Posted by headachequeen on May 23, 2004, at 16:13:54
In reply to Re: low dose topamax » headachequeen, posted by theo on May 23, 2004, at 7:43:22
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> So you mainly take Topamax for what it is prescribed for, seizures, then off label for migraines. I'm mainly taking it for anxiety and occasional migraines. My main hope of course is it's effect on calming my rapid fire anxiety. Has it helped calm you in respect to use for anxiety? It doesn't sound like anxiety is an issue with you but could you see Topamax being effective for anxiety?
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> I know everyone reacts different but am hoping to receive some positive results from Topamax after total disappointment from Neurontin. The main reason I've heard people never feel results from Topamax is because they get impatient and bail out to soon before the med gets a chance to work. So far I've not had any side effects at all, maybe a little agitation but just the first few days.
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> Did you experience initial side effects every two weeks when you increased dose?I think that you are right about the early bail-out reactions... people seem to quit withing days of starting the protocol and often because they hear of side effect potentials... great reason to stop of course... well, the mailman's aunt's cousin's hairstylist knows someone who said that .... so I am quitting...
and others increase the dosage too fast and then quit because of side effects....I did have early side effects... but it was my own fault...
the neurologist gave me a sheet of instructions which I read and then forgot to read again...
the directions were explicit: I was to start the 25 mg in the evenings and not to increase the dosage for at least two weeks... still in the evenings...
for some reason I started taking the stuff in the mornings... and oh the nausea and dizziness that came with starting it in the morning...
I went back and read the information he had given me because I wanted to know what else was said about possible side effects and there it was in bold-faced type: evenings... and it was to be taken with food...
so the brain did a little somersault and I switched to evenings and I take it with yoghurt and I have not had a problem that way...
I did have a constant thirst but simply added more water to my daily plan of doing things and that seems to help...
for that matter the doctor that I can never remember but he deals with vocal cords tells me to drink more anyway... so he is happy too... although he says no ice and he has banned soft drinks from my life, so if the soft drinks have changed in appeal I don't really know although I must admit that one I had recently tasted odd... found out the other day that the restaurant I was at serves only diet pop though.... yech... no flavour there anyway and they always have an aftertaste so I cannot blame the topomax... LOLthere was a brief cognitive confusion time too but it was for only a week or two...
I don't know if the topomax has helped with anxiety or not... for a while I was doing things more slowly -- no longer going in over drive so to speak; of late I have hit that speeding up -- speech, walking, everything again... maybe the topomax will help there... who knows...
it has certainly helped with the migraines and with weight loss... and those are two bonuses indeed...
I know that when the neurologist said that it had a side effect, I braced myself for all the horrors that come with tegretol and he mentioned only the weight loss (he had already mentioned the migraine control) and I had to think for about five seconds before I agreed to try it <g>
kat
that is a great help indeed...
poster:headachequeen
thread:50878
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040521/msgs/349928.html