![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Amanda S on February 14, 2000, at 6:47:08
I am taking topomax, just started last Thursday 25mg a day at bedtime. Felt numb and groggy at first, but by Sunday was feeling unstable. My mind seems off kilter, is this something that will go away the more my body gets used to the drug or is this abnormal?
Posted by Elena on March 25, 2000, at 19:20:27
In reply to possibly abnormal side affects of mood stabilizier, posted by Amanda S on February 14, 2000, at 6:47:08
> I am taking topomax, just started last Thursday 25mg a day at bedtime. Felt numb and groggy at first, but by Sunday was feeling unstable. My mind seems off kilter, is this something that will go away the more my body gets used to the drug or is this abnormal?
Hi,
I realize this is an old thread, but I'm curious about what conclusion, if any, you finally came to. I'm on my third day of 25mg. Topomax and had exactly the same thought today: unstable. And very irritable as well. The last time I tried Topomax it was in conjunction with Zyprexa (along with my eight million other meds). Anyway, in addition to intolerable anticholinergic reactions caused by the two of them together, was also this horrible irritability (that's putting it mildly) which my doctor insisted had nothing whatsoever to do with my medication and everything to do with my rapid cycling bipolar disorder (with which she had just diagnosed me). I disagreed and said so, which didn't win me any popularity contests. But now it seems to be happening again..and then I saw your post. Is there anything you can tell me to help clarify things? thanks.
Posted by Amanda S on March 26, 2000, at 16:45:58
In reply to Re: possibly abnormal side affects of mood stabilizier, posted by Elena on March 25, 2000, at 19:20:27
Elena, I could not tolerate topomax at all like so many other mood stabilizers. My conclusion was to get off of it asap and let my pdoc know asap. I also had a trememdous headache not like a migrane, but it felt like a truck was upon my head. My eyes felt like they were drooping. I am so sensitive to most of these medicines. The only one that has worked for me is lamictal. My mother use to take it for epilepsy. I take it along with an anti-anxiety med. I seem to be doing well. Had been on lamictal since July 1999. My hair has been thinning so I thought it was from the lamictal and I stopped cold turkey. Sure was a awful withdrawal. Found out you can't go off completely. I am bipolar but not a rapid cycler. I have a fun manic side, however, I get very anxious and can't stop my obssesive thoughts about dying so I take the anti-anxiety,seems to work.When I am manic I am happy and feeling good, but want to live so much that I can't imagine dying. I start planning vacations and find fun things to do. When I am depressed which is usually during a rainy dreary day, I cry alot and don't mind so much about dying. What a double edged sword. Hope I didn't take to much of your time. I hope you have found a med that works. Let me know.
Posted by Elena on March 26, 2000, at 18:04:06
In reply to Re: possibly abnormal side affects of mood stabilizier, posted by Amanda S on March 26, 2000, at 16:45:58
> Elena, I could not tolerate topomax at all like so many other mood stabilizers. My conclusion was to get off of it asap and let my pdoc know asap. I also had a trememdous headache not like a migrane, but it felt like a truck was upon my head. My eyes felt like they were drooping. I am so sensitive to most of these medicines. The only one that has worked for me is lamictal. My mother use to take it for epilepsy. I take it along with an anti-anxiety med. I seem to be doing well. Had been on lamictal since July 1999. My hair has been thinning so I thought it was from the lamictal and I stopped cold turkey. Sure was a awful withdrawal. Found out you can't go off completely. I am bipolar but not a rapid cycler. I have a fun manic side, however, I get very anxious and can't stop my obssesive thoughts about dying so I take the anti-anxiety,seems to work.When I am manic I am happy and feeling good, but want to live so much that I can't imagine dying. I start planning vacations and find fun things to do. When I am depressed which is usually during a rainy dreary day, I cry alot and don't mind so much about dying. What a double edged sword. Hope I didn't take to much of your time. I hope you have found a med that works. Let me know.
Amanda--Thank you so much for getting back to me. I found another thread from Brenda, who felt she was misdiagnosed as bipolar II and was also prescribed Topomax. As soon as she got off it she felt better. This is the second time I've been through the Topomax thing. The first time my doctor insisted my symptoms had nothing to do with the medication and everything to do with my "disease." I disagreed and she's been pretty patronizing ever since. I think I also disagree with her diagnosis, but we'll see. I see a lot of "flavor of the month" diagnosing going on (in my humble sick person's opinion). Anyway, again, thank you and I wish you all the best. BTW, vis a vis thinning hair and depressive symptoms, have you checked out the thyroid connection? That's my next step. Good luck.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.