New here and starting Topa and with a question

[airam]

Hi everybody!

This is my first post here. I'm a 44 year old woman with a long time drinking problem.

I downloaded the book but haven't finished yet. English is not my first language so I read a bit slowly.

Anyway I started Topa yesterday. I took 25mg al 5:00pm. I started having a few SE right away. A little tingling and some kind of weird vision.

I was drinking a lot. About 500mls of vodka every night. I definetly want to stop. I know it can be dangerous to stop abruptlly because of withdrawal, so I want to taper off.
Last night I drank 3 beers and had a few symptoms: sweating, insomnia.

But I really don't know how to do the tapering off process safely. How long should it take? Can somebody help me?



ETA: I have taken for a few weeks B-complex, Milk Thistle 600, Magnesium 200, L-Glutamine 3g

[havefaith]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I drank the same amount of vodka per night, and I stopped cold turkey!( it was not easy the first 3 days
I was irritable, tired and all I wanted to do was eat chocolate. And Like you I started out taking 25mg of Topa the first week(I'm on week 4 and I've stayed on 75mg, 100 was too much). I Always take it in the afternoon cause it makes me kind of sleepy. I take L-glut1800mg & b complex vitamins. It takes some time, but I promise you will feel much better. And the Topamax works- it just takes some getting used to(for me about 9 days) I have no cravings for alcohol!
Good Luck to you, and if you have any other questions you can always send me a note.

[airam]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Thank you so much Havefaith! So, are you telling me that at day 9 you stopped craving alcohol? That is great news! :thanks:
I tried to stop cold turkey in the past and it was horrible. I don't want to experience that again.



Yesterday was my second day on Topa.
I took it at 5:00pm, the only difference was that I took it before dinner as opposed as after dinner the day before. I don't know if that affects differently, but I had almost no SE. No vision problems or tingling.

I continued my tappering off. I drank two and a half beers (12oz. 5%). Two before going to bed and a half during the night whenever I woke up feeling shaky or nervous. I had a much better night than the day before, no sweats at all, and slept better (maybe because a took a homeopathic sleeping pill).

Today I'm not as sleepy as I was yesterday and in a good mood.

I'm not sure if I'm starting to feel an effect from the Topa. I drank the first beer and got a buzz almost immediately Then I started to think about vodka. I didn't had any at home so I opened another beer and that was enough for the night . During the night I had a not very compelling thought about drinking vodka on Saturday. We'll see.



I forgot to add that I'm also taking Prozac 20.





Please let me know if you have some some advice for me. I'll really appreciate it.
Thank you.

[havefaith]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Geez, you sound just like me.
I take 20mg of prozac(which I would love to get off of).
I took 25 mg of topa 1st 5days(little bit of cravings)
Day6-10 took 50 mg of topa(cravings started going away)
Day 11-19 took 75mg of topa( no cravings)
Then for about 3 days I bumped it up to 100(too much, made me really dopey,didn't like it!) so I stick to 75, that seems to work for me. tomorrow is day 30AF( and I always take my Topa in the afternoon)

[individualnz]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Interesting stuff guys.

I too take prozac 40mg. I was taking Topa, but ran out and came off, but I am getting some more.

Main side effects for me are dopeyness, word recall problems, and perhaps some agitation. I think if I refined the times I took the topa it may have helped. I took it morning and at bed time. I only managed to get up to 75mg, mainly due to side effects of feeling very simple to my work colleagues and not being able to express what I am thinking clearly.

I too would be very interested in other peoples experiences, and tips to avoid unwanted side effects. I shall get to the doctor to try and get it again and join you guys with titrating up. My drinking has deteriorated markedly with every month that goes by!

Some have had great success and it would be fab to hear from them. Lets keep this thread going guys, keep up the good work and lets keep documenting our progress, I know it truly gives me hope in hard times.

Does anyone notice any effects on their mood? Interestingly many of us are already medicated for depression so it may not effect us, however it does seem to drop me a peg or two.... however so does the AL! Still I have noticed a difference in mood, Topa and AL.

Regards Indy x

[havefaith]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Indy x
I noticed a change in my mood after day 24 AF (I was real bitchy up until that point) & I've been on 75mg of Topa.
I only start taking it after a full lunch, 25g @12:00 25mg@3:00&25mg@25mg@6:00, so far so good. Doopiness seems to be going away.(thank god)
Keep up the good work!

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi there - Indi - how is Prozac different to celexa - any idea? How long have you been on it? I have been on the celexa for years. I am wondering if I should change it .....

hugs, Sun xx

[individualnz]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hey SD,

Same class of drug, as you probably know, SSRI. Celexa is Citalopram right? Prozac is an older SSRI. Its entirely up to how the idividual responds to them. For me citalopram did not lift mood as much as Prozac, however it was a lot better for anxiety, if that makes sense. Once again, it is entirely an individual response to these drugs, but they are in the same class and have the same side effects pretty much. If Citalopram is working for you, its best to stick with what works.

Personally I believe I am very impulsive on prozac, thats not a good thing when you are trying to knock off the booze! I would truly like to take something like SAMe but I doubt it will give the AD properties I need at this point!

Starting Topa at lunch today, 25mg. I want to be AL free, I will titrate up untill I can achieve that!

Keep up the good work all

Regards Indy

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Indi - I went back and looked at my calendar - not sure when I started titrating down but I was down (from my high of 300 mg a day) to 75 mg a day on 12th July and still AF. I know I was still AF when I broke my foot 28th July - and that my (down) mood hadn't changed, but my brother said that the Topa was probably still in my system and to give it a couple of weeks to get out. I think I finally stopped the Topa around the 18th. I started drinking again on the 5th or 6th of august - and started the topa again on the 9th at 150 mg daily. The thing is that my mood hasn't gone 'down' again since starting the Topa - and the cravings haven't stopped either!!!!! I am up to 200 mg daily. Today I did take an extra 50mg but forgot tonight's dose and it is too late to take it now. So I suppose I have only been on it again for two weeks. Which means I have only been drinking again for three weeks. Seems longer somehow. Maybe I should have titrated up slower - funny really - that is what I tell everyone else to do!!!!

I have found a web site that compares all the AD's so will study that before seeing my doc. Maybe my mood won't change this time - just hope that the Topa kicks in soon!!!!!

Good luck with the Topa again - I am rooting for you - maybe I should go back down and then start again going up slowly!

hugs, Sun XX

[airam]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi!
Here I am. Not very well because the Topa is not making its effect yet. I still need alcohol. I hope sometime, someday I'll be free. I'm still at 25. I planned to raise the dose to 50 today but was scared of SE. Sorry.

[individualnz]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

dont be sorry airam! thats what its all about, sharing and somehow enough ideas might come together so that we can all find our own way out!

SE, I guess once you have been at high dosages, you kind of want to get back to that point quickly to gain the effect of no cravings and since your side effect seems minimal there is probably no reason why you couldnt titrate quicker if you can tolerate it, however if it took you four weeks last time, it may do the same this time, I dont really know as I never got past 75 and never reached being AL free or indifferent to AL.

You have probably got more experience in that area. Whats the Website for AD you were looking at?

Im sorry to hear of your tough experience and picking up AL again, however the sunny side is you are here and trying and not totally beaten, down and out, keep up the good work sunny, you are an inspiration

regards indy

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Airam! If it was easy, this website would not be needed! We would not be here. No need for sorry at all!! Don't be too worried about side effects - I didn't look up side effects because I wanted Topa to work for me and refused to think side effects could happen!


Indi - here is the web site - I tried Googling Prozac Vs Celexa and this site came up - I need to look through it properly. Thanks for the support - I am definitely not beaten down, no way - I will stop again that is for sure!! It is just a matter of time. I am just cross with myself for thinking I could handle it on my own so soon - I should have titrated down and stayed at a lower level where I was still AF. I suppose I wanted to come off it to see if it would change my mood back to where I was before the Topa. I wanted to be the happy bubbling bouncy me again!!!! And now I am - and so far the Topa hasn't changed that - yeah!! But as I said, I still have the cravings!

Fluoxetine (Prozac) versus Other Antidepressants - eMedExpert.com

I forget - why did you stop taking it last time? Oh - I smiled at the thought of ME being an inspiration LOL!

Take care, hugs, Sun x

[airam]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Thank you all! :l


I'll take 50 today.
Weekend was a disaster. I was trying to taper off alcohol, but I drank, drank, drank and drank all Saturday and Sunday. It was horrible. I feel so bad and so sad.

I want so much to stop drinking. But I don't know how I'm going to cope with my feelings.

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Airam - don't worry about what will be. It might not come to be. Take it one day at a time. Post here when you have any feelings that you need to worry about - okay?? Everyone here can help.

Sun xx

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Also - I waited until the Topa kicked in to actually stop drinking. I did start to worry that it wasn't going to kick in but then it was wonderful - it kicked in and no cravings! It did take about 4 weeks for it to happen and I did keep worrying, but it happened in the end. My doc had said 6 weeks - so, just take one day at a time and don't worry!!!! If you want to try to cut down, fine, but don't beat yourself up about when you don't. this is not an easy journey. It is very hard. Just hang in there and post here whenever you feel like it. someone here can help you or just talk to you.

hugs, Sun xx