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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Katherine on March 28, 2001, at 10:24:03
I just started on 50 a day. I could easily "stand" to
loss 100 pounds. How much can I expect to lose and
how quickly if I also exercise and follow a diet?
Posted by SalArmy4me on March 29, 2001, at 4:28:20
In reply to Topamax and Weight loss/how much? how fast?, posted by Katherine on March 28, 2001, at 10:24:03
I just finished a trial of Topamax, in which I tried to take as much as I could per day. I don't know exactly how much I took, but I didn't lose my appetite and I think the only things I lost were my intelligence and eyesight! I have found that Wellbutrin is better as far as side-effects are concerned. On Wellbutrin, I lost perhaps 20 pounds.
> I just started on 50 a day. I could easily "stand" to
> loss 100 pounds. How much can I expect to lose and
> how quickly if I also exercise and follow a diet?
Posted by sac1556 on March 29, 2001, at 12:57:14
In reply to Topamax and Weight loss/how much? how fast?, posted by Katherine on March 28, 2001, at 10:24:03
> I just started on 50 a day. I could easily "stand" to
> loss 100 pounds. How much can I expect to lose and
> how quickly if I also exercise and follow a diet?I am slowly tapering off of Topamax, thank God. I know everyone has different reactions to meds but this has been a nightmare for me. I was given this med for seizure control. I to, am overwieght and welcomed the thought of maybe losing some weight. To make a long story short. I haven't eaten a meal in almost 2 months and you think that might be a good thing it's not. I've never been so tortured or felt so bad in all my life. Please be careful with this drug.
Posted by Cece on March 29, 2001, at 23:52:15
In reply to Topamax and Weight loss/how much? how fast?, posted by Katherine on March 28, 2001, at 10:24:03
Hi-
Well, everyone is different for starters- right? I took 100mg/day of Topomax for almost a year and lost 40# that I had gained from other meds (which I was still taking) and I did not willfully change my eating habits. My appetite, especially for carbs, definitely decreased.
However, it was not impressive as a mood stabilizer in my case (I am Bipolar II), and I got problems with 'word finding' while on it.
My niece, who is Bipolar I, and like me has tried many meds, has been successfully on Topomax (don't know the dose) as her only med other than Flax Seed Oil, for well over a year and has lost all the weight plus some (probably about 40#) that she gained on other meds.
I am now trying out adding just 25mg/day of Top back into my mix to see if I can get some weight loss benefit without bad side effects. My appetite is down some, and I do occasionally lose a word, but I think it might work out okay.Good luck,
Cece
> I just started on 50 a day. I could easily "stand" to
> loss 100 pounds. How much can I expect to lose and
> how quickly if I also exercise and follow a diet?
Posted by DSM on April 1, 2001, at 22:45:31
In reply to Topamax and Weight loss/how much? how fast?, posted by Katherine on March 28, 2001, at 10:24:03
My doctor put me on Topamax, Oct.2000 for seizure d/o and smiled when he gave me the prescription that I would have the lovely side effect of weight loss. I was delighted. I immediately lost my appetite and have lost 35 lbs. so far. The bad news is that I also have lost a great deal of my intelligence. I lost the ability and interest in reading (short-short attention span)---Which is very unusual for me---I am a writer and a voracious reader. I totally lost my concentration. My mind felt constantly fuzzy. I had major difficulty in word finding. When I got up to 200 mg. a day I was not eating at all some times.
Also interesting, as soon as I got on Topamax, I lost interest in exercise. My friends found this very surprising. I have always exercised, but as soon as I got on Topamax I stopped immediately.
The "word loss" got so severe at one point my doctor and I thought one such episode was a seizure, which is why I take Topamax, so we upped the medication to 300 mg. which only made the cognitive side effects worse and the anorexia worse. This is a serious medication and I found that my doctor had no idea all the side effects it can cause. Like worsening PMS. I already have PMDD, I do not need my that thank you very much doctor! It can also cause depression, so when I came in reporting depression, trouble finding words, terrible PMS, and cognitive blunting my neurologist still upped the dose to 350, believing I could not have side effects at such low a dose! He was wrong!
I have titrated down to 100 mg. a day and am not suffering the cognitive side effects; the anorexia is still a problem. But I already had a preexisting tendency not to eat, even though I was overweight. If I lose much more weight or cannot get myself to eat regularly I will get off it completely.
The weight loss is great but I feel like I paid a great price. My husband hates me on the Topamax. He says I am like a Stepford wife. I look great, but my mind is gone. It sucked up all my creativity.
I hope that I was just an anomaly, and that you have a great experience on this medication. I just wanted to share my experience of Topamax. Good Luck Katherine with your weight loss program!
All the best,
Anne
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