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Topiramate Medication

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Q: Is taking Topiramate 25mg Safe and what are the side effects?
I was prescribed this medication today for migraines. If a person is taking this medication and has a few beers what would the effects be?

A: No you must not

Q: How common is Topamax (Topiramate) prescribed?
I’m doing my research and I found that this medication doesn’t tend to cause weight gain and extreme hunger. I have a huge appetite anyway so getting an antidepressant that causes hunger is not the greatest for me. Anyone on this medicine? Do doctors usually prescribe this as much as any other?
I;m not looking to lose weight, i’m only 100 pounds, and i never tend to lose my appetite, even on my adderall, i just don’t want something to make me even MORE hungry then i already am.

A: It is NOT a weight loss drug.
Topamax is an anti-seizure medication. It is also now approved for migraine headaches.
I took Topamax for about 5 years, and it did reduce the severity of them. Last year I started getting muscle twitches all over my body, that turned out to be a side effect of the Topamax- they thought I may have had MS. That is a very uncommon side effect tho. Commonly fatigue is a big effect, as is tingling in hands & feet.
If you do have seizure or migraine it would be worth a try.

Q: Topiramate really messed me up please help?
I accidentally took 2 Topiramate the other day with the engravings MT13 on it. Topiramate is a medication for people that have seizures. I almost instantly felt confusion and anxiety its been going on for about 2 days. I know it will eventually go away I just wanna know how long this will last. Does anyone have any idea how long this will go on for or how many MG were in these 2 tabs? I read that the normal dosage was anywhere from 25 to 50 but could also reach the highest to 400. Its been 2 days now and it feels like its wearing off but I stil feel foggy. Im also curious to know if theres anything to take that would minimize or speed up the process of getting this garbage out of my system.

A: The ones you took, the MT13’s, are 100 mg each. You should be alright; treatment for it is generally symptomatic. There is no ‘antidote’, so to speak, and the effects will wear off. Should you find things getting worse, or experience severe symptoms that might lead you to believe your health is at risk, then the only other thing I could suggest would be to seek medical aid.

Q: My mom is on way to much medication! Help?!?!?
My mom has been taking many medications for a about 8-9 years. A couple times she actually stopped taking medication for a little bit. She says she has Fibromyagia, but i go with her to her Dr. appointments and they are not 100% sure she even has Fibromyalia.. Over the past 2 years, she has been getting medication from 3-5 doctors. Each one she would inform about her current meds but they would still perscribe her more or increase the dose. Here is the lists of the daily dosage and medication she is on now; 450 mg of Lyrica, 400 mg of Topiramate, 60 mg aderoll, 100 mg of Savella, 40 mg of Relpax, 15 mg of Prednisone, 200 mg of Seroquel, she also is on Hydroco/Apap Tab 10-325 mg (sub for norco) She will take up to 8 of these a day. To make it all worse she is on 75 MCG/HR Fentanyl Patch. I know she takes more than she is supposed to. I am afraid i will wake up one day and find her dead. like somtimes when she is sleeping i cant wake her up, she is breathing and everything, but i will open her eyelids and her pupils are super tiny. What do I do?

A: Patients with multiple doctors, treating and prescribing medications for a diagnosis that another doctor is treating, are indeed prescription abuse drug addicts. One primary physician can handle all medication prescriptions. In your mother’s case, if she is participating in a pain management program, her pain management physician should be the ONLY one prescribing anything for pain.

For some, the idea that the doctor gave it to them-makes it okay. Often time, these patients DO NOT tell all the doctors the same story. They may tell the same story and then leave out some of the medications that Dr. So & So already has them on.

You are right to be worried. Many of the medications that she is on can be liver toxic. I hope that at least one of her many doctors does blood-work on her at least every three months. Also, the Relpax and the Savella being taken together could lead to some serious side effects.

Fibromyalgia is a rather difficult diagnosis to reach for most physicians, as it’s symptoms could be many other things. The compilation of symptoms and severity of them is what leads to the diagnosis. Ask her for a list of her doctors. Call them or set up an appointment to speak face to face with them. Due to HIPPA, there are many things that they will not share with you, unless your mother has given them permission. Ask her to give them all permission to speak to you about her medical stuff. Tell her it will help you to be better informed and help you to better understand about what all is going on with her. When you talk to them, explain to them your concerns. If there are things that she is hiding from them or not sharing with them, you need to let them know. (example: when she is feeling well, she goes out to the club with the girls and has a few drinks)

Addiction to pain medications can and will make everyday nothings (to you and I) very painful when not loaded on pain medications. Use and abuse of these medications alter pain receptors. In fibromyalgia, these pain receptors are already working improperly.

I do not understand the combination of these medications. Lyrica-for pain…Topiramate-for migraines…Savella-acts as an antidepressant does, used for fibromyalgia…Relpax-also used for migraines….Prednisone-for inflammation (yet Fibromyalgia is not considered an inflammatory condition)…Fentanyl and Hydocodone-for pain…Seroquel-used to treat Bi-Polar and psychotic disorders (yet is thought to block serotonin receptors and lowered levels of serotonin are linked to lower pain thresholds)…last but not least, Adderall-used to treat narcolepsy or ADHD (a stimulant..all her other medications can have a sedating or euphoric effect, depending on how her body reacts to them) Are we keeping her awake with this cause all her other medications knock her out? 60 mg is considered maximum dosage and should be split into at least 2 seperate dosing times. One symptom of Fibromyalgia is poor sleep quality. In Fibromyalgia, patients that can get a really good nights sleep every now and then report feeling better. Taking 60 mg of Adderall is not condusive to a good nights sleep. Is the Seroquel taken to undo the Adderall?

Anyway, I will get off of all that. It is something that I would take up with her doctor though. If she is unwilling to allow you obtain her medical information or talk with her doctors…then it may be time for a family intervention. The medications that she takes, (the combination of) may leave her in a fog or delerious…she may not be competant enough to actually make good decisions, another thing to mention to the doctor. Through a Fibromyalgia Pain Clinic she could detox and the doctors could revamp her medication regimen.

Good Luck!

Fibromyalgia is real. The pain from it can be unreal. However, succumbing to the depression of it all and being overmedicated is not a good quality of life either.

Q: How does a drug company decide on a brand name?
Sometimes it’s Epilim, an epilepsy medication. I can see how they got that. Then there’s drugs with names similar to the drug name like Topiramate is marketed as Topamax.

But what about say, propranolol hydrochloride. How did they come up with INDERAL for a brand name? Diazepam – why did they market it as Valium?

Where do these marketed names come from

A: Because there are so many drugs on the market, modern drug naming is often about avoiding confusion with other drugs. Beyond that it is about name recognition. How those two factors mix to create a proprietary name is not easy to guess. The makers of the two drugs might tell you how they arrived at those choices. Inderal is a Wyeth product, and Valium is a Roche product.

Q: Bipolar I and medication problems?
I am on 1200mg of lithium per day for my bipolar type 1.

I’m a rapid cycling bipolar sufferer so used to being up and down like a yo-yo but recently the down period doesn’t seem to be disappearing.

I will be going to see my doctor to talk about the depression soon, generally in cases like this I’m prescribed 20mg of prozac, but as the lithium seems to not be working as well as it has in the past, I’m researching other medications.

I am on the maximum dose of lithium and I have already tried everything else my GP is willing to prescribe with no significant effect.

So far I have tried: Divalproex, Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine and Topiramate. None of them worked for me enough for me to carry on with day to day life as well as the lithium let me.

However recently the lithium seems to only be stabilising the mania, I know I can’t take any more lithium and I’ve been reading up on the risperidone long acting injections, is it worth asking my GP about the injections?

Can I take the risperidone with my lithium or is it a treatment that can be taken by itself?

Also if anyone has an experience with risperidone, could you please tell me how well it worked for you and if there were any side effects.
Philip, I have no need to read any of that.

I NEED medication to keep me safe and happy.

I have bipolar, it’s a medical condition that needs medication, just as much as an infection needs antibiotics.

It’s great that you don’t feel the need to medicate, but people with bipolar are not safe without medication, we just get worse and can become suicidal.

If hugs worked, I would have no need for medication.

A: You most certainly can take Risperdal Consta injections to prevent mania simultaneously along with the lithium. It doesn’t cause any problems. In my vast experience as not being a doctor I would have to say that you are probably right that they won’t increase your lithium, but the dose isn’t cut off at 1200mg, it is cut off when the level in your blood starts to creep up into the toxic range, which can be as low as 300mg for some people and go up from there. They need to run some blood tests to see what your level is to determine if it is at a therapeutic level. Yes, I take take lithium, and yes I take risperdal on a day to day basis and I have had some side effects that aren’t exactly pleasant, but nobody ever promised me that it would be, and when I get into one of these so-called manic states and someone in my house gets sick of my bullcrap and drags me down to the clinic I usually get 10mg of Zyprexa if I am outpatient and 20mg Zyprexa if I am inpatient both taken once a day for seven days and that knocks me cold for a few days and I eventually come out of it feeling fine like none of it ever happened. I have tried more drugs than I can remember plus electro shock, different kinds of talk therapy, meditation, and all that crap and the best for mania was Zyprexa, which has a lot of side effects that people in the mainstream are aware of because of the class action lawsuits and the FDA warnings that come with the drug, but so does Risperdal. Neither one of those drugs are to be taken lightly. There are numerous other drugs on the market that are in this group of antipsychotics and are FDA approved for use as an antimanic, so I wouldn’t throw in the towel just yet.

Q: topiramate?
Has anyone tried this medication as a treatment for over imbibing.

A: The website below has detailed information about Topiramate. The second link is about the research on using it for alcoholism.

Put this in an Internet search engine for more articles.
Topiramate + alcohol

Q: What are the prone side effects of topiramate/topamax 25mg? (especially in regards to mind and body)?
Greetings… I have just been prescribed this medication for chronic migraines. My doctor didn’t seem to be concerned with side effects, but in my research I have discovered many that seem to be severe. Will this low dosage not allow the severe side effects? I am an active bodybuilder/mixed martial artist, as well as a health freak. I have worked diligently on the physical gains I have made and could not bare to lose them. Would this medication hinder my capabilities or performance? I also used to be on anti-depressants and have read that topamax can trigger depression and possibly a reduction in the sex drive. I am completely not in favor of having my sex drive stifled at the peak of my young manhood. :/

I have also heard the medication can diminish the brains course of thought and intellectual perception. I am also an active writer and do not favor this side effect at all either. My college courses are also beginning soon, too; therefore, I need my brain to function smoothly. If side effects are truly dramatic, then I think I would rather suffer from reoccurring migraines and treat them as they come.

Anyone’s personal or professional input would be greatly appreciated…

A: Best person to talk to about any of your meds besides the prescribing MD is your pharmacist. they often know about meds than the docs because that is all they do. their are many meds for migraines so ask for something else if you don’t like the side effects. Certain foods can trigger migraines. google it and follow what they say. Good luck

Q: Can I build a tolerance to Migraines?
Is it possible to get used to the pain of Migraines, I have had them for years and have had medication (Topiramate) to control them for some time now. But now I need to break this reliance on medication as I am moving someplace where I will not have access to any prescription meds.

I have about a year to prepare for this journey which will require me to get in some quite serious shape. Is it possible to to just fight through the pain and get used to both the headache and the aura over time, baring in mind there will need to be a point where I can do exercise while having a migraine?

A: Not unless your name is Dwight K. Shrute!

Q: Medications For Migraines and chronic daily headaches?
hey guys, i just recently visited a neurologist and got diagnosed with chronic daily headaches and migraines. I was on topiramate for 3 days and the nausea was so unpleasant i had to stop taking the topiramate. Has anyone tried anything else for migraines? and please no herbal bull crap i’ve tried it all, i need real suggestions please. Thanks guys i just don’t know what to expect from him now.

A: http://www.mediclim.co.uk/migraine-prevention.html

I have used beta blockers(didn’t work)and sumatriptan which cures 99%of my migraines within 1 hour of taking.This link has a lot of information

Q: Experiencing numbness in upper body and trouble breathing when sleeping?
A few months ago, I had been having trouble sleeping. Whenever I was about to go to sleep, I would feel as though my throat was closing up or that I had stopped breathing, and my chest, neck, face and arms would be completely numb, and difficult to move. After waking up and gasping for breath, I would feel better. But it would happen again several times a night. At the time I was on a seizure medication called topiramate for my migraines, and thought that might be the cause.
I stopped taking it, and gradually stopped having these episodes. Now I am on gabapentin, and have not had any bad side effects since I started at the beggining of the month.
However the last few nights and this morning, I have been experiencing the numb upper body and choking sensation again when I try to sleep. I am not convinced that gabapentin is the cause. What could this be?

A: I have sleep apnia, and some of your symptoms sound like mine…try sleeping propped up. i have a 45 degree memory foam wedge on my bed that i use sometimes. it helps

Q: Taking topamax for migraines but it’s not working?
I’ve been on 200 mg per day for several months now (I can’t function on a higher dose) & I just read an article on yahoo http://health.yahoo.com/headache-medications/topiramate-oral/healthwise–d04115a1.html#d04115a1-sideeffects that actually says that headaches can be a side effect of this drug, which would explain why it’s not working for me. I’ve been to a neurologist, who has ruled out any masses or tumors. I’m allergic to Imitrex and other medications (Migranal nasal spray, Fioricet) have just stopped working for me. Does anyone have any suggestions? At this point I’m open to any advice. Thanks for any help.

A: There are some other preventative medications that you can try. The first one is Amitriptilyne. It is a tricyclic antidepressant but has been found to be very effective in preventing migraines. I take 100 mg every night at bed time and it has done wonders for me! It is also used for people with insomnia that do not want to take narcotic sleep medicines. You will sleep like a baby on this! The second medication is called Neurontin. It is technically an anti-seizure medication, but it has also been found to be effective at preventing migraines. I also tried this, but it made me very itchy, so I had to stop taking it, but it did work while I was on it. The third medication is called Depakote. This is also an anti-seizure drug. I do not recommend trying this one until you have exhausted all other options. It is a pretty heavy duty drug and you will need to have your liver and kidney function tested every three months while you are taking it since it can cause damage to these organs. It does work, per all of the research I did on it, but there are some serious side effects, so it is a “last resort” type of drug. As far as stopping a migraine once you get one, have you tried Maxalt MLT? I was not getting any results from the other medications either (Immitrex, relpax, fioricet, midrine) but I tried this one and it works very well for me. It melts in your mouth so you do not have to worry about throwing up a pill if you get nausea and vomiting with your migraines like I do. It’s worth a shot if you have not tried it. Talk to your doctor about the above medications. I would say you should talk to him about the Amitriptilyne first since it works so well and you only have to take it once a day at bed time. Good Luck!

Q: What can cause time-loss or black-outs?
Okay, time for details I suppose. I’m 25, I don’t drink (have in the past, but not in over a year and never to excess). I have a mental diagnoses but I take medication (Effexor and Topiramate).

Basically, I have found more and more that I seem to lose a few hours of time every week or so. This most recent time, I wasn’t feeling well so I was home all day. I remember playing a game on my iPod Touch, then –nothing– then I remember sitting in the living room and watching tv. Unfortunatley, whatever I did in the time between, I lost my iPod. The ruling theory is that I tossed it in the trash because we’ve searched every inch of the house and it’s not there.

From what I can tell, I’m coherent and functional while “blacking out”, so those around me don’t seem to ever notice when I might be having problems. I only really realize it later on, when I go back and search my memories and notice a big hole.

I’ve had migraines since I was 9 years old (that’s why I take the Topiramate), and I was told a few years ago that I had a cyst in my sinus cavity, but was also told that it wasn’t a big deal and not to worry about it. Only reason I’m mentioning it here is that it was head-related…

I’d like any advice I can get.
Yes…a medical professional…but a neurologist? If not, then who?

A: The only thing I can think of is an absence seizure…but that doesn’t fit your symptoms very well. Usually absence seizures don’t last long and you don’t do anything during them. This sounds serious. I think it’s time to make an appointment with a neurologist.

Q: Brand Substitution and PBS (Australia)?
I take a medication called Topamax (or Topiramate), and I get it under the PBS scheme in Australia. Each time I get it from the pharmacy it only costs me $5.40. I have always had the same brand, Topamax.

Today I went to the pharmacy to fill my script and they asked me if I would like a cheaper brand. I answered yes, thinking that I had always been getting the cheap brand. But when they came out with my medication it was a different brand – Topiramate Samox (or something similar). But it still cost me the same price – $5.40 (ie. it wasn’t actually cheaper at all). When I got home I looked at my other boxes of medication and it turns out they were not brand substituted but were the proper brand.

So how does brand substitution work on the PBS? Why do they ask you if you want a ‘cheaper brand’ if it is actually the same price? And why would anyone get substitute the brand if it costs them the same anyway?!

A: Topamax, the Ortho-McNeil Neurologics (Janssen-Cilag in Australia- I think) brand name for topiramate is now available as a generic meaning the intellectual property rights Ortho-McNeil had have passed and many companies can make and sell topiramate. They can not use the name Topamax. In Australia the following is a list of names used by various companies for the drug topiramate:

APO-Topiramate, Epiramax 100, Epiramax 200, Epiramax 25, Epiramax 50 Tamate, Topamax, Topamax Sprinkle, and Topiramate Sandoz.

I assume you got Topiramate Sandoz. Sandoz is the name of a generic drug maker owned by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

So you were given topiramate so you have the exact same drug however it is made by another company and since they can’t use the name Topamax they call it Topiramate Sandoz.

I not completely sure what you mean when you say they were not “brand substituted but were the proper brand.”

From the pricing of topiramate in Australia it appears all brands are the same price to the consumer.

According to:

http://www.pbs.gov.au/html/healthpro/search/results?term=Topiramate&scope=PBS+STATIC+WEB+NEWS&form-type=simple

This example may help. In Canada, where I live, if I write for Topamax 200 mg tab a patient will be asked if they want the brand or the generic and if they pick the generic (which is FAR cheaper) they will likely get ratio-Topiramate or Apo-Topiramate or Sandoz Topiramate. And on the prescription it will probably say:
ratio-Topiramate
(topiramate)

So they are technically getting a brand name drug but not THE original brand name drug.

I hope that makes some sense. The way brands and generics work is often really complex. Best thing to do is just make sure what ever brand you take as long as it says topiramate it should be fine. Since Topamax has gone generic fairly recently it may take some time for you to notice a drop in price.

Although $5.40 is a bargen. I took a large dose of Topamax for migraine for a few years when I lived in The US. The cash price, had I not had insurance, was nearly $600 USD for 1 month.

Q: Phychatrist Issues/Fluoxetine & Lorazepam Combination (Is this safe)?
I need some important information about these medication combinations because I feel that right now, these are not a good combination to take but I cannot confirm on that so I need some advice and information.

I’m a 20 year old female, I have some anxiety, anger issues, depression, and sleep insomnia (when not taking the medication)

I have to take a dose of 20MG of Fluoxetine (Generic version of Prozac) once right after I get up in the morning and once right before I go to bed so a total of 40MG a day.

I also have to take a dose of 0.5MG of Lorazepam (Generic version of Ativan) once right after I get up in the morning and once right before I go to bed as well. (1.0MG a day)

Now heres the problem, I know these medicine’s have side effects with them but I need to know what they are capable of doing to me if they are combined with each other.

I currently do not have a doctor (Phychatrist) because I DO NOT trust her whatsoever

She also put me on 25MG of Topiramate (Generic name for Topamax) and I have to take it the same time as the other two current medications that I am taking. (One after I get up and one right before I go to bed)

I had told her that I had took this medication before when I was younger and I specifically told her that it made things alot worse for me (Both mentally and Physically) but she didn’t listen to me (The patient) so she went ahead and prescribe it to me anyways.

Within only 1 week, I weighed from 165lbs to 192lbs and I ate normally as I always do. Then right before my next “monthly” appointment which was in about two more days, within 28 days, my weight was at 240lbs. Two days later, went to the next appointment and practically she blew me off and went ahead and prescribed me that medication again and practically told me I was over reacting and that within time, my weight will go down. I left there very upset and since then I have not been back to her and have not taken the medication since.

The last time I took the Topamax generic brand was in late November of 2009. It took me a long time to lose weight since then. I weighed 240lbs in late November and now I currently weigh 171lbs ever since then and I have been trying to eat right and I’ve been on a couple of diets since then. I had to work extra hard to get that weight off of me because I rarely get any kind of energy whatsoever.

Due to the other medications I currently take now (Fluoxetine/Lorazepam), I am NOT allowed in the sun for more than an hour and a few times, I got very dehydrated easily and at 1 time, I passed out and didn’t get up for 4 hours. Plus, of course I cannot drive, I cannot concentrate at all, cannot think straight/make a right decision, I get very easily distracted, it hurts really badly around my kidneys/lower back area whenever I bend down and lose my ability to breathe after I get up from bending down or getting up from sitting down, and once I fall asleep from the medication I take at night, I only get about 5 hours of sleep total and then I have a very hard time falling asleep after that and I feel fatique/tired all day long (No ability to have any energy to do anything). Theres more side effects that I have that I didn’t list on here but the ones I did list are my major side effects I have everyday.

Can somebody PLEASE help me?!? I need to know an alternative that I need to take in order to help with my anxiety/depression//sleeplessness/anger issues. Can anybody give me information on what to do where this medication combination goes and where this “Phychotic Phychatrist” is concerned because everytime I went to her, she would always talk me down and ignore my concerns and requests, along with ignoring my answers to her questions she used to ask me.

Please, tell me what I need to do. Is there any alternatives to take whatsoever?
I’m serious, please help out!

Thanks!

NOTE: I don’t know if this will help any of you answer my questions but I have a little case of Aspergar’s Syndrome (Form of Autism), I have hypo-thyroidism (Currently taking medication for that), and I also have High Cholesterol because of the “Topamax” I used to take but I take Lovazo right now to help lower that.

Thanks again!

A: ive been on Prozac for 15 yrs now but was told at the beginning to only take it once a day in the mornings,i,m on 25mg which does me fine on that dose from the beginning,like you i suffer from anxiety and depression but even i know and your doctor should know that you don’t mix your medication with any other antidepressants as it can cause an uneven balance,try just staying on Prozac and see how you are on just one 25mg a day instead of your 50mg.you shouldnt take Prozac before you go to bed anyway plus the time lapses between you taking them is to short.i,m not a doctor but being on my Prozac for long time you get to know a lot about it.

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