Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Topamax update
        
(Message started by: medicjeff505 on Aug 10^th, 2007, 3:19pm)

Title: Topamax update
Post by medicjeff505 on Aug 10^th, 2007, 3:19pm

Hello all,
Well I am into therapeutic levels now and have been doing ok I guess. I have definately been feeling the mentioned side affects, and I am denfinately not living my life as 'normal'. I am pretty athletic and any running or biking (my two favorites) are absolute triggers so I havent even attempted even since I started on meds as I still get several minor shadows a day.

Alcohol has never seemed to be a trigger for me but last Sunday I am thinking it caused an all night dance with the devil that I will not soon forget. I sucked down two E tanks of oxygen, took my one and only maxalt, and then at about 0500 remembered I had a trex nasal spray in my work duty belt in my truck so I stammered down the stairs to get that and finally broke the continous beating I had been getting and was able to sleep after calling in sick to work. Lesson learned.

Made an appointment with my Dr. for later that day mostly because I felt so miserable and I needed more abortives. She suggested I increase my night time dose from 100 mgs to 200 mgs. and wrote me for trex SQ. So now this makes 100 mgs in the morning and 200 mgs at night. I must say I slept like an absolute baby Monday night.... Tuesday day.... Tuesday night...Wednesday day still felt very 'out of it' so I have opted to back down to 100 mgs at night again. I have still been HA free. Still getting 4-7 shadows a day with nothing else. My Dr. is all about less is more and knows my background in medicine and how much research I have done on CH's so she is pretty much letting me adjust my dose how I see fit. I am going to drop myself down to 75 and 75 by this weekend and see how it goes.

My cycle typically goes through the end of August so hopefully not much longer.

One more quick note on topamax... I have found myself in my laundry room when in fact I remembered I had intented on going to the kitchen :-/... and when I write patient care reports at work I have to get my partner to proof read them for stupid errors.... it seems to be really trivial simple stuff, not big things like which way to go to get home.... or how to treat a congestive heart failure patient ;;D

cheers.....jeff

Title: Re: Topamax update
Post by Karla on Aug 10^th, 2007, 5:36pm

You are on a very low dose. My Neuro and also my ha specialist at the ha clinic told me that 200 mg is the theraputic range. I ended up taking 600mg and it still did nothing for me except make me stupid. I quit taking it. Good luck.

Title: Re: Topamax update
Post by phil_h on Aug 10^th, 2007, 6:40pm

400mgs dumbed me down , way down , maybe eventually i just forgot to take it ...my mds have seemed frustrated by my poor responses to many rxs......alot of them just gave me side effects and no positive outcomes.......however, stay the course,follow mds recommendations, . bring her your ha and rx diary.... i have found they like to see the big picture....when i go to md w/o my data, i feel like they discount alot my reporting of pain and rx effects......stay the course ,but continue to push your neuros learning curve.........phil h

Title: Re: Topamax update
Post by rolo65 on Aug 10^th, 2007, 6:48pm

I'm the same way, they (the drugs) just make it harder to deal with the pain and life at the same time for me. >:(

Rolo..

Title: Re: Topamax update
Post by hikerguy on Aug 10^th, 2007, 8:45pm

Hey Jeff I hear you with proofreading your PCR's I been in my bus scratching my head thinking where the narcan was....I've responded with a nrb on my face with an e cyl. ....pt's asking if I'm okay.... but I got to tell you all my partners understood and would take the pt even if it was my pt....but the dopamax
worked great for me for a few cycles...till this yr good luck
PFDAN to all............Chris

Title: Re: Topamax update
Post by UN solved on Aug 10^th, 2007, 9:22pm

Nobody mentioned:

Kidney Stones !!

Topo gave me stones twice, the first time requiring surgery. It hurt ;;D

so ... drink plenty of water, ask your doc about it.

PF WIshes

UNsolved