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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 General Board Posts >> The 100 mg split
        
(Message started by: JenniferD on Oct 27^th, 2005, 11:44am)

Title: The 100 mg split
Post by JenniferD on Oct 27^th, 2005, 11:44am

An actual conversation with a nurse practitioner at 11:55 am today.

Nurse practitioner: why do you want to split your 100 mg pills?

Me: because I am still trying to work and the 50 mg and 75 mg are making me a moron and (interrupted)

Nurse: and what are the 100 mg doing to you?

Me: they aren’t, I haven’t taken them yet. The lower doses have made it difficult for me to concentrate and retain any thought, so I thought if I took 50 in the am and 50 in the evening instead of 100 all at once (interrupted)

Nurse: well, topomax is a dialator not a constrictor so it shouldn’t be doing that. You shouldn’t have that.

Me: Well, from talking with several people who have taken topomax, its pretty common to have this reaction. ANYWAY…I’d also rather take half in the morning and half at night so that I have enough in my system so there are no breakthrough (interrupted)

Nurse: Now, did you see a neurologist?

Me: several years ago, but (interrupted)

Nurse: well I see Dr. Hernandez wanted you to go see one.

Me: no, we discussed it, but we decided to try the topomax because the verapamil wasn’t working this cycle.

Nurse: Well I don’t think the pills can be split. I'll have to check with the dr who is taking over for Dr. Hernandez while he is out of town. And I'll tell her about your problem with short term memory . Now, why don’t you want to take it all at once?

YAAAARRRRRGGGGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by E-Double on Oct 27^th, 2005, 11:46am

What a dumbass....

Sorry my friend!

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by Jasmyn on Oct 27^th, 2005, 12:43pm

You would think she is the one on Topomax! ;;D

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by Mr. Happy on Oct 27^th, 2005, 1:12pm

Stupid Nurse Practitioner tricks aside, I'm wondering why you're splitting your Pills.

From RXList.com:
TOPAMAX® (topiramate) Tablets are available as 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, and 200 mg round tablets for oral administration. TOPAMAX® (topiramate capsules) Sprinkle Capsules are available as 15 mg and 25 mg sprinkle capsules

From OUCH-Con 03 (http://www.clusterheadaches.org/conventions/2003/report.htm):
6. Topomax has just finished in a small clinical study and has been found to be an effective preventative treatment with little side effects PROVIDING the doses are titrated slowly. His recommendation is 15mg to start and increase by 15 every week until a dose of 100mg is reached.

Seems you should have a bunch of little bitty pills, instead of the big horse caps.
RJ

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by JenniferD on Oct 27^th, 2005, 1:23pm

I know, I expected 50 mg pills, to be taken twice daily, not 1 x 100mg!

I had been taking 25 mg x 1 per day, then 2 per day, then 1 in the am and 2 in the pm, seems to reason it would be continued as the dosage was increased. But as long as I just spent $171.00 on this 30 day supply, I figured, why not just split them instead of buying 50 mg tablets?
Still haven't heard back from the nurse yet.

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by Mr. Happy on Oct 27^th, 2005, 2:15pm

Well heck. You followed instructions and took as directed. Unless they're time release or something, splitting this batch of pills is no huhu at all. Back to wee teeny ones when you ramp down. YOU know what you need to do.

Forget the idiot nurse.
RJ

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by Rock_Lobster on Oct 27^th, 2005, 2:41pm

I pop a 100mg a few hours before night night.

It makes me dumb as a bag of hammers... which is fine, cuz it keeps the owies away.

My ramp up period lasts from the time I pick up the first one to the time I swallow it.

Ramp down period is about the same length. Never had a seizure in my life, so I tend not to worry about triggering one.

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by JenniferD on Oct 27^th, 2005, 3:36pm

[quote author=Rock_Lobster link=board=general;num=1130431456;start=0#6 date=10/27/05 at 14:41:51]I pop a 100mg a few hours before night night.

It makes me dumb as a bag of hammers...
quote]

And THIS is what the nurse said shouldn't be happening... uh huh, shur, yep, uh huh.
she wasn't there with me when I had to check which pedal to push on the floor board of my car, is it left or right for brake? or when I could put the phone at work on "hold", I just could't figure out how to take it back off of hold. Or when I searched high and low for a clock to tell someone the time, and apologized cuz i had no idea -all the while wearing a watch. But according to nursey, this isn't supposed to be happening on this med. uh huh, shur, yep, uh huh.

Still haven't heard back from the dr office. She said she was checking on the half life of the 100 mg dosage or somn like that. Guess I should refer her to kimmeesue's PA for more info.

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by unsolved1 on Oct 27^th, 2005, 3:56pm

I took Topamax for nearly a year. Still don't remember what dose I was taking [smiley=huh.gif] Yea, I was dumb as a bag O hammers too! LOL The only thing I got out of it was kidney stones twice!! (OUCH)

UNsolved

Come to think of it ... I don't remember much of that whole year [smiley=huh.gif] :-/ :-/

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by JenniferD on Oct 27^th, 2005, 4:44pm

A 5:30 pm update convo with nurse-

Nurse: Jennifer? Now, is there a reason wy they gave you 100mg tablets instead of 50mg tablets?

Me:???? Um, no, that is what they gave me.

Nurse: Because you should've had smaller doses.

Me: I did, I started on 25 mg a day the first week, then 2-25mg pills the second week,then 3-25mgs last week, 1 in the morning and 2 in the evening.

Nurse: now, how is that working for you, taking 50 mg in the morning and 75 at night?

Me: I'M NOT, I AM TAKING ONE 25 MG IN THE MORNING AND 2-25 MG AT NIGHT FOR A TOTAL OF 75 MG FOR THE DAY.

Nurse: well, I'll be calling in 60 pills for you. They aren't meant to be split because of the coating on them and you might get more of a dosage than you need.

Me: ok, will the pharmacy credit me for the 100 mgs, cuz I don't have insurance and spent $171.00 (interrupted)

Nurse: OHMYGOD YOU HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THESE? (to the dr in the background) Hey Dr. Wang, can these be split with a pill cutter?

So it took her all day and all this aggravation to finally tell me that the freakin things CAN be split!!!!
Can y'all hear me beating my head against the desk?

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by Rock_Lobster on Oct 27^th, 2005, 5:21pm

She is wrong. Topa makes you stupid.
And makes soda taste like ass.
http://www.crazymeds.org/topamax.html

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by Gator on Oct 27^th, 2005, 6:13pm

Don't beat YOUR head against a desk. Use HERS instead. ;;D Might as well get some satisfaction out of the deal. Don't you just hate it when someone who doesn't know what they're talking about tries to tell you what to do? You might think after all the questions she would at least open a PDR and see what the side effects are.

Dopeymax sucks.

Title: Re: The 100 mg split
Post by kimmiedawn81 on Oct 27^th, 2005, 6:16pm

on 10/27/05 at 12:43:20, Jasmyn wrote:

You would think she is the one on Topomax! ;;D

Probably!