Posted by Cece on November 5, 2002, at 23:33:46
In reply to Topamax Duhs. Do they go away?, posted by lorelai on October 27, 2002, at 10:57:26
Lorelai-
For what it's worth, here's my experience with Topodumdum and a sideline into benzododobrain. First I'll say that I've struggled with brain fog since starting meds (10 yrs) and only recently have gotten things tweaked so that I feel 'mostly here'.
I took 100 mg. of Topomax for about 6 months before it became clear that words just would not come out of my mouth in the right order if at all. But I persisted for another 3 months because I was losing med gain weight so fast and easily- 40 lbs. in 9 months. Finally I had to stop the T- just too disabling. And, it didn't do anything for me as a mood stabilizer (Lamictal, with other things, has turned out to be my lucky charm on that score). The problems abated pretty quickly and I went back to just brain fog.
A couple of years ago, having started to slowly put on weight again, I thought "maybe there is a dose of Topomax that would give me the weight loss effect without the dead head effect". So, I tried 25 mg and within a week I was stupid again. It was as if I had become sensitized to it. What a disappointment. I have this fantasy of taking a Top vacation where I wouldn't be obliged to speak sensibly and could just lose weight!
I was on benzos for quite a long time, but very small doses. In fact my dose of Klonopin that I was on for 8 years was so low (.125 mg/day) that my doctors seemed to think that I was just getting placebo effect- but I knew better of course (good docs, but my mind/body). I was also on 12.5 mg/day of Xanax for about 5 years. Early this year, fed up with not being able to remember normal things, I pressed my doc and he said that benzos could be a problem. So I weaned off very slowly, scared to give them up- it was my summer project. I'm fine without them, and now I can look up a number in the phone book and still have it in my head by the time I get to the phone to dial, an immense pleasure.But I still think that mental health is the most important thing and if weight gain and brain fog are the price to pay then so be it. It's possible, as I found, to keep tweaking and tweaking and trying new things and slowly find something or a combo that doesn't cost a waist and a mind. Have you ever heard that 'a waist is a terrible thing to mind'?
Best,
Cece
> I've been on Topamax for a couple of months now and can't up my dose (which is miniscule and probably not doing me any good)--whenever I try to up my dose a little I can't think straight, can't come up with words and hey, I've had to go back and retype every other word in this post because my spelling and typing has left the building. But I'm a perfectionist, so I can't NOT go back and change my mistakes, lol. Anyway, the only side effect I have with Topamax is the "stupids." My pdoc is going to take me off of them soon. At least that's what we're discussing. Have any of you gone through a brain-dead stage with Topamax and gotten past it??? Thanks!
> ~Lorelai
poster:Cece
thread:125424
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021101/msgs/126617.html