Posted by kka on November 11, 2003, at 14:50:05
In reply to re: the benefits of topamax, posted by Murphia on November 11, 2003, at 14:04:32
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Thanks for being so helpful!!Do you think I could drop (slowly) the Effexor and just take Topamax and wellbutrin? I think the Effexor makes me jittery.
Also my husband has added Topamax to Paxil and 500 mgs of Depakote which is also an anti-conv. Can Topamax and Depakote be taken together if not can Depakote be stopped cold turkey?
For the hair loss on Topamx, what vit. would counteract this.
Just out of curiousity, in the Ortho study, didn't they give the subjects very small does at first and added mgs very slowly? This I have found has completely eliminated the s/e? I can't believe the s/e were so bad to call it off.
Thanks again
J&J (Ortho McNeill) says in their press releases they are reformulating a more "user-friendly" topa. That could be - but I would not hold my breath. Ortho had really hoped topa would be their cash cow, but it has failed miserably all the FDA and clinical trials, and now is only approved as an anticonvulsant, with nasty side efffects. Off label use has not shown to be as effective as they hoped it would be due to the s/es. Weight loss is a random side effect, not everyone experiences it, however, it is a nice bonus if it helps your other symptoms.
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> Max therapeutic dosage of topa is recommended to be 400 mg., but I have talked to people that have been up to 600 mg, so you can go higher. Topa has actually shown to be very effective for binge eating and instrusive thought disorders, so it just may help you. As far as time of day, many people play with splitting their dose, or taking all at night if the s/es for them are bad. Topamax can be very sedating, and once again, that's kind an individual thing. For me it is, so I take mine at night. I have corresponded with a few people that say it makes them jittery, so they take it in the morning. Many people split half and half morning and night. Topa's half life really lends itself more effective at taking twice a day.
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> Topa doesn't seem to have any adverse effect on long term use, except for maybe hair loss, which becoming quite a frequent complaint. Topa really doesn't do much for depression though, so you want to watch that, and get a stronger AD if warranted.
> You also want to keep watch your eyes, kidneys, urinary tract, drink tons of fluids and take a lot of vits, because topa robs your body of a lot of vits. Hope this helps.
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> > Murph,
> > Is Johnson and Johnson really reformulating the drug, if so how far along are they? Have you found any weight loss at 100mgs. Is is safer to increase past 100mgs for weight loss reasons alone? How about long term use?
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> > I am hoping Topamax is the drug for me. I am begining to think I really have mild ocd along with binge or over-eating to cover emotions. I keep getting diagnosed for depression/anxiety but I feel the extra 20 lbs is really the cause of the depression. I am currently on Effexor 75 mgs, 150 wellbutrin and have reached 75 mg of Topamax after almost four weeks, without any real side effects. I figured I would stop at 100?? I am really tired all the time with no real motivation which has been the case for about six months now (before Topmax) Would increasing the dose help with energy or would it be more sedating? Overall I am jittery-but tired sometimes hungry sometimes not as hungry but never not been able to eat something
> >
> > I am also curious about your thoughts on time of day dosing, I take the full dose at night, but I see some people split their doese and take on during the day.
> > Sorry to be so full of questions, I was excited to get someone with your background on the board. My doctor feels like it is still "experimental" so he is hardly a resource.
> >
> > I know you are probably still busy researching, whatever your personal thoughts or theories I would love to hear about them, if you have time.
> > Thanks,
> > Kristen
> >
> >
> > > I am a researcher and have been researching topamax for about 6-7 years. Topamax interferes with estrogen-type birth control. So I would back it up with condom usage, or stronger BC. Also, depression is side effect of topamax. Topamax works on the gaba receptors in the temporal lobe. Great for mania side of bipolar, but does nothing, if not exacerbate depression and anxiety. An anti-depressant is the usual protocol add-on for topamax. Or another MS which works on depression, such as lamicatal. Regards. Murph.
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> > > > Hi, this is my first post, but I've been lurking for a while. My doc currently has me on 75mg Topamax for: compulsive eating, as a mood stabilizer, and for some OCD tendencies; and 20mg Lexapro for depression and anxiety. I have a side effect from the Topamax I haven't heard anyone else mention. I began getting a feeling about it, and then I read in the accompanying literature that it can interfere with birth control pills. Anything else that does this (like antibiotics) messes up my whole cycle (sorry guys) causing much pain and a worse than ever wave of depression (this is because of female problems I've had since I was young). I was just wondering if anyone else has had this interruption in their BCP's and if stronger one's may be the answer. I was also wondering if anyone even knew about it since my doc didn't tell me!
> > > > I have also been experiencing extreme anxiety, and mounting depression ever since I've started my new regimen a month ago. I've been on the SSRI merry-go-round before, so I know it takes time, and things have been extremely crappy in my life lately, so I can't blame it all on the meds. I've definitely been through some rougher spells in the last few months than I have in years, which was why I changed my meds in the first place. But its gets really hard to tell sometimes if the pills are working like they're supposed to, or if you've waited long enough and its time to give up and try something else. I hate this wait and see part of it. Anyway, this is kind of half 'Psycho-Babble' and half 'Psychological Babble', so I didn't know where to put it. Hope it wasn't too long.
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poster:kka
thread:50878
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031111/msgs/278639.html