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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Topamox
        
(Message started by: livvylou on Nov 23^rd, 2003, 8:23pm)

Title: Topamox
Post by livvylou on Nov 23^rd, 2003, 8:23pm

It has been two years and the monsters are back. My local GP suggested Topamox. Has anyone tried this? Anything else new in the last two years? Thanks. Liz

Title: Re: Topamox
Post by fgg on Nov 23^rd, 2003, 10:16pm

I take 50mg of Topamax per day. Works very well for me.

Title: Re: Topamox
Post by momof2 on Nov 23^rd, 2003, 10:16pm

I've never taken Topomax but I am taking Neurontin which is an anti-seizure med also. I also take a beta blocker and Indocin. After taking several different meds, these have saved my life. So far I've been HA free for 4 days. I know it is just 4 days but I have been suffering for 3 months now with no relief.

I'm sure as you read you will get lots of ideas about different meds but good luck, I hope it works for you.

momof2

Title: Re: Topamox
Post by Lori on Nov 23^rd, 2003, 10:18pm

Yes, I have tried it. I used 100mg topomax and 360mg verapamil daily and after about 1 1/2-2 weeks I was virtually pain free. I had only a couple headaches break through during that cycle. I did suffer some side effects from the meds though that were bothersome..however it beat the pain of CH!!

Go to the search buttons and type in topomax. You will find many threads about it. There are two different search buttons..do a search in both of them to search both old and new boards.

Good luck!

Title: Re: Topamox
Post by hootchdom on Nov 23^rd, 2003, 10:56pm

I'm up to 200mg topomax with out any results. Lots of people have had some great results. I have not had any side effects. Hope it works for you

Sending you pf vibes.

Hootchdom.

Title: Re: Topamox
Post by sandi on Nov 24^th, 2003, 11:35pm

Hi,
I take Topamax, 50mgs a day but to prevent migraines, not clusters.(my boyfriend gets clusters, i get migraines...what a pair)! It's been working pretty well for me if I stay away from "triggers'. I get a few breaktrough migraines but Topamax is better than anything else I've been on. But be sure to eat...biggest side effect can be weight loss! I used to be on 100 mgs a day and lost 18 lbs in a little under 2 months(which I guess is swell for some people but not for me).
Good Luck :)
sandi

Title: Re: Topamox
Post by jadedgazer on Nov 26^th, 2003, 10:28am

I have spent the last year working with Topomax with fairly good results. It has been the only thing thus far to give me any kind of relief, although I have never been totally pf. I am chronic.

I started building up to 200mg daily increasing by 25mg every two weeks, eventually taking 100mg in the am and 100mg at night. This worked for about 12 weeks, having about 3-4 breakthroughs a week. Which was a success to me. Then it stopped working, so we went to 300mg a day, again increasing by 25mg every two weeks. Again, it worked like before...3-4 breakthroughs a week. Then stopped after about 10 weeks. We then increased the same way to 400mg. I stayed at 400mg for about 5 weeks and started having kidney problems and vision problems and it stopped working. So we are tapering off now.

The worst part of the side effects for me were the memory problems and cognitive thinking problems, which are subsiding with the dosage decrease. As are the kidney problems and vision problems. The ha's are back full blown. We are now gradually building up on Lamictal in hopes that it will at least work as well as the Topomax did without some of the problems that I experienced with the Topomax.

Good luck to you and I hope you experience relief with it. I have no complaints with Topomax, only wish it had worked a little better for me for longer periods. :)

Title: Re: Topamox
Post by Piglett1969 on Dec 8^th, 2003, 10:45am

on 11/26/03 at 10:28:24, jadedgazer wrote:

The worst part of the side effects for me were the memory problems and cognitive thinking problems, which are subsiding with the dosage decrease. As are the kidney problems and vision problems.

Yikes! What kind of kidney problems? My neuro has prescribed Topamax for me in place of Verapamil (I have naturally low blood pressure, and was having shortness of breath from taking it). I haven't had the prescription for the Topamax filled yet as I'm not in the middle of a bad cycle and I also read info about the potential side effects. I've been researching some alternatives to suggest when I see him again next week. The idea of all those side effects scares me. :o

Title: Re: Topamox
Post by Prense on Dec 8^th, 2003, 7:37pm

Kidney stones...drink plenty of water while taking topamax.

Title: Re: Topamox
Post by Piglett1969 on Dec 8^th, 2003, 8:45pm

Ick! Now I know I'm going to try an alternative... :-/