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Ravenclawgurl
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28 Mar 2012, 8:20 pm

hey i was just prescribed topamax for binge eating and weight loss and also slight mood stabalizing /anti anxiety, he said i could not take it as needed at night

he put me on the lowest dosage possible but im worried about side effects is there anything to tske to combat side affects of it like will fish oil prevent to cognitive side affects that its known to cause people?

edit i ment he said i could take as needed at night



Last edited by Ravenclawgurl on 30 Mar 2012, 12:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

questor
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28 Mar 2012, 9:58 pm

I did an online search for this med--Topamax. Is this the correct name/spelling of what you were given? I ask because according to my search, Topamax is for migraines and seizures. Among the side effects are loss of apatite, weight loss, and nervousness. While the first two might be what you want, the nervousness will only contribute to your anxiety. There are a number of other side effects as well, some of them serious. Here is the best link:

http://www.topamax.com/

I suggest you check with your doctor to ask why he/she prescribed a migraine and seizure med for you. One should not take a drug just to get benefits from the side effects, if you don't need the primary function of the drug. I think your doc has some explaining to do.

Also, anytime you have questions about a drug, or treatment, or procedure, ask your doc first, then check it out online. In this case the link I gave you is the drug's own website, so it should be helpful info wise.

Now, go check it out.


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OddDuckNash99
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29 Mar 2012, 6:42 am

questor wrote:
I suggest you check with your doctor to ask why he/she prescribed a migraine and seizure med for you. if you don't need the primary function of the drug. I think your doc has some explaining to do.

Almost all of the main mood stabilizers out there, minus lithium, are first and foremost anti-epileptic drugs. Depakote, Tegretol, Lamictal, etc. Neuropsych medications are almost always made for another condition. Topamax is often used as a mood stabilizer. Ravenclawgurl's doctor is not putting her on something unnecessary. It is thought that anti-epileptic drugs work for mood disorders, because there is much evidence that abnormal mood is brought about by overactive glutamate and voltage-gated sodium (Na+) channels in the brain. These are also the chemical abnormalities that cause seizures, and that is why most mood stabillizers are really anti-epileptics.


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Bloom
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29 Mar 2012, 8:25 pm

Evenin,

When you say "the lowest possible dose" - you need to be specific. :)

Most people start at 25mg and end at 100mg. I often tell my patients not to exceed 125mg. We've seen memory problems at 150-200mg.

Topamax/Topiramate can have a whole host of side effects, but the prev. of S/E are relatively low. Without knowing more about you (which would be inappropriate), I can't/won't give you the list, but I can help inform you. Follow the link below. :)

Topiramate alone will not provide for significant weight-loss, and shouldn't be rx for that reason alone. It can be helpful for impulse control (as an adjunct) which is being treated as "binge eating." It's usually used as a co-treatment with another drug, however, and not typically used alone. Again... not appropriate to post your other medications, if any. :)

As usual, don't take anything I say as scripture, and always feel free to take it to your MD. You should be having open, honest communication with him/her anyway. :) OddDuckNash was mostly right, too. Topiramate is used to treat a lot of things outside of it's first line.

I will offer this: If you experience any tingling in your fingers or toes (assuming your on the minimal starting dose of 25mg), don't panic. This persists for the first few days. If it lasts any longer than a few days, or feels as though it's traveling up your limbs, simply call the on-staff nurse, or your doctor and report it. They may ask you to cut the pill in half. We've seen this happen when people titrate the medication upward too quickly. The medication should typically be increased no quicker than every two weeks. Again, however, your MD will know you best, and might decide your neurology can handle quicker titration (or slower!). :)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000998/



angelalala
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31 Mar 2012, 8:51 pm

I took Topamax for almost 2 years for seizures and migraines. I could not be happier to be off it. It made me dumber than a bag of hammers. It also caused aphasia: I could not remember simple words such as "chair" or "pen." I also had numbness in my extremities and metal mouth.

The side effects lessened as time went on, but that INCLUDES the loss of appetite side effects (and I was on a good bit of it). All in all, the weight stabilized and I didn't lose any in the end.

I'm now taking a med that is very similar to Topamax (Zonegran) that is newer without all the bad side effects.



nick007
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04 Apr 2012, 8:57 pm

I was prescribed Topamax a few years ago for a tremor disorder & I felt like I was having a stroke on it. I was taken off of it & had a few test run & never told what was going on. I was on other psych meds at the time so perhaps there was an interaction. I started taking Neurontin maybe a month ago for OCD; Neurontin is similar to Topamax but newer. I researched both a bit & Topamax seems a lot riskier. Both are supposed to be taken regally & not as needed even for psychiatric uses but Neurontin seems to be more well tolerated & some have taken very high doses of it. I'm taking a lower dose & my OCD is a lot better, other mental stuff is doing a bit better & I'm not noticing any side-effects. The one down-side for you about Neurontin is that it doesn't have the weight loss side-effect that Topamax does but you may not want to binge-eat if you are doing better mentally.


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ArtCraftandTeddies
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11 Apr 2012, 5:26 am

angelalala wrote:
I took Topamax for almost 2 years for seizures and migraines. I could not be happier to be off it. It made me dumber than a bag of hammers. It also caused aphasia: I could not remember simple words such as "chair" or "pen."


Wow I had the same problems I thought I was the only one.