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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by RiAngie3 on June 16, 2003, at 23:28:25
So.. I started Topamax 11/1/02 8 months now. I was about 140 when I started and my lowest weight has been around 111. I have varied in my doses trying to find what works best for me. My highest level was 75 mg (retarded) and my lowest and nightly level is 25mg. I understand this is very low but I am usually sensitive to meds because of my low blood pressure so this is all I need.
Anyhow..I was loosing, maintaining, and to be honest I liked this fact..Then my father died tragically in a fire in February.. Well, I didn't turn to food. I barely ate to be honest...Then came April ..Around April 21st, All of a sudden my stomach is comparable to a 5 month pregnant woman's and it won't go down. No matter how I eat, what I do, what tests I have .. nothing...
So..
My GI dr says you have irritable bowel syndrome (yeah whatever I dont have the side effects) and she says this... ready??
I leveled off on my topamax.
That I lost weight lost weight lost weight now I am going to go back to normal. Dear Lord shoot me first. I can not deal with being a doughboy again. Nor can I deal with being Captain Retardo. (How I am on anything more than 25mg.)
But lately I have been realizing I don't feel like I am on the topamax. I don't feel it in my system like I used to. I don't feel as stupid, I can finish my sentances more often than not, I can speak faster, I get up easier, etc. etc.
So My question is, has anyone else had this issue? Do you need to up yourself every now and then for the meds to continue to work as they used to, as if you build up a tolerance? I am imaginging this is why this drug won't pass by the FDA for weight loss because it's not permanant and has some shitty side effects of the weight loss this being one of them..
I am contemplating going back up to 50mg tonight but I am in college and am in the middle of some tests so this makes it very hard.. but I am also a small house and I can't deal with it. I really really really hate it. I'm 125 pounds now.. I feel like a pregnant wallaboo and I know if I up my dosage I will probably loose some weight...
I know the pills not for weight loss please don't get me wrong. I am on it for an unidentified neurological issue which has been temp. diagnosed as "prolonged aura" I have this issue with starts in my hand marches up my face, then down my body and makes my whole body numb..by the end I can't see, speak, nothing, I'm useless, it lasts up to 4 hours.. anyway.. just please understand I am trying to understand these side effects, if they happen to anyone else, and what you guys think. I'm not using the pill for weight loss it just happened to make me loose 30-40 pounds which was a perk, now it's making me gain which is killing me..
Thanks,
Angel
Posted by Cerodwen on June 17, 2003, at 0:07:49
In reply to Topamax.. I'm Skinny ..Hey Now I'm Fat :(, posted by RiAngie3 on June 16, 2003, at 23:28:25
Hi-
I know how you feel, god I know how you feel. I started out at 160, had a manic episode, was put on lithium, gained until I was 270, then with the help of Topamax lost until I was down to 150, and in the last month and a half have gained about 5 lbs. I'm wondering too if the Topamax is starting to finally wear off, but I am also going through a depression and not getting as much exercise as I was and was on some other meds (Risperdal, Lithium) for a while that pack on the pounds. Good luck with figuring out the right medication combination/dosage, I am trying to figure that out as well.
Posted by RiAngie3 on June 17, 2003, at 0:44:29
In reply to Re: Topamax.. I'm Skinny ..Hey Now I'm Fat :(, posted by Cerodwen on June 17, 2003, at 0:07:49
Well what's strange..By the sound of it, it's the same way for you, it's not the amount of the weight but how much you look/feel changed. Like I've gained under 5-15 pounds but feel as if it's 100, and my stomach is so distended, poofed/swollen/nasty, etc. Where as before topamax 5 pounds didn't have such a visual effect on my body and my stomach never swelled up like this and stayed this big for 2 months..????
The other thing I'm thinking is for some reason the rest of my body has stayed thin and my stomach has just started to go back to normal because I am really disproportioned and only my stomach is poofed.
god this is such drama.
Do you feel like the 5 pounds is so much more for you? BY the way, seriously, congrats on loosing a WHOLE PERSON. you must feel wonderful!! I'm glad it did it for you..how many mgs are you on? (if you don't mind me asking...
Thanks for the response :)
> Hi-
>
> I know how you feel, god I know how you feel. I started out at 160, had a manic episode, was put on lithium, gained until I was 270, then with the help of Topamax lost until I was down to 150, and in the last month and a half have gained about 5 lbs. I'm wondering too if the Topamax is starting to finally wear off, but I am also going through a depression and not getting as much exercise as I was and was on some other meds (Risperdal, Lithium) for a while that pack on the pounds. Good luck with figuring out the right medication combination/dosage, I am trying to figure that out as well.
Posted by starlight on June 18, 2003, at 14:56:55
In reply to Topamax.. I'm Skinny ..Hey Now I'm Fat :(, posted by RiAngie3 on June 16, 2003, at 23:28:25
One thing to consider is that when you stop eating, your body goes into starvation mode. When you start eating again, your brain tells your body to "store it all, store it all" in case you stop eating again. It's a natural defense mechanism which should level off over time. Drink LOTS of water, which helps to flush the system, and maybe try the Atkins diet, which I find very effective.
starlight
Posted by avid abulia on June 19, 2003, at 14:59:07
In reply to Topamax.. I'm Skinny ..Hey Now I'm Fat :(, posted by RiAngie3 on June 16, 2003, at 23:28:25
yeah, most people build tolerance to weight loss and return to normal body weight eventually. tolerance to neurological effects is supposedly minimal.
~AA, who feels like a real fat-ass
Posted by KimberlyDi on June 19, 2003, at 16:12:43
In reply to Re: Topamax.. I'm Skinny ..Hey Now I'm Fat :(, posted by starlight on June 18, 2003, at 14:56:55
Wanted to vouch for the Atkins diet. My boss at work went on it, and has successfully dropped 50lbs this year. He also jogs 3 mornings a week so it wasn't thru dieting alone.
Posted by riangie3 on June 19, 2003, at 22:42:24
In reply to Re: Topamax.. I'm Skinny ..Hey Now I'm Fat :(, posted by starlight on June 18, 2003, at 14:56:55
Well I never stopped eating..I barely ate when my dad died.. which was like 1/2 of what i usually ate.. I didn't starve myself and certainly not on purpose...
But what I really am not sure of is if topamax levels off.. if after a while you have to up your dosgae to continue to have it work - if it doesnt just sustain at the same dosage forever...
Atkins is not something I would do. I'm not fat I'm bloated I can feel the difference..I think that topamax used to take away the bloated-ness and now that i may have "leveled" off it may have stopped...
Well.. I don't know.. i guess I will just up it become retarded and try...
> One thing to consider is that when you stop eating, your body goes into starvation mode. When you start eating again, your brain tells your body to "store it all, store it all" in case you stop eating again. It's a natural defense mechanism which should level off over time. Drink LOTS of water, which helps to flush the system, and maybe try the Atkins diet, which I find very effective.
> starlight
Posted by starlight on June 20, 2003, at 12:30:39
In reply to Re: Topamax.. I'm Skinny ..Hey Now I'm Fat :(, posted by riangie3 on June 19, 2003, at 22:42:24
I didn't mean to imply that you were starving yourself, more that your lack of eating due to grieving could be enough to tell your body to store, once you went back to normal eating.
And Atkins can be an excellent diet for getting rid of bloating, all that protein helps you get rid of excess water.
Just a thought
starlight
Posted by bookgurl99 on June 20, 2003, at 22:26:16
In reply to Topamax.. I'm Skinny ..Hey Now I'm Fat :(, posted by RiAngie3 on June 16, 2003, at 23:28:25
Angie,
I am sure that you're not fat. How tall are you? Unless you're unusually short, 125 is thin! Maybe the real problem is your self esteem instead of the topamax.
Also, is this really called 'prolonged aura'? It sounds like you're having severe migraines with some hemi- or para- plegic (temporarily paralyzing)side effects. How was it diagnosed?
I'm curious because I had a hell of a time getting diagnosed with neuro side effects from migraine last year (didn't suspect migraine as the cause at _all_.).
This is the end of the thread.
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