Posted by Karen_kay on December 22, 2003, at 22:19:05
In reply to Re: topamax and cognitive effects » Karen_kay, posted by jtevers on December 22, 2003, at 20:49:39
Hiya! I just typed out a detailed account and my computer froze up and I lost it all :( Crap! I will try to be as concise this time around!!!
> am i correct in assuming, since you stated you started topamax in the late summer that you had cognitive problems despite having titrated slowly?<<<OK, I tirated at a normal rate of speed I believe. But, I got the the 200 mg mark and that is where I began losing weight. But, it was only a little bit. And I had slight side effects when I first began taking Topamax. Such as tingeling and numbing in the neck and feet. And I still find my feet falling asleep to this day quite often. And I had heartburn on a daily basis (which I still get on a weekly/biweekly basis). But, I found that after a month at the 200 level mark I still didn't see an improvement in my moods (I'm dx with Bipolar I Disorder), so my Pdoc upped my dose to 300 mgs. At the 200 mark, I had some cognition problems. I would drive past the street to my house on a fairly regular basis and not realize it until I was about a block away. And new concepts I learned in class just weren't sticking. Previously, I could learn at a rapid pace. I could take a test with little to no studying and walk away with at least a B. At the 200 mg mark, even while studying 3 hours for a test, I was lucky to earn a C. Talk about frustration. And this is a 200 level college course. Anyhoo...... (Just trying to show you how it affected me)
I went up to the 300 mg level and I noticed that while taking notes in class I frequently confused the letter "e" with the letter "i". To the point that I had to sit and think for a good 30 seconds which letter was correct. And I couldn't spell anything correct. And it would frustrate me, so I would try to figure out the correct spelling. Also, I was taking a foreign language. IMAGINE! So, my problems were with the alphabet :) But, they were severe for quite a while.
> i mean to say,did you run into these harrowing side effects regularly even though you stepped-up the topamax slowly and over many months?
<<<I didn't tirate up over several months. It's jsut that my original dose of 200 mgs didn't work out well enough, so I had to have it raised to 300 mgs. Sorry if my previous post/s were misleading. And the cognitive side effects lasted for about 2 months. They were rough at the 200 mark, but became almost intolerable at the 300 level. But, I stuck it out. And it is SO worth it now. My mental comprehension is back.
> can i also assume you will maintain your present dose of 300 mg. and that it is bearable? any interest in increasing the dose to lose any more weight?<<<It is more than bearable! I will maintain my dose of 300 unless my moods become unstable and my Pdoc sees the need to raise my dosage once again. The heartburn still returns, as does the numbing, but I can deal with that. The cognitive effects do go away! I promise, you just have to stick with it!
As for going up to lose weight.... I'm pretty happy with my weight where it is. I'm not all that sure that Topamax is the reason I've lost the weight, but I'm not sure it isn't either. I think that being off of Lithium has something to do with losing some of the weight. I would be happy losing 5 or 10 pounds, but my main goal with Topamax is to keep my mood stable. The fact that it doesn't cause you to gain weight is a main reason I suggested it to my doctor. I was tired of him suggesting all sorts of drugs that kept packing on the pounds. I was depressed enough, I didn't need my weight to be an added factor.I read some of your previous posts. I'm sorry that you too are experiencing some of the cognitive problems with Topamax. But, if you stick it out, they will go away. It just takes some time.
poster:Karen_kay
thread:50878
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031219/msgs/292582.html