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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Sprgrvr on June 26, 2003, at 11:29:16
In reply to Re: atypical migraines, posted by Snoozy on June 26, 2003, at 1:07:20
I'm not familiar with the term "triptans". I've been put on many different medications when I was 18-19 but none of them did anything. They are all in my file, I'll have to ask my doctor.
Posted by jasperwasper on June 26, 2003, at 11:52:07
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24) » jasperwasper, posted by Sprgrvr on June 25, 2003, at 16:08:17
Thanks for the info especially about the caffiene....I've being drinking caffiene too..just can't seem to live without it..and I seem to do ok with the headaches...I don't have blackouts or anything..although my headaches used to last for 2 or 3 days in the past...good luck to you!
Posted by Snoozy on June 26, 2003, at 17:05:21
In reply to Re: atypical migraines » Snoozy, posted by Sprgrvr on June 26, 2003, at 11:29:16
The "triptans" are not painkillers - they work on neurotransmitters that cause the pain. I found this site that explains some of the basics:
http://headaches.about.com/library/weekly/aa101100a.htm
There are even more triptans on the market now than are mentioned here. Imitrex was the first on the market - in 1993 or 1994. I've tried most of the others, and Imitrex seems to be the best one for me. But we're all different of course, so it's great that there are different options.
Doctors usually have samples of many of them. My neurologist gave me a bunch of them to try out.
Honestly, I don't think I would have been able to continue living with my migraines if the triptans hadn't come out. I think it's definitely worth asking about!
> I'm not familiar with the term "triptans". I've been put on many different medications when I was 18-19 but none of them did anything. They are all in my file, I'll have to ask my doctor.
Posted by LKA on June 27, 2003, at 9:22:08
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24), posted by jasperwasper on June 24, 2003, at 21:32:34
Hi there. I just found this area. I have suffered with headaches my whole life. I have bee on Topamax now for several months. I have just upped my doseage to 2 pills a day. The pins and needles are going away thank goodness. However, my hair is falling out. Anyone know anything about this?
Thanks much.
Posted by dddiane on June 28, 2003, at 6:31:48
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24), posted by LKA on June 27, 2003, at 9:22:08
LKA,
I've had some problems with hair loss due to Topamax, but it seems to be leveling off and I'm not sure why. I take quite a few suppliments specificly to counteract the hair loss, and I think this helps. There is a Topamax board if you are interested with a posting about vitamins & suppliments recommended to prevent hair loss:
http://pub123.ezboard.com/btopamaxtalk
This is a quote from that posting,
"2000 mcg of Biotin, 100 mg of Zinc, 500 mg of Magnesium, and 200 mcg of selenium. I also use the Nioxin hair products religiously."
In addition to the above I add a multi vit, a B-complex, 1mg of folic acid, vit E and primrose oil.
No one can say for sure if they work, I'll do anything to keep my hair, and I seem to be accomplishing that. :)
Diane
> Hi there. I just found this area. I have suffered with headaches my whole life. I have bee on Topamax now for several months. I have just upped my doseage to 2 pills a day. The pins and needles are going away thank goodness. However, my hair is falling out. Anyone know anything about this?
>
> Thanks much.
>
>
Posted by dixie on June 30, 2003, at 3:26:48
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24), posted by jasperwasper on June 24, 2003, at 21:32:34
I have been reading all the posts about topamax and i just started taking it two days ago...im currently on lamictal 150mg once a day in two doses...seraquel 100-400mg at nite....trazodone 100-400mg at nite...lorazepam 1mg at nite...currently im on 50mg of the topamax which i will increase up too 200mg...i was givin this RX to help in my quest to lose weight which i gained heavily after i was on effexor XR for so long...ive read it can disrupte sleep and leave you sluggish...i suffer from both insomnina and hypersomnina it just depends on weather im depressed or manic...i guess im just looking for sum thoughts on this drug combo i feel like a walking medicine cabinet as im also on allegra D for allergies and am supposed to try Restorl 30mg to help me sleep as well...sometimes i go for 3 or 4 days without sleep...then sometimes i could sleep for that long...anyway im just looking for some imput...not sure if i could deal with the side effects if i happen to experience any...some good info from previous posts tho...thanx dixie
Posted by gerberagirl on June 30, 2003, at 21:40:10
In reply to Re: new to topamax, question about dosage, posted by karmagirl on March 31, 2003, at 10:00:12
Hey Everyone - have been reading for a while and decided I needed to share some of my experiences. Topamax some days leaves me thinking, uh, what is two + two? and I sometimes have to describe something to someone else and have them supply me the word but I also remember how ELATED I was to realize that I had gone 5 days/5 pills and not one headache! I emailed everyone! :-) After 5 years of daily headaches and monthly migraines, though it is frustrating, I'll take some memory bumps.
My weirdest side effect ever and it's from Topamax: change of taste. I have to have a diet pepsi every morning and all the sudden I could not stand the taste of it! It was freaky. This lasted for about 2 weeks. (I had been told to cut back on caffeine and apartame but this is extreme! j/k) I also had the tingling sensation in my fingers which would pop up intermittenly over an 8 month time period but hasn't in the past 4 months (I have also gone up to 200mg in the same time frame). by the way, I was back to diet pepsi in no time.
Somebody else said, paraphrased, each med will not work on everyone the same way. We had a big tragedy in my family and I finally asked my Dr to put me on lithium b/c nothing else was working. It made me feel better but my hands were trembling so much it was difficult to write, type, and drink and he wouldn't let me stay on it.
good luck to all of you and thanks for sharing your words of wisdom! it was very encouraging when i was finally diagnosed last year with adhd, rapid mood cycling and depression, to find you and read your comments about meds I was taking.
Posted by dddiane on July 1, 2003, at 7:45:48
In reply to topamax, posted by dixie on June 30, 2003, at 3:26:48
Dixie,
I am current taking Topamax and have been taking it for 7 months now, Two months ago I added Lamictal, to improve my stability and give me more energy. This combination has been wonderful for me. The Topamax was an adjustment, the first two months I did have some stupids, but after that my main complaint was dry mouth, followed by a lack of motivation.But because my stability wasn't where it needed to be, my pdoc suggested we start "trading out" the Topamax for the Lamictal. So I have gone from 175mg of Topamax to 75 Topamax and 112.5mg Lamictal. I am adding the Lamictal in slowly 12.5mg a week, because of the rash issue. I am going to speak to my pdoc about keeping some Topamax in my "cocktail" because I think I would be too hyper on the Lamictal alone. I also take 600mg of Neurontin and .25 Klonopin in the pm for sleep. Nothing else.
An early side effect of Topamax (at 25 -75mg) was terrible anxiety and sleeplessness. I had to up my Klonopin. After 3 weeks an odd thing happened, the anxiety was replaced with calm, my sleep returned, and for a period of about a month I didn't need any Klonopin at all!
I like Topamax because it makes me calm, and I tend to have some stormy moods, on both ends of the scale. It just levels me out. The Lamictal has cut through the motivation problem, and seems to be keeping me out of depression.
I would say the most important thing about starting Topamax is to go extremely slow. If you give yourself time to adjust to it, the side effects will not slam you. Docs are not always wise to this.
Well, we have a board that is all about Topamax, if you are interested:
http://pub123.ezboard.com/btopamaxtalk
Hope to see you there. Best of luck with your Topamax adventure. It has been a beneficial med for me.
Diane
> I have been reading all the posts about topamax and i just started taking it two days ago...im currently on lamictal 150mg once a day in two doses...seraquel 100-400mg at nite....trazodone 100-400mg at nite...lorazepam 1mg at nite...currently im on 50mg of the topamax which i will increase up too 200mg...i was givin this RX to help in my quest to lose weight which i gained heavily after i was on effexor XR for so long...ive read it can disrupte sleep and leave you sluggish...i suffer from both insomnina and hypersomnina it just depends on weather im depressed or manic...i guess im just looking for sum thoughts on this drug combo i feel like a walking medicine cabinet as im also on allegra D for allergies and am supposed to try Restorl 30mg to help me sleep as well...sometimes i go for 3 or 4 days without sleep...then sometimes i could sleep for that long...anyway im just looking for some imput...not sure if i could deal with the side effects if i happen to experience any...some good info from previous posts tho...thanx dixie
Posted by Jane Jones on July 7, 2003, at 18:36:54
In reply to topomax, posted by Ellen Brodie on April 19, 1999, at 15:58:40
I began taking lithium briefly, then switched to topamax. I have had diarrhea for 13 months now. When I tell my psychiatrist, he laughs and says, "What, do you have malaria?" For about 3 days now I have stopped taking the topamax to see if it would stop, but it hasn't. Maybe I need more time, I don't know. Has anyone else had this problem?
Posted by jgoree on July 10, 2003, at 21:35:17
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24) Snoozy, posted by jasperwasper on June 25, 2003, at 20:20:16
my 29 yr old daughter is hospitalized. She was taken off topamax before for not eating but they put her back on it. Siezures are controlled but she is nauseous/and or throws up after eating. Is in the hosp since monday. Had a breakdown I think mostly physical but came across as mental. They are running all kinds of tests to figure out why she cant eat and why now it has started to hurt if she does. It has to be the topamax but no one will listen. she is also on Dilantin and adavan (and weighs 100lbs
Posted by Podwoman on July 11, 2003, at 0:02:35
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24) Snoozy, posted by jgoree on July 10, 2003, at 21:35:17
Sorry to hear about your daughter. I recently was taken off Topamax (monday) due to extreme allergic reaction (rash covering 1/2 my body) after bing on 600mg daily.
This is a tricky drug. I this is is being touted as the (relatively) new great thing on the market but it has some side effects that are more severe than maybe previously known to some people. Don't back down with your convictions!
Good luck with everything--My prayers are with you.
--Podwoman
Posted by karmagirl on July 15, 2003, at 10:53:57
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24) Snoozy » jgoree, posted by Podwoman on July 11, 2003, at 0:02:35
Hi Podwoman! 600 MG?? Wow, how did you get to such a high dosage and did it serve it's purpose? As you know, (Podwoman) I've been on Topomax about 14 months and haven't experienced any of these problems, but I'm also still at 200 MG for papilledema. Is it at the higher dosages that people are experiencing these problems or does that matter? Jgoree, I too am praying for your daughter.
karmagirl
Posted by Podwoman on July 15, 2003, at 12:31:03
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24) Snoozy, posted by karmagirl on July 15, 2003, at 10:53:57
Hi Karma! Where ya been?? Email me!
Well, I've lost ~28 lbs since february...So, not as great as I would have liked to see results. But, gettin' there! You?
--->Podwoman
> Hi Podwoman! 600 MG?? Wow, how did you get to such a high dosage and did it serve it's purpose? As you know, (Podwoman) I've been on Topomax about 14 months and haven't experienced any of these problems, but I'm also still at 200 MG for papilledema. Is it at the higher dosages that people are experiencing these problems or does that matter? Jgoree, I too am praying for your daughter.
>
> karmagirl
Posted by Nissy on July 15, 2003, at 12:56:47
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24) Snoozy, posted by Podwoman on July 15, 2003, at 12:31:03
>
> Well, I've lost ~28 lbs since february
**************
Does anyone know why there is weight loss with Topamax? Is it because you just desire to eat less? No appitite? My P Doc said if I still continue to binge eat with a higher dose of Effexor he will try topamax with it. But quit honestly I'm a bit afraid to go on it after reading some of the stuff here. See sometimes reading things here can be a bad thing :( But I certainly like the idea of losing weight !!
Nissy
Posted by Podwoman on July 15, 2003, at 20:47:39
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24) Snoozy, posted by Nissy on July 15, 2003, at 12:56:47
Weight loss happens on Topamax because of several things it does: it makes certain foods (high fat foods)taste disgusting, it makes you thirsty as hell, it kills your appetite...Basically you7 eat less and end up staying away from greasy/fattening stuff and you drink a lot of water. All good things and all hard for some people, especially binge eaters.
--->Podwoman
Posted by LKA on July 15, 2003, at 21:04:50
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24) Snoozy, posted by Podwoman on July 15, 2003, at 20:47:39
Why do we have the hair loss. I cut my dose because I was losing hair and it worried me so.
Posted by Podwoman on July 15, 2003, at 21:12:37
In reply to Re: topomax (for everyone chatting 6-24) Snoozy, posted by LKA on July 15, 2003, at 21:04:50
Hair loss is one side effect I was lucky enough to not get. Probably the ONLY side effect I didn't get! LOL So sorry, can't speak to that.
---->Podwoman
Posted by Chuck Lehmann on July 18, 2003, at 14:58:21
In reply to Re: topomax, posted by Jane Jones on July 7, 2003, at 18:36:54
Yes topamax causes some diarrhea following the consumption of food with high fat or a carbohydrate with a high glycemic index. The diarrhea starts hardly before the meal is done....but just once or twice and your done. If I just eat a steak and salad I have no diarrhea. Topamax does not effect the desire to eat. Topamax effects the digestion of food differently than your nomal matabolism and stays in your body for several days after you stop taking the medication. Topamax liberates fat stores and metabolizes the fat into carbohydrates, almost like in ketosis. But advoid the adkins diet while taking topamax...or you may get kidney stones because of the high purines. Most of the bad side effects of topamax can be avoided if you understand how it works and how your body works. Best advice...take it before bed and drink plenty of water and drink water throughout the night. It is most potent two hours after you take the drug.
Posted by LKA on July 18, 2003, at 15:10:21
In reply to Re: topomax-diarrhea » Jane Jones, posted by Chuck Lehmann on July 18, 2003, at 14:58:21
Wow that is interesting. I also had the diarrhea when I upped my dose of topomax but I went back down simply because of the hair loss. I am still losing but it is slowing down. My doctor wanted me to take one pill at night and one pill in the morning. Will my body eventually get used to it if I give it another go? I wondered about cutting the pill in half and trying 1-1/2 pills. I take it for migraines.
Posted by Podwoman on July 18, 2003, at 15:28:53
In reply to Re: topomax-diarrhea » Jane Jones, posted by Chuck Lehmann on July 18, 2003, at 14:58:21
I don't know where you are getting your information, but you are WAY off about how Topamax performs! It operates on an area of your brain which is associated with siezures and migraines. It does NOT have any effect on your stomach contents! Check your sources! If you are experiencing diarrhea, you should talk to your doctor. You may be having an adverse reation to the medication. Diarrhea is listed as one of those reactions as a BAD reaction to the medicine. You sound more like you're describing Xenical!
----Podwoman
Posted by Podwoman on July 18, 2003, at 15:30:49
In reply to Re: topomax-diarrhea, posted by LKA on July 18, 2003, at 15:10:21
DONT cut your pills: they are designed to dissolve at a certain rate and DONT self-medicate! THIS IS BRAIN MEDICATION. Treat it respect! If you are unhappy with the side effects TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR!
--->Podwoman
Posted by galkeepinon on July 19, 2003, at 14:25:43
In reply to Re: topomax-diarrhea, posted by Podwoman on July 18, 2003, at 15:28:53
I had diarrhea really bad when I first started on Topamax and it went away. My doctor said it was a side effect and wasn't too worried. It eventually went away-he must have been right.
No problemo now-works great.
> I don't know where you are getting your information, but you are WAY off about how Topamax performs! It operates on an area of your brain which is associated with siezures and migraines. It does NOT have any effect on your stomach contents! Check your sources! If you are experiencing diarrhea, you should talk to your doctor. You may be having an adverse reation to the medication. Diarrhea is listed as one of those reactions as a BAD reaction to the medicine. You sound more like you're describing Xenical!
>
> ----Podwoman
Posted by Tracilla on July 28, 2003, at 13:41:40
In reply to Re: topomax-diarrhea » Jane Jones, posted by Chuck Lehmann on July 18, 2003, at 14:58:21
> Yes topamax causes some diarrhea following the consumption of food with high fat or a carbohydrate with a high glycemic index. The diarrhea starts hardly before the meal is done....but just once or twice and your done. If I just eat a steak and salad I have no diarrhea. Topamax does not effect the desire to eat. Topamax effects the digestion of food differently than your nomal matabolism and stays in your body for several days after you stop taking the medication. Topamax liberates fat stores and metabolizes the fat into carbohydrates, almost like in ketosis. But advoid the adkins diet while taking topamax...or you may get kidney stones because of the high purines. Most of the bad side effects of topamax can be avoided if you understand how it works and how your body works. Best advice...take it before bed and drink plenty of water and drink water throughout the night. It is most potent two hours after you take the drug.
i am going off topamax mostly b/c of no desire to eat and terrible diarrhea....i have lost 20 pounds in less than 3 months and can't lost anymore....i was not overweight to begin with.
my doc wants to try elavil and other antidepressants. i have tried everything for migraines and am sick of drugs. i think i will just try B2 (400 mg) a day for awhile until i can get into the headache clinic and maybe try botox. anyone tried botox ??
Posted by WynterW on August 4, 2003, at 23:39:22
In reply to Re: topomax-diarrhea, posted by Podwoman on July 18, 2003, at 15:28:53
I have recently started Topomax. I am not experiencing side effects as you have mentioned. Mine seem to be somewhat opposite. At what dosage have you normally experienced weight loss? Wynter
Posted by Podwoman on August 5, 2003, at 21:59:27
In reply to Re: topomax-diarrhea, posted by WynterW on August 4, 2003, at 23:39:22
Around 150 mg is what I've experienced and have heard of others starting to lose. I actually went off it due to rash. Am on Zonisamide (Zonagran) now for weight loss. Good luck!
Anyone else out there on Zonisamide for weight loss?
--->Podwoman
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