Topamax Question

[Doing My Best]

I only started the program on Monday and have had 1 day with nothing to drink however, had 4 last night. I am taking all the supplements and have ordered the Topomax from Canada. I am wondering how many of you take it without seeing a dr. I just can't bring myself to go tell my doc that I have a drinking problem. I know this is called denial.
If you follow the dosage in the book does it work well?
I can't wait for it to get here so I can get out from under this rock.
Thanks for all your advice.

:new:

[soccermom]

Topamax Question

It depends on the person I think. It works great for some and others have a hard time with the side effects. I ordered mine from overseas because there was no way I was going to tell my doctor I needed help with AL. There have also been threads about insurance problems once you do tell your doctor about your issues with AL because they have to document that and if you switch insurance companies they may have a problem with your problem.
Anyway, I took it for a while and it did help with cravings but I stopped after 8 months because I had some side effects I wasn't liking plus if your head isn't in the right place then topa isn't going to help as much as you'd like.
I'm excited your here and have ordered the topa....do try it.

[lenaleed]

Topamax Question

No it's not called denial here. You are safe from all that 12 step guilt peddling. Very real insurance concerns aside, you are entitled to your privacy and your dignity. I ordered naltrexone from River for that same reason. I'm new here, but I've come to the right place. I hope you feel you have too.

Take care, Lena

[Doing My Best]

Topamax Question

Soccermom and lenaleed,
thank you so much for answering my questions. I posted about a week ago and got no response which lead me to think I was not asking questions in the right way. I can not wait for my meds to get here and then start the whole program. So, I hope I can be in contact with both of you as I progress. Again thank you so much for your input.

[Bird of Paradise]

Topamax Question

DMB,
hello and welcome. I am also new here. I purchased RJs book, supps, CDs, and All One from this site. I also ordered my Topa from River. I called around to find an addiction specialist (I had an appt. with him but his way was a monthly injection of Vivitrol). I also don't want this on my insurance record. I'm not really comfy with ordering on-line, but I'm even more uncomfortable with insurance red tape. My Topa should be arriving soon. I'm ready to start!!!

I found Paddy's thread on the Topa survey helpful and insightful. I'm working my way through the thread. Somethings are inspirational and some are scary. I do know that there is no "magic pill" and this is going to take some doing.

I'm 40 yo. I have two boys - 13 and 11 years old. Happily married. Stay at home mom, involved heavily with my kids school and PTA. I also have a big secret - I drink too much. I want to be a AF for 30 days and moderate. I want to enjoy life again and not be always thinking about AF!!!

Waiting for my Topa. Thanks for starting this thread. It seems a lot of people here are going the Sinclair Method.

[Doing My Best]

Topamax Question

Bird,
Thanks so much for responding. I so agree with you on the insurance,doctor thing. I am a teacher and I don't need "my secret" ever to get out there. I started topa today which I got from River. It takes about 3 weeks to get so I am going to order again at the end of this week. I am on glass 2 of wine and think it will take awhile to get the dosage where it needs to be. I am howvever, very hopeful. I also have 2 boys who are now 21 and 19...hard to believe. I am 55 and wish I had found this when I was 40. I drank too much the whole time the boys were growing up and I pray they never have this problem.
Please stay in touch and I will let you know how it is going.

[stellarstar]

Topamax Question

you can tell the doctor that you have migraines and a freind of yours is on topamax and it is working well for them. that's what i did and it was no problem..

go on the topamax website and it will give you the symptoms of migraines.

it's hard for the doctor to prescribe topamax for anything other than it is supposed to be for...they call it off-label and they could possibly get in trouble for it.

the way i first got it was by saying i had migraines but then when i went to a psychiatrist he prescribed it to me because he already knew that it would help.

by the way...it is also a mood stabilzer, and can help with depression. it helps with my bi-polar disorder.

hope that helps!

saundra

[stellarstar]

Topamax Question

by the way...don't worry if you still drink while you are on it. you will be amazed at how one day your craving will just go away. and don't feel guilty if you drink a little more than you wanted to one day or another...guilt just makes you feel worse and makes you want to drink more. just do thae best you can and let the topamax do it's job...
you'll see...it will. it takes about a month or so.. you wwill find yourself gradually wanting less and less, just go with it and don't worry if you slip here and there. it works.

saundra

[Doing My Best]

Topamax Question

Stellarstar,
Great advice about the headaches. That I could do with no problem and just say that I just started getting them recently. Thanks for all of the thoughts on being gentle with myself. We get really good at beating ourselves up don't we? I will keep you posted on my progress. :thanks:

[gabby]

Topamax Question

doingmybest - I think the only reason you didnt get any response is because you posted in this part. If you asked in general you would have been answered right away. So anyway sorry.

Topa will help you a lot if you want it to. It helped me get 18 months af.

[Doing My Best]

Topamax Question

Gabby,
Thanks for the info. Being new here you just have to try out different areas. I am off to general.

[skinny cow]

Topamax Question

i don't know if it is totally dishonest, but i told my doctor i had migranes and said outright i wanted topamax. he'd never heard of it and i said i researched it and a dr. friend of mine recomended it. the only drawback is the dosage he gave me was sooooooooooooo low 25 mg the 50mg, and from what i read on this website, really you need more than that.

[Doing My Best]

Topamax Question

Skinny Cow, I am going to speak with a friend who is a pharmisist and see what he says about getting it from Canada etc. He will be honest and I can share with everybody form there.

[skinny cow]

Topamax Question

doing my best
my problem is they won't send it to ireland from canada!!!!
i have to get it from india, which makes me way nervous. i did order it from some place called trusted tabs (what a bloody name) and i have been taking them, but it is just so hard to know
and the took for every to get here. they don't look anything like the ones i got from my doctor here , which by the way were really really expensive.

i would totally spend the money and get them from river pharmacy but like i said they won't ship them to eurpope.

if anyone has any other suggestions i am open to them.

[Bird of Paradise]

Topamax Question

DMB,
Yeah, its here!!! I'm on day 4 of my Topa. I'm taking supps, listening to the CDs (although not as consistently). I'm still drinking wine but not as much and I'm not thinking about drinking as much!
I've been working out and joined a work out group (a boat camp) with a friend on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. I'm reading My Way Out, filling up my pill box and looking forward to weaning myself off and becoming AF!
So far, no side effects.
Keep in touch