How long can I stay on 300 of topa safely?

[Ivygoodluck]

How long can I stay on 300 of topa safely?

Hi Lee,

I am your age and ready to stop this crazy stuff. I drink a whole bottle of white wine every night. It goes down so easy. I'd love to hear more about how you are doing it!

IVY

[LeeB]

How long can I stay on 300 of topa safely?

Hi There, thanks for responding, Would you like to chat privately, or on the forum? I'll do it either way I'm a very open person? Let me know? Lee

[LeeB]

How long can I stay on 300 of topa safely?

cv1 wrote: Hi Lee,

You sound amazing in your posts. Perhaps you want to check in on the Abstinence forum sometimes. It's a great group of people and you really get some conversations going, as well as the General Forum.
:welcome:

Hi, Thank You, Where do I go to get to these other forums? I really don't know my way around here at all yet, I am just winging it really. I just happened to sit down yesterday and started to write 'cause I thought it was time and today I was curious to see if anyone was interested. Now I see, I may have found some friends so I will have to get serious when I get time and leran the ropes! Thanks again. I really think this program will work for me. As I said, and I mean it. I even tried Women For Sobriety. I've been in 3 different rehabs one in Charlotte, NC, one in Newport, RI and one in Bellingham, WA. They were all wonderful but they were all based on the AA program and that never worked for me. I need strictly a personal program and this is it. Self hypnosis, Nutrition, Topamax, Exercise and Prayer. I think it Works if done properly!!!!!!!!!! Lee

[About Time]

How long can I stay on 300 of topa safely?

Topa is too powerful to mess with

I was so excited after reading My Way Out that my shrink against her better judgement prescribed it for me. While my drinking was reduced rather quickly, the side affects were intense. My tub was lined with hair. It was crazy. This is a much understated side affect when you read the literature including MWO. If you type in hair loss and topamox in google, you will not believe how prevalent this side affect is. Most people take it for what it is prescribed which is migraines. It is very helpful for those suffering from this condition. One women said she decided to wear a WIG rather than give up the drug because her migraines were so much better. Also I was so sleepy/tired that I could not get up in the morning and get to work on time - to the point my editor questioned me. Ironically, I was more punctual when I was drinking. I had to lie about it - very disconcerting. This drug should not be prescribed casually AT ALL. This book in my opinion should not have been published w/o further research. The fact that you are considering taking another drug it "is proof in the pudding" - I think you should issue a stronger warning to people who contemplate topa based on your book if you even get a chance to publish an updated version. The only reason no one has taken legal action is because we are all ashamed drunks who are worried we won't be taken seriously - we should be in a 12 step program right? I personally agree with you about that - I do not want to go into rehab, so I am trying Nal without a Doctor. I've read the book and am a highly educated person, so I think I can judge the progress alone. Topa is not the answer for a lot of people. At least Nal is prescribed for alcoholism - topa is not.

Okay I have vented, but I'm serious - topa is NOT good for so many of us - go online and see how many people suffer extreme side effects with this drug. About time



QUOTE=Roberta Jewell;52851]I agree Topa dosing is highly individualistic. I reported ages ago on the earlier board that after titrating up to 300 mg, I reduced my dosage significantly, but the cravings returned and I slipped. I was also under a lot of stress at the time. It required me bumping back up to full throttle and I committed to becoming more diligent about hypno, exercise, and supps. For me, that made all the difference in the world.

Despite that, I've actually been thinking about switching to Vivitrol...I see there are recent questions about this medication on the board. I'm really curious as to its efficacy and also figured I could play guinea pig and report back. Of course, I would continue to incorporate all other elements of the program--you old timers know how passionately I feel about rejecting a "single pill" approach.

As I understand, your doc must be enrolled in and selected to participate as an injection site for naltrexone's once monthly shot. The drug's maker and marketer, Alkermes and Cephelon respectively, call it the "VIP3 program" (Vivitrol information for patients, physicians, providers). Dr. Garcia was invited to participate early on and agreed, but I'm not sure if she's going to continue because of a number of delays in deploying the program.) I'm waiting for more info, as we do have interest from local patients.

But back to the question at hand. Here are some thoughts:

* Length of time it's okay to take Topamax: as I understand the drug has been safely used long-term for over ten years in both the pediatric and adult population (some at higher doses) for epilepsy. As always, it's important to work with a health care provider and be mindful of potential side effects.

* Yes to finding the dose that works for you. I assumed mine would be 300 mg, but at the time I was closely following the clinical trial which adopted the Physican's Desk Reference titration schedule. The researchers who published in the Lancet agreed in their study that lower doses might be equally effective; they simply didn't know. But I was winging it on my own and not taking any chances! As many of you know, we have since recommended stopping at lower doses if you find your craving remains under control.

* From what I've learned, if you revert to drinking heavily while taking Topamax it may lose its full effectiveness. I've mentioned this before. You really must monitor your cravings and be committed to good nutrition (particularly where sugar is concerned), as well as exercise, supplementation and behavioral modification. We feel the hypno is very effective. Some start with our hypnotherapy program and later adopt other relaxation and positive visualization techniques.

* We always recommend the official titration schedule when starting out, regardless of where you stop. It's in my book, as well as the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) and Lancet. Others here can attest to dealing with some extremely challenging side effects when they dosed up too quickly. Again, finding the "perfect dose" can take a little tweaking. It may depend on your weight, the way in which your body metabolizes medication, additional meds you're taking, or other factors.

* I've read anecdotal evidence to suggest that those who take Topa for weight loss--then stop completely and begin taking it again--don't experience similar success. I assume it's the same for alcohol dependence, but don't have any clinical evidence upon which to base this theory. I believe it may require dosing back up at a different schedule.

Finally, and I'll mention this elsewhere soon, I'm preparing to launch a blog site and if I do decide to try Vivitrol anytime soon, I may post information there regularly about the experience. I've published a number of posts already, but have not yet announced the site. I'll pobably use it as my main venue to share info, as this board has become wonderfully independent and I think it'll work a little better. It will also provide a venue for those who are interested in reading my stuff, as it'll be easy to find everything in one place. (It will also probably be a bit more commercialized than our other websites to help support it.) I'll still monitor this board carefully and respond to issues as they're raised.

Wow...that was a long answer to a simple question. But I hope you find it helpful. :-)

RJ[/QUOTE]

[Cinders]

How long can I stay on 300 of topa safely?

About Time,

I do not feel that RJ's book in anyway suggests taking Topamax CASUALLY.

Alcoholism is a debilitating and deadly disease. Any weapon that can help others fight it is welcome.

I am sorry you suffered such horrendous effects from Topamax. I did, too, as I am allergic to it.

However, it never crossed my mind to blame RJ or even consider suggesting that others not consider trying Topamax to help because others may well succeed where I didn't and for them, I rejoice.

Also, RJ does tell you to use your doctor. She never indicates that using Topamax without a doctor's advice and oversight is recommended.

There are ongoing studies at some very prestigious Universities about using Topamax for alcoholism today. The success rates from using Topamax are statistically significantly better in the smaller groups that are being studied than those who use nothing.

Just because I had a horrible reaction to that drug does not mean I think others should not try it to help save their lives. I do agree that having a doctor prescribe it and monitor the individual is critical. I always have.

Cindi