Posted by Katee on August 16, 2001, at 8:44:34
In reply to Re:TOPAMAX , posted by Johan on August 16, 2001, at 4:31:48
I'm a 26 yr old bipolar female that's been taking Topomax for a year. I currently take 200 mg in the morning and another 200 mg just before bed. (I also take 300 mg of Wellbutrin and 150 mg of Zoloft.) It has been a lifesaver for me. Before I started taking the Topomax, I had been treated with Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin and Zoloft alone, Elavil, etc. all with miserable results. Last September, I was hospitalized after a suicide attempt (not my first) and *finally* correctly diagnosed as bipolar with traits of borderline personality disorder. My doctor originally also treated me with 1mg of Risperdal. He said it would help the other meds work more aggressively, but because it has some rather negative side effects he didn't want to use it long term so I am off that now (as of July). Now that I am on the 3 meds, including the Topomax, I feel better than I have in years...I have stable moods, can concentrate, actually finish things, don't act like a shrew 24-7 *smile*. Like I said it's been wonderful. However, the first month was awful. I encourage you all to hang in there. I experienced quite a few side effects the first few weeks--dry mouth, extreme drowsiness, trouble concentrating, trouble with word choice, general mental dullness, memory problems, tingling in my feet & hands, decrease in sex drive, poor sleep, poor appetite and frequent urination. They all faded rather quickly those first two weeks..and most were gone by the third week. The mental slowness lingered a little longer but got better a little bit at a time and was gone after a few months. The only one's that still bother me are the tingling in my feet & a poor sex drive. But considering how miserable I was before, those are tradeoffs I gladly make. And on the plus side...in the last year I have lost 53 pounds and feel marvelous. So Topomax is definitely an treatment option...keep it in mind. However, if you aren't experiencing a good tradeoff between positive results and side effects you can live with...there are other treatment options...talk to your doctor. Just don't give up hope on getting better.
poster:Katee
thread:9390
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010814/msgs/75268.html