question on topa and word loss

[Guest]

Hi - I'm just about to start - have CDs and book, awaiting supps. Has anyone any experince like RJ had with losing words, directions etc. I'm scared to use topa - am a lawyer and have to talk for a living. Does the program work without the topa? Or if you have side effects like word loss how long do they last? Only had 3 glasses of wine last night just becasue I was inspired by this site. Can't wait to lisern to the CDS and take the supps. any thoughts are appreciated.

[Guest]

question on topa and word loss

Hi Kitkatmom, I did use topa and decided to come off it. In retrospect in many ways I think I panicked and was coming off it just as it was kicking in.

The symptoms for people are very different and if you read the book or go back on the threads you will hear from a lot of people about their experiences. Outside of the tingling my biggest problem was writing and feeling like I was one step behind everyone else when I started to speak.

I wasn't exercising at the time though and lots of other people have said that exercise really helps with the side effects. Other people have asked their doctor for medication to counter the side effects until theeir dosage levels out.

I switched to Campral this week although I was feeling great without any supps so it really is a personal decision at the end of the day. Do keep up with all the supplements as you are going through this as they really do make a big difference.

Good luck

Yvonne

[Guest]

question on topa and word loss

thanks so much Yvonne - I think I'll try with just the supps and lots of exercise and see what happens. Go to the topa if I have to or the campral later on. whew! what a long journey!

[Guest]

question on topa and word loss

topa

hi there,
this is my third day on Topa and I can tell you that I am the odd ball here. I have had the complete opposite affects. I have more mental clarity than before. No kidding, it is so weird. I have energy!! I normally drag mysself up after 10 hrs of sleep and I have awoke after 8 hours very alert and rested. I cant say that it is for sure the topa, but that is the only thing that has changed. Maybe it is because I am so excited about my new found hope. Havent really sensed a majical fix to my switch being turned off in my drinking yet, but I guess that takes time. My Cd's & supps have not arrived yet. Maybe once I incorportate them I will begin to feel that way. In any even, I like the way the topa makes me feel. My dr. kind of hinted it would help, as it is a Central Nervous System helper, and maybe I had problems before that I didnt even know I had, and this medication is helping that. That is the only explanation I can think of. In any event if nonething else comes from this, the topa has helped with my everday quality of how I feel. So , give it a try. Every body is different, but i wouldnt be afraid at all to try it. My doctor re-assured me that the side affects would be minimal. But he knows ME, and knows what I have tolerated in the past, and was judging it based on that. I have taken anti-anxiety medication, and I guess he figured if I could handle that I could handle this.

Good Luck

syd

[Guest]

question on topa and word loss

Re: topa

I'm a therapist and have to talk for a living too. I sometimes wonder if it isn't the shame about drinking that makes us worry about the effects of the topa....if we were taking it for migraines and we were a little slower, wouldn't we just explain that we're taking meds for migraines and sometimes just forget a word? The topa dopa effect does happen to me sometimes (although it happened to me before the topa, too) I just will say to my clients that I'm not getting the word I want and it will usually come to me later. They're very tolerant, and usually we'll just laugh together if I have a "brain fart". ( don't generally use that word with them though!) I am tending to make more lists and stuff like that, but I was never the most organized person in the world anyway.....

also some people tend to do pretty well on low doses of topa, too and don't have the worst side effects, and they do tend to go away after a bit. I just went up to 250 mg, so I'm definitely a bit more "dopey" than usual!:rolleyes

Hope this helps!

Kathy

[Guest]

question on topa and word loss

Re: topa

Kathy - thanks for the info - I too can't find sme words without any medications. I've got a big trial coming up - may wait until after that. anything's better than drinking too much and waking up in a fog. i really need this to work fo r me. thnaks to all for the encouragement. D.

[Guest]

question on topa and word loss

Re: topa

Kitkat, I only have a minute to reply, but I want to encourage you. This program is definately worth your effort!

I am a mother and a doctor (in a specialty that does not prescribe drugs)

so, I also talk for a living and have to think on my feet, and communicate delicate and complicated info and make decisions and write and read complex scribble, and do 18 things at once (you know) as well as manage my family and my clinic (also I am an expert witnes for the courts)

...AND we are gearing up for a major remodel of our house.

So, going into this over 12 weeks ago, I too was worried about the cognitive effects. My physician told me not to worry, she said that if I noticed anything bothersome I could cut back or quit the medication.

What I did is only increase the topa in 25 mg increments. I NEVER bumped it up by 50 mg as in the lancet study. SOmetimes I would stay with a dose several weeks before increasing. It was very effective for me at lower doses.

This stuff REALLY works, you will be amazed and really worth it. I did not get lethargic or lose my way, or embarass my self in speech or anything like that!. I did surprise myself with some mispelled words (at 100 mg I think) and started using spell check religiously and put a dictionary in both my desks for checking what used to be not that difficult words. It was interesting! But very minor. I usually caught it. And this passed after a few weeks. It was with the written word only.

This decision is up to you , but the topa was like a VERY powerful secret weapon, that helped make me feel like a regular drinker ....I became indifferent to alcohol, and could easily stop at one drink. I still feel that way. I attribute my success to the WHOLE program, but the topa created the distance between me and that painful repetitive problem drinking behavior, so that I could finally see it for what it was and move on.

Good luck!

[Guest]

question on topa and word loss

Re: topa

Well Said, Vida!
Kathy

[Guest]

question on topa and word loss

thanks for that

vida,

thank you for explaining all that so clearly. i am waiting to begin the program until after i have to drive in city traffic next week, as i live in the mountains, and did NOT want to loose my way in city freeway traffic, so am just waitiing to begin with everything, including the topa, until i get back to the mountains.

after reading your ppost, i am even more hopeful!