Posted by Robbi on March 6, 2004, at 20:15:12
I recently was admitted to the hospital for depression and panic disorder. While I was there my dr wanted me to be checked out by a cardiologist, neurologist and a rhumatologist. With the panic disorder I get intesnse chest pain so I am convinced that I have heart disease or some kind of heart problem. The cardiologist found nothing wrong with my heart, the neurologist prescribed topomax, b/c I have tried every possible triptan based drug for migraine that is manufactured plus narcotics like demerol and fioricet. Since these cause rebound headaches the neurologist took me off of the demerol and the fioricet. I have noticed that the topomax has worked on the migraines intenisty, and I am only on 25 mg per night. I take klonipin img 3times daily and xanax inbetween when the the panic attacks get bad. I mean they draw my fingers and face up, and I don't go a day without difficulty breathing and numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes and around my mouth. I have lost 7 pounds since I havebeen on the topomax, which is about 6 weeks not. The dr. wants to switch me to depakote b/c he says there are lass side effects. But I hear alot more positive things about topomax.I am 5'7" and weigh 121 which is what I weighed when I initially went to the ER with my first major panic attack. I also have anemia. I am afraid to up my dosage of topomax because I don't want to lose weight, but I have suffered with migraines for years, since before I was 17, and I am now 28. This is the first thing that sesems to have helped. Most neurologist and psychiatrist treat me like I am crazy, but I have been on sick leave from work since August of 2003, and I was a biopharmaceutical biochemist, and a christian singer. The dr's can't find anything physical as to why I have the headaches, but I would be in bed for up to a week suffering with them, unable to go to work when I wasn't on sick leave. My father is a Vietnam Veteran that was exposed heavily to agent orange. He was diagnosed with PTSD and I think he has panic attacks. The dr's all tell me that I am too young to be having all of these problems, but since February of last year my health both physically and mentally has constantly declined. How can they tell me that I am to young when I know me and how I used to feel? I leave Dr's offices so frustrated b/c they don't take me seriously. Right now as I type this I have a numbness that is extending from the tips of my fingers to the backs of my arms and hips down to my legs. Why won't any dr's take me seriously? I feel like I am in a constant fog, I suffer from dizzy spells, and just losing my balance and falling. I can't think straight and all of the meds that I am taking have side effects that mimic what I initially sought treatment for! So by increasing my dosage of topomax, will I endanger my physical health further? I have a med frame, and I don't need to lose weight, but don't want to switch to depakote, and my neurologist jerk that he is said my migraines are all in my head! I think that is the most intelligent thing that I have ever heard a DR say! By the way, I have always been sickly, suffering from severe allergies, and I had mono, and haven't ever really felt like my normal self since. Alot of people that I have talked to said that they never really felt the same after mono ( I had it in college), but my dr's say that is nonsense.
So anyway, up the dosage of topomax or keep it like it is?
poster:Robbi
thread:321351
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040304/msgs/321351.html