Have Been off Meds for 5 Yrs Started Topamax Alone

[4tunate]

Hi Everybody,

I am BP2 and have been trying to manage on my own for the past 5 yrs. I have been rapid cycling and things have been progressively more difficult. I have more issues with Mania than anything else although it's typically considered "productive mania". Since I am in a creative field the mania is usually partially the reason for my success so I have been slow to give it up but everything else is really hard to deal with. The doc just put me on Topamax. I have started on 25mg then 50 and then75 next week with an appt after that. Is it just me or does that sound like a REALLY small dose? Of course I don't feel ANY different at all yet and it's been about a week. From what I've read shouldn't I be taking 400-600mg eventually? Anyone have any advice? Thanks!!!

[Cathy]

Hi and welcome to the boards. I'm afraid I don't know much about Topomax but maybe your pdoc is trying to minimise side effects by building it up slowly.

[jtokc]

I take topamax, but along with an antidepressant and an antipsychotic. I take 100 mg. Have been on this combo for seven years with very few side effects and no weight gain. I don't know how topamax will work by itself but I am glad you have started meds again.


Jane

[4tunate]

Thanks everyone for your advice, I meet with a visiting doc next week as mine is on vacation. Maybe he will give a little more insight into how all of this will work for me. All the other posts I've read talk about people using Topomax as an add on and not by itself so I'm wondering how effective it is going to be, as I mentioned I don't feel any better yet...hmmm. Okay all you entrepreneurs out there...can't someone come up with the million dollar magic pill??? : )

[clayton]

 I have never had any success with single-drug schemes--tried it with lithium, tried it with haldol--of course, everybody's different, and they can't measure how much is the drug and how much is your faith in the drug, either, so if you have no confidence in the drug, that might affect things also, although its not supposed to. When I combined lithium and haldol, they worked for me, but individually, not. Try to make the doc explain it.