Migraine

Hello everyone,
I just wanted to tell you my neuro agreed I need to reduce the Topamax and perhaps eventually taper off of it completely. I am the one who is having extreme anxiety, depression, and weight loss and it is bringing my life into crisis right now. I have never felt like this before and I thought it was just me for the past 6 weeks. I have been seeing a phychiatrist who put me on Zoloft and Xanax to try to reduce the anxiety, but really nothing is helping much. I am having a very difficult time and feel extremely helpless. I wish there was some way to try to get the drug out of your system faster to see if it is in deed causing me to feel this way. Does anyone know of any way to help clear out your system faster when you are tapering down?

My docs keep saying, "give it time," but I feel like time is running out.

I was on 100 mg of Topamax and reducing gradually to 50 mg in a split dose. I think I will get off of it completely because I feel so utterly desperate. I know this drug takes a long time to get out of your system. Any advice is appreciated.

Nancy

quote:

I wish there was some way to try to get the drug out of your system faster to see if it is in deed causing me to feel this way. Does anyone know of any way to help clear out your system faster when you are tapering down?

Took me 4 months for the side effects to wear off after being on Topamax for 4 years-100mg-50mgs.

Needless to say my Neurologist was mildley surprised. She thinks it was because of all the years I was on the drug combined w/my age-57.

Topamax is a relatively new drug for migrainers as it is really for people who suffer from epilepsy. So, no one really knows how long you will suffer from the side effects after being weaned off or of any shortcuts. This wasn't part of their research when testing Dopamax/Stupidmax Topamax.

I was only on Topamax for 3 months and needed to taper off. I only experienced cognitive side effects and what I believed were mood stabilizing benefits (although the psychiatrist I saw at the time swore that wasn't possible). At each decrease in dose I noticed a decrease in side effects pretty quickly. I was completely side effect free within a month of my last dose (to my knowledge). Of course, that's just me. My body tends to bounce back pretty quickly from these things.

I would take your doctor's advice and give it time. Taking the drug out of your system too quickly could potentially be dangerous. It's possible that as you taper you will begin to feel better along the way. A therapist might be really beneficial too. I learned some very helpful breathing techniques a longtime ago for anxiety that I still use today when I'm feeling really upset. I also get a lot of benefit out of therapy for depression.

Thanks for the advice and support. I have been seeing a therapist for about 5 sessions now and we really are just getting started. She has worked with me on some visualization and relaxation techniques, but nothing much has helped (at least not much anyway).

I am hoping as I reduce the Topamax I will feel a little better perhaps. Of course, I want to feel better and it would be nice to know what is causing so much anxiety, but I also am so afraid of the migraines coming back full force.

Mostly, I appreciate your support and honesty about your experiences. Thanks for sharing.

Nancy (newbie)

I did experience an increase in migraines as I tapered off the Topamax, but my neuro started me on something new while I was tapering so that we could hopefully have very little "lapse in coverage."

This round of migraines has really been hitting me hard emotionally. I started seeing a therapist again a few months ago. It took a while but the depression and hopelessness are improving.

I hope the combination of getting off Topamax and seeing a therapist will help. I know the feeling of having your life spin out of control. It's terrifying. Hang in there, it will get better, I promise.