I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

[sweetpea]

:new: Hi folks I want to try TOPAMAX but am not happy to go to my doctor as I don't want my drinking problem on my health records for various reasons. I've checked that it is safe to take it with my current medication and know I can order it online from Riverpharmacy. Can anyone tell me if they have done it on their own? The list of side effects is long so just how safe is it? Is any of the other Anti-craving meds better and safer? I am ploughing my way through various threads but have not come up with the answers I am looking for yet. I am taking some of the supplements as a starting point. Any advice?

:thanks: :l sweetpea :l

[Cinders]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

Sweetpea,

I had really bad side effects from the topa.

Others do really well!!

If there is anyway you can utilize a doc, I would, just to be safe. My two cents.

Others have done without going to doc for the insurance reasons.

Best of luck to you!!

(I am going to try Baclofen and I did circumvent doc this time. A wee bit nervous about that myself.)

Cindi

[nancy]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

Some people who are on topa tell their doctor it is for migraines (it is approved for that as i remember) and others say their doctors list the indication as migraines, so that it's covered and does not tar your record.

I would not want an alcoholism diagnosis on my insurance record if I could help it.

As for safety... the worst side effects I read about related to eye problems, hair loss and of course the fact that you lose some of your cognitive functioning. This is an individual issue. Do you operate machinery? drive a lot?

Furthermore, a few people have talked about taking it a low doses to avoid the side effects.

Safer meds? I think with campral you need to quit drinking. Chantix for cigarrettes may work though some have reported psychiatric side effects. Are you prone to depression/mental illness? Naltrexone sounds the most promising to me as you can drink on it. however some seem to report that the effects wear off if you drink too much on it.

If I thought I had a problem that was extremely severe to the point where I could not work and was crashing cars and drinking nonstop I would try topa.

Maybe you could try a conservative approach before topa. Fix up your diet, take all the recommended supplements including kudzu, try hypnotherapy, come to the boards all the time, and perhaps try a 30-day period of abstinence.

[Leebo]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

Sweetpea,

I am new here also. I started taking Topa Sept. 1 and ordered from Riverpharmacy. I eventually talked to my dr. (on a totally unrelated visit - off the record) and have not had any bad side effects. Just some of the minor mental lapses (I just try to pay close attention - lol) but it has helped me curb my drinking. I have not been AF but I have cut down considerably. It is a very personal decision. I also take all of the supplements and have the self-hypnosis tapes (but have not been very faithful with them). I hope as I continue to dose up (I have been very slow to do so) that it will continue to curb my cravings (drinking) even more. I hope this helps. I also have been reading alot, but as you can tell this is my first post.

Good luck and continued success!!!

Leebo

[sweetpea]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

:thanks: Cindi, Nancy and Leebo for your replies

Yes I have been very worried about excessive drinking being on my medical records. But if I don't do something now I think the booze will end up killing me :upset: So I suppose taking TOPAMAX seems like the lesser of 2 evils.

How on the hell did I get here? I am not a bad person but this demon has very silently and slowly taken over my life. MWO has been a saviour. I don't feel I am alone in the world now without people to talk to who know exactly where I am coming from. People who don't judge and make me feel even more worthless than I already feel - which I have to say can't get much worse :upset:

On a practical note I have checked that I am alright to take Topamax with the medication I am already taking and I have also told my partner so he can keep an eye on me and knows if I do fall ill what I am on. I am on all the sups and doing the tapes. Following the guidelines in the book I thought I would gradually increase the dosage to a maximum of 200mg and see how I get on. Is this enough to curb at least some of the craving?

Well done Leebo on your first post

Thanks again all of you for your support

:l Sweetpea

[Leebo]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

Sweetpea,

I feel like you do regarding the lesser of two evils. I wonder sometimes how I have made it this far without harming myself or someone else. And just how much longer am I willing to roll the dice - seems like it will catch up with me eventually.

Back to the Topa.. I dosed up to 75 mg before I realized I needed to reorder and since it takes a couple of weeks I had to dose back down and actually had a couple of days that I did not have any. I am back to 50 mg a day. I have definately backslided since I dosed down - not quite sure why - but still nothing like I was drinking before. I am considering doing the 10 day Master Cleanse and you don't take any medication during that so I am debating if I am going to continue to up my dosage or just stay the same until I make the decision to go thru that or not.. my husband will be out of town on a weekend soon and it would be a good time to begin the master cleanse if I want to try it.

But I really want to put together some AF days and seem to be having a hard time doing it. It will come with time. I did not get this way overnite and I suppose it won't go away overnite either.

Leebo

[sweetpea]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

:thanks: Leebo

Have just done a calculation and now know that what I was going to order will not be enough to last taking the delivery time into consideration. Didn't want to place a big order and then have to return it if I had really bad side effects taking them. So thanks I will take a gamble and place a bigger order - I certainly don't want to have to dose down if everything is going well -

Good luck with your AF days. I am going to try in a couple of weeks myself once I have got a couple of planned social do's out of the way. I need to know that I have a couple of weeks where I am not due out so that I don't set myself an unrealistic goal.

Hi Cindi

At what stage did your side effects start when taking Topa?

Best wishes to you all

:l Sweetpea

[rvm14136]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

Sweetpeai, I've been taking Topa since August 16 (ordered from River Pharmacy) and its reduced my drinking dramatically. I was a 10 plus beer drinker a night and now am down 2 a night. I haven't had more than 2 drinks in one day in two months. I've also lost 10 pounds.

I was up to 150 mg for a short while and had some serious memory issues. I'm down to 50mg now and that seems to be doing the trick. Going on Topa was one of the best moves I ever made along with joining MWO. Good luck to you and others who give it a try.

[sweetpea]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

RVM So pleased to hear that Topa is having such a good effect on your drinking I hope I have as much success as you. Also that you had your order from Riverpharmacy. I have been a little concerned about ordering on line because you hear such horror stories of sub standard goods etc

I agree that joining MWO is the best thing that anyone can do. Good wishes for your continued sucess

:thanks: sweetpea

[MissCheryl]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

Hello all....

I finally made the call a few minutes ago to the doctor. I'm going in this afternoon to discuss my "migraines" and hopefully get some Topa. Hopefully they won't suggest some other med.

Is the dosing routine the same whether you take Topa for migraines or drinking? Do they start you on a small dose and work up?

I really hope this helps. I've been on the MWO boards for only a month or so, and I've already had 2-3 AF stretches, but always screw it up and go back to the wine.

Hopefully I will have Topa today, and it will give me that extra help I apparently need.

Thanks for listening!
Cheryl

[cuckoosnest83]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

Leebo and RVM, how long did it take to get your topa from riverpharmacy? I ordered some a week and 1/2 ago and haven't received it yet?

[Leebo]

I want to try TOPAMAX but not go through my doctor

It took atleast 2 weeks.. if you gave an email address they will send you a link when it is shipped and you can track it. Once I received the link it was delivered in about another week. That is why you need to be sure you reorder in plenty of time if it is working for you.

Leebo