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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> On the news this morning -- topamax
        
(Message started by: BarbaraD on Oct 10^th, 2007, 6:02am)

Title: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by BarbaraD on Oct 10^th, 2007, 6:02am

Topamax isn't just for headaches anymore...

The latest study shows it's being researched for alcoholism... seriously folks. They're using it instead of rehab. And it's working well so far (for the ones who stay on it). Results are inconculusive, but those who stayed in the study have cut down or quit drinking.

I thought this was really intersting. May be why I don't drink as much (or want to) since I've been on the stuff since 99. Ummmmm...

Oh well.....

Hugs BD

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by sandie99 on Oct 10^th, 2007, 6:14am

I wonder if the people on topomax (because of alcoholism) were too forgetful and confused and didn't recall what they were planning to do and therefore simply "forgot" to drink...

Sanna

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by Wayne on Oct 10^th, 2007, 8:02am

[smiley=laugh.gif] Or forgot where they'd put the bottle opener and, when they eventualy found it couldn't remember what they wanted it for. Or maybe forgot where the bar was.

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by BarbaraD on Oct 10^th, 2007, 8:10am

That may have been why some of them dropped out of the study ... but they drop out of rehab too don't they? [smiley=huh.gif]

I keep telling people to take the whole dose at NIGHT -- you don't FORGET as MUCH.... now what were we talking about [smiley=huh.gif]

Hugs BD ;)

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by Ree on Oct 10^th, 2007, 8:30am

Ok Im not calling anyone alcoholics... but I went to a convention and there were alot of people on Topomax and alot of Alcohol being drunk...

and thats mytale and I'm stickin to it...
that topomax thing is just another stupid media story...
just like eating sea food stops alzheimers... my MIL lived on the cape and ate nothing but fish. Maybe Topomax makes people drink and maybe eating fish causes Alzheimers.
ree who is home sick today...blah

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by NJRik on Oct 10^th, 2007, 8:49am

Hi I'm new to all this. I've had this thing for only about 6 weeks. The Topamax does not seem to work all that good for me. I still get attacked often, and I'm high all the time. Does this stuff really work.

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by luveemom on Oct 10^th, 2007, 9:00am

LOL..........You guys are too funny!! Thanks for making me laugh this morning....I am also on Dopeymax, and I thought your comments on forgetting to drink and not remembering where the bar is are absolutely hysterical
[smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif]

Alicia

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by ClusterChris on Oct 10^th, 2007, 9:02am

on 10/10/07 at 08:30:36, Ree wrote:

that topomax thing is just another stupid media story...

That seems lke a pretty foolish thing to say. You may be detering people from something that may be benificial.

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by Charlie on Oct 10^th, 2007, 8:31pm

It is the best anti-convulsant I ever took but it turned me into a lunatic.

I could never handle it nor remember where I was supposed to be half of the time. :o

Hope you have better luck.

Charlie

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by Jonny on Oct 10^th, 2007, 8:45pm

on 10/10/07 at 09:02:44, ClusterChris wrote:

That seems lke a pretty foolish thing to say. You may be detering people from something that may be benificial.

The benifit of what?........CH or boozing it up so much you cant remember where your car is anyways?

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by Kevin_M on Oct 10^th, 2007, 9:04pm

on 10/10/07 at 09:02:44, ClusterChris wrote:

That seems lke a pretty foolish thing to say. You may be detering people from something that may be benificial.

I think that sentence you quoted refers to the validity of topomax curtailing drinking, not as a Ch preventative.

Ree is entitled to an opinion observed, just makes my lower lip stick out that I wasn't present when she was.

;)

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by Ree on Oct 10^th, 2007, 9:15pm

All I am trying to say is that of MY TOPOMAX USER FRIENDS... ME INCLUDED AT ONE POINT AND MY HUSBAND ALSO... IT DID NOT DETER US FROM PARTAKING IN ALCOHOL... hence my opinion...

I once saw an article in the Baltimore Sun... the title of the article was Money Causes Cancer You see what they did was implant a dime in a tiny white mouse... He developed a malignancy around the tumor and died from it. Get my point... I would love to know what study they are basing these facts on... and since we are probably the largest headache group on the planet... WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW THIS FACT... AND WHY WEREN'T THEY ASKING US OUR OPINION...

Ree who still thinks its a stupid media story just like the story about eating fish keeping you from getting Alzheimers...

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by Kevin_M on Oct 10^th, 2007, 9:50pm

And Chewy doesn't use Topomax or drink.

http://www.truckblog.com/g/albums/news/46036917MyRcal_ph_1.jpg

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by DonnaH on Oct 10^th, 2007, 11:28pm

If that was a boat up in those trees, I'd be more inclined to believe you.

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by Lizzie2 on Oct 11^th, 2007, 12:41am

Here's a link to the study posted in the Journal of the American Medical Association:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/298/14/1641

And here's the abstract:

Quote:

Topiramate for Treating Alcohol Dependence
A Randomized Controlled Trial

Bankole A. Johnson, DSc, MD, PhD; Norman Rosenthal, MD; Julie A. Capece, BA; Frank Wiegand, MD; Lian Mao, PhD; Karen Beyers, MS; Amy McKay, PharmD; Nassima Ait-Daoud, MD; Raymond F. Anton, MD; Domenic A. Ciraulo, MD; Henry R. Kranzler, MD; Karl Mann, MD; Stephanie S. O’Malley, PhD; Robert M. Swift, MD, PhD; for the Topiramate for Alcoholism Advisory Board and the Topiramate for Alcoholism Study Group

JAMA. 2007;298:1641-1651.

ABSTRACT

Context Hypothetically, topiramate can improve drinking outcomes among alcohol-dependent individuals by reducing alcohol's reinforcing effects through facilitation of -aminobutyric acid function and inhibition of glutaminergic pathways in the corticomesolimbic system.

Objective To determine if topiramate is a safe and efficacious treatment for alcohol dependence.

Design, Setting, and Participants Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 14-week trial of 371 men and women aged 18 to 65 years diagnosed with alcohol dependence, conducted between January 27, 2004, and August 4, 2006, at 17 US sites.

Interventions Up to 300 mg/d of topiramate (n = 183) or placebo (n = 188), along with a weekly compliance enhancement intervention.

Main Outcome Measures Primary efficacy variable was self-reported percentage of heavy drinking days. Secondary outcomes included other self-reported drinking measures (percentage of days abstinent and drinks per drinking day) along with the laboratory measure of alcohol consumption (plasma -glutamyltransferase).

Results Treating all dropouts as relapse to baseline, topiramate was more efficacious than placebo at reducing the percentage of heavy drinking days from baseline to week 14 (mean difference, 8.44%; 95% confidence interval, 3.07%-13.80%; P = .002). Prespecified mixed-model analysis also showed that topiramate compared with placebo decreased the percentage of heavy drinking days (mean difference, 16.19%; 95% confidence interval, 10.79%-21.60%; P < .001) and all other drinking outcomes (P < .001 for all comparisons). Adverse events that were more common with topiramate vs placebo, respectively, included paresthesia (50.8% vs 10.6%), taste perversion (23.0% vs 4.8%), anorexia (19.7% vs 6.9%), and difficulty with concentration (14.8% vs 3.2%).

Conclusion Topiramate is a promising treatment for alcohol dependence.

Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00210925

I like the above comments about forgetting to drink and the like!! When I took topamax, I nearly failed out of my semester - and I've shared all those stories before!! Needless to say, I wouldn't touch the stuff!! Can't comment on how it works for alcoholism since I hardly drink at all!

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by BarbaraD on Oct 11^th, 2007, 6:31am

on 10/11/07 at 00:41:10, Lizzie2 wrote:

I've been on Topamax since 99 and I don't seem to have the side effects that a lot of you do. I take the whole dose at night before bedtime (and my neuro has started recommending that his patients do so) because of the "dopey" feelings etc. Even at 3-400mg a day, I didn't have the "dopey" side effects. It's done wonders for my CH (I have breakthrus and occasional "high" cycles, but nothing like I was having BEFORE - I just bitch more now when they hit).

Insofar as drinking goes.... I don't drink that much, but do occasionally. Don't know if it's the med or not. Because of the CH before the topamax I wasn't drinking at all so I really don't know. But I couldn't drink a beer at ALL before and now I can have an occasional beer without getting hit.

As far as working.... I'm an accountant which requires concentration and I've managed to do that since being on topamax without too much trouble. I write post-it notes a lot, but that could have a little to do with my age (I was writing them before I started on the med - well actually since I was about 30 - I have CRS).

The only gripe I have about topamax is the cost and their patent is running out the end of the year so hopefully it will go generic after that and the price will come down (hope hope) cause I'll probably be on it for years to come.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: On the news this morning -- topamax
Post by Wayne on Oct 11^th, 2007, 7:08am

on 10/11/07 at 06:31:39, BarbaraD wrote:

I write post-it notes a lot, but that could have a little to do with my age (I was writing them before I started on the med - well actually since I was about 30 - I have CRS).

Hey Barbara, is CRS another term for CRAFT - Can't Remember A Fu%$#in Thing???