New here and starting Topa and with a question

[hoping4better]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi all, I can relate to the "duh" feeling. Today I was leaving a voicemail to my psychiatrist asking her to bump up the dosage and I must have sounded like I was combining meth, crack and alcohol! I couldn't string two words together, couldn't even remember the name of Topamax!!! I'm sure she'll be jumping right to the phone to call in a bigger dosage for me. Yep.
I do think it is working a little, though. On 100mg right now. Cautiously optimistic. Not really feeling the cravings but drinking right through it over habit. Drinking less, though. If my dr. will take my blundering message in stride, maybe I'll be able to go up a little.
Sun, YES! Please do ask your friend what she is taking. I already use Nioxin shampoo. Also taking biotin, zinc, selenium. It turned your hair brittle? That is not good news. At least you have thick hair. But still.

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi hoping - it was Sid that had the brittle hair not me - mine is silky, fine and very thick (I am sorry!!!!). My friend is taking a blood pressure drug called spironolactone and also using rogaine. She had to go to see a dermatologist to get these so ask your GP for a referral. The blood pressure med she is on is a really really low dose (50mg daily) then her doc put her up to 100mg daily (not sure what the dose is for HPB). she doesn't have High blood pressure - so it must be like Topa - an off whatever thingie (dang Topa!!!). Can't remember the words. LOL.

Someone earlier said that they were feeling flat when they got to a certain level - I am trying to come down just a tiny bit to see if that flat feeling will go away - that is why I stopped taking Topa if I remember correctly. That and the fact that I WAS AF and thought that I could do without the Topa. I did go back to my usual happy self without it - once I started drinking again. I am talking to my doc in a couple of weeks about it and will see what he says. I am still having my one drink each evening though people. Just before I go to bed, although I sleep so well, I really cannot justify it for sleeping.

I have to get going - might pop back later - Houtx, it was you who said you had gone flat - what dosage were you up to? I know exactly what you mean!

talk later everyone,

hugs, Sun xx

[individualnz]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

HI guys,

Yeah I know what you mean by flat. I cant seems to get past 75mg, its has really bad effects on my general mood, I get swings from anger to paranoia in a flash, and concentration is nil, its terrible, if I knew it would ease up I could cope, but I dont know how long I can take these effects, or how long my family can put up with a grumpy mum, etc! I feel like a complete train wreck and I dont know what to do!

How is every else doing SE wise in regards to mood?

regards Indy

[2Run]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

hi guys-
i'm just on the 25mg but i feel like my head is so cloudy that any interruption in my la-la land makes me totally insane...a loud noise, my kids fighting etc. So very, very irritable. BUT, it's also the week of my period (sorry...TMI) so that could be it too.

Indy, are there any supps you could take to help even out the mood? You're on 75? For how long? I have some SAMe from MWO that I was taking for a few days before I started the Topa but I quit because I thought it was giving me a head ache. Isn't that for mood? And what about the GABA she recommends for stress and anxiety? I know exactly how you feel. And my pill box is so darn full I hate to add more and I'm never sure what's helping and what's not... And for what it's worth, I read through almost the entire Paddy thread (still reading) and he said that the doctor he worked closely with said that the majority of people who can tolerate the drug should have few SEs (or at least manageable ones?) after the one month mark when having titrated properly. So maybe if you've either not hit one more or titrated up quicker then you should give it more time? And Paddy could be wrong too... It also seemed that sometimes people's SEs actually got better on a higher dose OR got better if they titrated back down for a period of time and then went back up. It seems everyone is different I guess...

[havefaith]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I had issues with irritability also,(my husband mentioned it to me)
so I brought that up to my doctor at my last visit, and this is what he said-
when you've been drinking for as long as you have and the you decide to stop or cut down, your body& brain is not going to like it! It used to getting that substance Daily- so of course its going to take a few months if not a year to get things back into balance.I also spoke to someone who has been on Topa for 7mos & she said She was real Bitchy for the first 3mos , but that tapered off. So, Ladies we can't expect miracles overnite!

[sidney]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I am with Have Faith. When you cut down on the booze we tend to get a bit irritated.
I think all of the side effects are not caused by the Topa but by the not drinking.
They certainly are for me. I am AF at the moment without it and I get cranky at the witchy hour for sure. It is important to remember the drug is only part of the process. I do recommend you drink a ton of water. I could not tolerate heat when on it. Stay strong it really does help. Sid

[havefaith]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Amen.... Sidney!

[sidney]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Besides whats a few side effects I use to have horrible hangovers and was completely checked out of life when I was drinking. You are doing so well HaveFaith. You must be very proud of yourself because I know the Topa doesn't do it all. 100-125 mg was my perfect dose too.

[airam]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Yesterday I had to take a plane for a work trip. I HATE, HATE,HATE planes. I took 5mgs. diazepam before the flight early in the morning. That and my 75 mg topa did the trick! I asked for a beer at lunch and just took a few sips... NOTHING ELSE ALL DAY LONG!!! This haven't happened in many years! At least is something.

[havefaith]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

You see Airam, Baby steps, little baby steps......

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Wonderful Airam - just wonderful - you are on your way!!!!! As Have Faith say - baby steps. You will get there - just don't rush it. I am so pleased you have made a tiny bit of headway.

Havefaith - you speak very wisely!! Indi - why don't you stay on 50 for a week or two more if going to 75 makes such a difference to you? Then go up - maybe staying on the 50 for a while longer will help with the SE's when you go up to 75? It won't matter if it takes longer if it works when you do go up will it? I am going back down to 250 instead of 300 to see if that takes the flat out of my mood - I was fine at 250 - oh wait, was it 200 - I am trying to remember if I went from 100 both am and pm to 150 both am and pm - will have to check - anyway I am going to go back down a little and see if that helps my flat mood.

hugs to all,

Sun xx

[houtx]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

So much to respond to here and I hate it my computer or whatever will not let me stay on long w/o logging off...Thx so much 2 run for finding my post and copying/pasting. So I may do a few in a row... and drive everyone crazy! We'll see!

No, 2Run, I do not have little kids, just saying with your brood I was thinking it might be difficult to try and use the CDs to meditate. I am 57, and my kids are 17 & 19 - out of the house pretty much, but I do remember!

I now have 25 mg tabs and 100 mg tabs and my Dr kinda left it up to me as far as tapering up... and I won't see him til Nov. My appetite was killed when I started taking 100 mgs about a week ago but if I don't eat by about 5 or 6 in the afternoon I start feeling sickly nauseous...no matter how indifferent I feel about food, I have not lost any significant amounts of weight. I don't understand it as I feel like I've eaten a whole lot less b/c I haven't been hungry! But then there have been dinners and other things...maybe it's my age! HAHA! I feel like I should have lost about 10 lbs in this time frame what w/ how much less I feel I've eaten and continued to exercise. Oh well...now to post...

[houtx]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

So now I have 60/100 mg mega pills and 30/ 25 mg pills - yikes!! He asked me how I wanted the pills and I wasn't quite sure - it's like going to the bank and cashing a check for $1,000 I guess. Unfortunately, I went to a football game w/ my galpals last night (I am not a fan but it was fun) and we tailgated and drank wine & ate food. The ol' desire for wine was in full force. Hello - it is here again!

I am confident that what I felt this week will return though! I really felt that indifference and I am going to feel it again. I appreciate Sidney's posts and everyone else's. So I am upping to 125 mgs til Monday, I think, when I will go to 150 mgs. Oh, and BTW, I drank a canned DDP today and tasted that yikkey, tinney taste so many have complained about. Then again wondered if that was a SE of TOPA or BAC!! SHEESH - Auntie EM, Where am I?! LOL Thankfully, long weekend!!

[havefaith]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Houtx,
You know what works real well to get rid of weight really quick - no sugar more protein.That means no bread or pasta and of course no alcohol...I promise the weight will drop off in a heartbeat!
Try it for one week, let me know if you lose a couple of LBS?

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi - I agree with Havefaith - there is a book called potatoes not prozac and she says the same thing - it also really helps with sugar cravings - I upped my protein and had NO sugar cravings at all. Also re the canned soda - that is definitely the Topa - I went from three or four canned sodas a day down to one. Also, as my 'frenemy" (learned that word here!!) was Guinness in a can, I didn't like it, so it was easy to stop that too!

Hugs, Sun xx