg a day and have been increasing the dose 25 mg a week (increases alternating morning and night -- now on 75 mg in the morning and 100 at night -- next week is the ultimate goal of 100 am and 100 pm). I also am on 200 mg of seroquel am and pm and am on Effexor XR 75 mg, but am trying to go down to 37.5 mg of that (taking 37.5 mg every other day right now).
The first few weeks, I would have some pins and needles sensation in my feet. Not for long, like a few minutes at a time, throughout the day, always the worse a couple of days after I upped the dosage. These past few weeks, this side effect has all but gone away. I may occasionally still get this an hour or so after I take my dose. But not always.
The past couple of weeks, I have noticed some cognitive side effects. It is worse if I have not had enough sleep. Basically, I have to think real hard to put together stuff -- like I can't do real complex things - math, deep reading, stuff like that. If I can slow down and not be distracted, I can usually figure it out - I am just not as quick on my feet. You will read stuff about cognitive dulling - I think that is a really good descriptive term for the effect. I just feel dull mentally.
So far this has not been constant. This past week it has not been very bad at all, and I have good hopes, I think, that it too will pass as has the pins and needles.
I think the key for me was the very slow increase in dosage. I read everything I could find on this med and that seemed to be important. The information my pdoc had said to go up 50mg a week, but I convinced her that increase would be too rapid -- I'm lucky in that my pdoc trusts me and she agreed.
Hope this helps.
AKC
poster:AKC
thread:72091
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010725/msgs/72100.html