Day 4 on Topa question

[struggles]

I am day 4 sober! I am taking 25mg of topa in the am and 25 at night. so far...cravings are almost gone. The weird thing is is that when I wake in the morning, I feel great, a little tired, but clear headed and rested, but after about an hour of taking the topa, I get really cloudy headed, almost the same feeling as when i was sobering up. fuzzy thoughts, a little dizzy, etc. it lasts until around 3pm and then goes away. I take my second dose around bedtime, but don't notice the same feelings.

Could I still be detoxing from alcohol or could it be the topa? I don't have the other side effects of the tingling or slurred speech, just what I mentioned and it's odd it happens about an hour or so after I take it.

Just wondering if anyone else experienced this and does your body eventually get used to the topa and it just is normal.

I don't remember feeling like this when I went on celexa or zoloft but I did when I went off of those prescriptions. just a little weird it's happening when I'm starting this.

Other than that, for the first time in my life, i am extremely hopeful and determined to work this program completely.....just a little wondering about the topa?

Thanks,

Tammy

[FlyAway]

Day 4 on Topa question

I'm curious what the answer is to this too. I've considered taking Topamax, not for cravings but for headache prevention. But my doctor is very much anti-Topamax. He refers to it as Dopamax because he says it makes you "dumb." I can't have it affect my cognitive ability and do my job, so I've not tried it.

[sunshinedaisies]

Day 4 on Topa question

Hi Struggles and Fly - Topa affects everyone differently. Struggles - are you on your first week of Topa? Usually the first week is just a single dose of 25mg - then the 2nd week you go up to the second dose, thus letting your body get used to it. When I was first on it, I had to play with when I took my dose as it made me tired but that went away fairly quickly. I have been lucky with hardly any SE's from it. Fly - that isn't fair of your doc to call it that as many folk do not have that SE. I sometimes forget a word but that could also be age!! Both of you need to check out the "starting Topa with a question' thread in the meds section. Airam started it a couple of years ago and it has many questions about SE's and folk there have said what they experienced on it. I did have the tingling - sometimes to the point of it feeling as if I was having needles stuck in me - quite painful - but that too went away - plus to me it showed me that it was working. Topa can really help - I quit with it my first quit time - for 8 months. But stopped taking it and thought I could just have one drink - HAH ! I have since decided I can't even have one. I have quit again. Good for you Struggles on day 4 - that is awesome if it is working for you on such a low dose. I had to get up to a very high dose for it to work for me. The SE's do go away. Feel free to PM me if you want to know any more. And way to go on day 4 !!

Sun

[struggles]

Day 4 on Topa question

Sun~
Yes, I'm on my first week and under doctor's supervision. She is an addiction therapist who actually uses topa in her treatment along with other methods. As you said, everyone is different and I must be a "zinger" cuz she started me on 25mg in the am and 25 pm first week, then 25mg am and 50mg 2nd week and then 50/50 third week! I'm a doozie all righty! I had the pins/needles my first dosage and now the only thing is the cloudy head, but like you pointed out, I went right onto 50mg straight from the get go so maybe my body needs time to adjust.

She also offers topa in combination with baclofen, but hopefully this will be enough....if this fuzzy head goes away...lol.

Why did you quit the topa the first time, Sunshine, if you don't mind my asking?

[sunshinedaisies]

Day 4 on Topa question

Hi Struggles - just speaking from my own experience, I would do the 25mg for a week before going up to the 50mg. but that is only because that is what is suggested in the titration schedule in the book here. The reason I came off it was that for the Topa to work for me, I had to get up to 300mg daily. When I get up to that level, I got extremely flat and depressed. if I come back down to 250, the craving part comes back a bit but the depression goes away - so as I was feeling SO flat, and I had managed to stop drinking I decided that I could handle it on my own without the Topa. BIG mistake. So I came off of it. Was fine for a while but the depression didn't go away. Then I broke my foot and was at home bored. Decided to have ONE drink. The rest is history. The interesting part is that the depression went away when I started drinking again. I talked to my doc who said that I needed to talk to someone to find out why I was depressed when I wasn't drinking but there is no-one where I live that is in any way qualified to address such issues. So, I muddle through on my own. I started the Topa again at 25mg and worked my way up slowly again - I can't go to the 300mg as I know what will happen. I have managed to stop drinking with a mixture of things - the Topa, L-Glut, Kudzu, MINDSET, a good plan and the Carr book, which really resonates with me. So far so good. I know I can't drink again - not even that ONE ! Good luck with your journey Struggles !

Sun X