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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
        
(Message started by: Karla on Apr 3^rd, 2002, 1:25am)

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by Karla on Apr 3^rd, 2002, 1:25am

I think that doesn't sound to bad actually about right. I am taking 5 different medicines right now not including my abortives. Only 3 are being tried as preventatives.

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by Elaine on Apr 3^rd, 2002, 6:46am

I don't know about anything but the verp. That is a low dose it sounds like to me. I have had to take as many as four 240 mg a day.
But I also was told I was having mini strokes because it took my blood pressure so low its important to have your BP checked when taking this. I was not getting enough oxygen to my brain. (I do have just a very small brain)!

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by Margi on Apr 3^rd, 2002, 9:36am

Hi Charles,

I think you're right. I think your neuro IS a mad scientist. That does sound like a lot of meds to me too. My husband is on 900 mgs of lithium right now and it looks like it is helping to finally break his cycle. Verapamil did nothing for him. The other drug, the Desipramine is the one that, to me anyways, seems to be overkill. The lithium should be giving you the same effects the Desipramine is. Here is the pharmacology for it:

http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-n03.html

I'm sure your Neuro has checked out the drug interactions, but it does say that this drug should not be combined with MAO inhibiters.

My biggest word of caution to you is about your water intake. On lithium, they do tell you to make sure you drink at least 6 - 8 glasses of water daily. I read your post about your water dosing last night, and although you're definitely doing the Water Treatment the correct way (if you're not on any other meds) and you were 100% correct in your post about benefits of drinking COLD water, you really should advise your neuro of the amounts of your total consumption. Lithium is a salt. You may be losing the benefits of the lithium with that much water becuase you could literally be washing it away.

I remember when Doc Jerry brought the water treatment to us originally, he did include a caution for those folks who are taking lithium.

Hope this helps, Charles. If I were you, I would also check out the interaction of the Topomax and Lithium - I've never heard of the two drugs being used together before for cluster treatment - it's usually one or the other. But then again, I'm not all that smart.
;)

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by NotH20 on Apr 3^rd, 2002, 12:36pm

Charles - my concern with your meds is that your doc started you out at 100 mgs of Topomax....that's an awfully high dosage to start out with. :o This drug starts out with 25 mg tablets (sometimes one in the morn and one at night) but it's increased over MANY weeks....the effects are good for some people, but it takes a while for you to see them.

Are you not on any injections for abortives?

You may want to call your doc and tell them you are uneasy with these meds and ask some more detailed questions - knowledge is everything when dealing with ch's.

Good luck - check out the interactions here on this site....

Keep strong....

NotH20

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by Bob_P on Apr 3^rd, 2002, 2:01pm

This dosage is for seizures. Ch usually responds by 150 mg if it is going to respond at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dosage
•Tablets Adjunctive therapy for treatment of partial onset seizures.
Adults, initial: 50 mg/day; then titrate to an effective dose of 400 mg/day in 2 divided doses. Titrate by adding 50 mg each week for eight weeks, until the dose is 400 mg/day. Doses greater than 400 mg/day have not been shown to improve the response. If CCR < 70 mL/1.73 m2, use one half of the usual adult dose. Children, 2-16 years: 5-9 mg/kg/day in two divided doses.

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by nancyc on Apr 4^th, 2002, 10:45am

NotH2O, i agree about the dosage of topamax...everyone that i have spoken with says they had less side effects when topamax was started at 25mg and gradually increased...i was started on 200mg of topamax...it stopped the chs but i almost committed suicide as i got so depressed. Charles, you probably wont notice a difference till the Topamax reaches 150mg. ..and that is IF it works for you...It seems like your Doc has you on too many STRONG meds...This I would question. I will be on three meds soon but they are being gradually added. I know we want instant relief but I am finding out that is not usually possible...and slapping us on strong meds at high doses seem to only cause us to suffer more because of the side effects...Good luck and keep us posted, son. ;D

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by NotH20 on Apr 4^th, 2002, 1:32pm

Nancy - this Topomax has been such a LONG road for me.......but I've taken this bull by the horns and I don't want to jinx myself, but I may have won this battle!!!

The side effects of that combined w/ the Keppra dosage and the other meds I was on did make me the #1 Zombie in Georgia.....but this cycle was the worst in over 20 years- no idea why, but was actually hospitalized for 6 days. I'm just glad it's over. Not sure at this point if the Top. is working or if I'm at the end of this horrible cycle ??? Either way - something worked this time FINALLY.......I know this - if I were on the meds that Charles was on to start off with - my #1 Award might have gone Nationwide ;)

NotH20

PS - Is this the Nancy that is being congratulated for becoming a Grandma? If so - CONGRATS TO YOU! ;D

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by nancyc on Apr 4^th, 2002, 5:05pm

Yep, i am the granny LOL...and my grandson lives in Toccoa, Georgia.....is he close to you? I live in SC....glad you got thru the side effects with topamax...i could not take it anymore.. ;D

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by NotH20 on Apr 4^th, 2002, 5:22pm

Nancy, your grandson is north of me since I'm in the big city of Hotlanta!!!! Wow we're having beautiful weather here......a great week to be born and to come home. Hope you get to see him soon.....

NotH20

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by Lee on Apr 4^th, 2002, 7:23pm

Hay Charles, about your med,s, Verapamil along with Lithium work for me but only in the right combo. I had a feeling that the verapimil was helping some at 240 mg, I pushed the doctor to increase, he would not. So I did it anyway to find out the result. 85% reduction in clusters within a week. Went back and reported my findings and he increased to 480 mg right then and there. Sometimes these doctors don't have a clue as for what to do for us, you have to show them. Good Luck!

Lee

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by sailpappy on Apr 4^th, 2002, 9:48pm

Charles,
IMHO it does sound like your on redundant theraputic doasages of Lithiumn and Desipramine, the pharmocological affect is very similar and when you throw in the Verapamil and the Topomax it becomes quiet a cocktail.
Topomax is an anti seizure medication with very similar chemical structure to the Desipramine, I would think your brain chemistry is pretty comfused, I didn't have any luck with Topomax at all, the lithiumn wipped out my short term memory(which took almost 15 years of intenst mental exercizes daily to recover) I still have to leave notes o myself to remind myself to read the notes I left myself!
Neurontin is one of the antiseizure medications that had some positive affect but it made me feel like a zombie, I think the dosage was too high, I would certianly run all these medications through Dr. Coops Drug interaction site to see what possible side affects might cause you problems, I don't know too much about Bi-polar Syndrome but I know a few people that are affected and they range from mild personality disorders to very dramatic bizzar behaivors, you owe it to yourself to check with your Doctor and don't be afraid to ask questions and demand informed answers, after all he is working for you! Pappy

Title: Re: Am I takeing too much medication?
Post by Lee on Apr 4^th, 2002, 10:47pm

Your right about the short term memeory / lithium Pappy, now what was I going to say?