How long do you have to stay on topomax?

[stellar]

I was wondering once you get to 300 mg per day, how long you have to keep taking topamax and if you go off topamax, will you start drinking again? If you do, are you supposed to start the program from the beginning again? Also, are you supposed to not be drinking at all because I am still having a couple of drinks per night.

[dieann]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

I was wondering about this too. I am currently dosing up. Today is my first day at 100 mg. I believe I am starting to feel some effect. My desire to drink just doesn't feel the same. I didn't drink for 6 weeks in August/September withOUT using Topamax, but once I started drinking again, there was really no moderation involved. Am I going to need to take Topamax forever? Is it more a matter of changing my habits? What do most people who successfully use Topamax for alcohol addiction find?

[wwbarb]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

Wow, Dieann - it sounds like you are telling my story. I quit for six weeks in August/Sept and went back - no moderation involved. I am at 75 this week in topa and am at two drinks a day, which is plenty. Lost my taste for beer, carbonated beverages in general. There is really a difference in my cravings and am truly hoping that 100 will be my magic number because I don't want to have to spend this money over the internet forever. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. December will be fairly alcohol free, and January will be alcohol free. Next week, I'm going gambling with all the free alcohol with the first week of 100 mg and am really interested in seeing the results.

I am treating it like an experiment now and am facinated by what is happening both with my cravings (food and alcohol) and my attitude. The only side effects are that I'm tired (which I was before, so now I just take a nap when I can) and I'm having trouble spelling. It was really funny trying to watch me put together a flip chart the other day that said "Welcome to Thanksgiving Dinner" for a presentation I was doing - I wasted three pieces of paper trying to spell various words. And, I honestly don't know how much of that is in my head.

I just hope I don't have to stay on this forever because of the finances.

Barb

[dieann]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

I can relate to the "experiment" Barb! I am probably drinking three-four drinks a day on average, but I am definitely more mindful of my drinking. I am not sure, it's just different. On Sunday, I was at the bar drinking beer and watching football and, um, I switched to hot tea. Well, it was snowing and tea sounded better than beer. That's not normal for me!

I figure the Topamax is not more expensive than the alcohol.... I do have Christmas as a date to start abs again. Until then, I'd like to see what happens. I know I can not drink because I did it for six weeks (and I actually enjoyed it), although I wouldn't say it was easy. It is all a very interesting journey.

[wwbarb]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

I enjoyed my six weeks too Dianne, but I was lonely. Weekends were hard. My hubby did not cut down his drinking at all, so I spent my (what little) free time I had at home alone. I tried to pick up more on my other hobbies but that wasn't always possible. I am approaching it with a more open mind this time. Xmas is kind of my "last hurrah" date too. We don't really celebrate New Years. I can't imagine staying up til midnite anymore.

I almost switched to tea watching football last week but didn't quite do it. In Arizona, it's iced tea tho!

[TracyA]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

Once titrated up, is it safe to quit the topa all at once?

I'm still on beginners dose but I'm wondering too.

[wwbarb]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

That's a question I had too in case I got too tired. Can I just quit? None of my research answered that. Anyone know?

Most of what I see is on the boards is when you quit the topa, you go back to drinking. I really think it has to be something in your heart and your head, not your medication. The medication has to be a tool, not the answer, I think.

[Guest]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

Hi ladies!
nope, it's definitely not safe to quit the topa all at once. You have to titrate back down similarly to the way you titrated back up. Remember, topamax is an anti-convulsant, and messes with your neurotransmitters. That's one thing my doc always says with my refils "just DON'T run out!".
I had posted over on mods that he wants me off it in the new year. It will have been almost a year by then, on and off... I never got above 150mg, mostly because I'm a wimp. It helps so much when I let it work, but if I decide I'm going to drink, I just go ahead and drink. I pay for it the next day though. ugh.
All in all, however, with my drinking cut in half of what it was, that's not too shabby. I'm hoping that with my habits changed and the positive reinforcement I've gotten (weight loss, improved marriage, improved everything!), that I'll be able to continue to work on this once my doc stops writing the script.
Good luck everyone!

[wwbarb]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

Thanks Becca - think I needed to hear that.

When I was trying to lose weight, I took diet pills. I didn't gain 50 lbs because I was hungry. If I wanted to eat, I ate, and I kept on eating until the food (or the mood) was gone. So just because I took a pill that said "I'm not hungry" didn't mean I wasn't going to eat. Just because I take pills that say "I don't crave a drink" doesn't mean if I won't tie one on if my mind is set on it.

I have to embrace sobriety the same way I embraced my ideal body weight, look at the beauty that comes along with it. Thanks for the wake up call!

[dieann]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

Barb, my boyfriend didn't stop drinking when I wasn't drinking either. Most of the time it didn't bother me. The only times it did, he'd had too much. That's normal that that would bother me though. :H

I figure I have to change my habits. I will let the Topamax help me do that. Along with all my other tools, the most powerful one being, of course, my brain.

[stellar]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

i guess the answer to our question is.. when we have been on the topamax long enough to have our decrease in drinking become such a habit for us instead of how much we were drinking before and we feel safe enough to try to go without it...then we can try?

i am currently taking 200 mg per day and i was drinking approximately 2 bottles of wine per day. now i am down to about 2 glasses of wine per day and don't even finish the second glass sometimes. before, i would start in the afternoon and now i don't even think about it until night time. it was a gradual change though. as the milligrams increased, my desire decreased, so i encourage anyone who is doing this to stick with it because the side effects go away after your body gets used to the drug. ( except for being able to spell...hehehe...i have had to correct my spelling several times in this post)

[libmit]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

I've been on 25mg topamax for 8 days. I'm in awe at how well it's working. I had a dinner party Saturday night at my house (would generally drink at least a bottle of wine while guests at house, then several drinks later) and I only had 3 glasses of wine total. Waking up not hungover was GREAT. And last night we went out for dinner, and I could barely drink my half of the bottle of wine. And DH poured a glass of red wine when we got home and all I wanted was a caffeine free diet coke. Who am I? I love it.

Anyway, I'm sticking with the 25 mg. until/unless it starts to not work. Anyone else have success with just 25 mg? I'm also taking the supps. and listening to the cd's., which I was skeptical about, but I now think are helping. My biggest problem is staying awake. If I have any trouble sleeping I just start slowing counting and trying to go deeper, and I'm usually asleep before I get to 10.

Libby

[Guest]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

topamax seems to work oppisite on me?? Why???

I am 25. I am taking topamx as a mood stabilizer. Have been on 200 topamax up to 400 for the last three years. I have some memory problems, but it helps my mood so much and the way I feel phisically. although I am not over weight I find I am way more hungery on topamax and tend to over eat. I also can tolerate alcohol on topamax, but when I went off of it for three days and tryed to drink I got very ill. I have found that when I am on the medication however I do not feel the want or need to drink (though I am not a heavy drinker--just not well tolerant). Also when I got off of it my Diet sodas didn't taste good anymore. When I started taking it agian my taste came back (thank goodness). Maybe I have been on it for so long my body has adjusted????
does anyone know the withdrawls of getting off topamax? I am not planning on getting off, because I do not do well without it, But it was wondering if some of what I was suffering was withdrawls. Can't find anything about it on the net!

[Suzanna]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

Haven't been able to find answer

Hi unregistered, one of the reasons I haven't taken topamax is because I can't find an answer to this very question. What happens if you just stop taking it? Everything written on it is you can't just stop. I have 2 bottles of 25 mg sitting in a drawer and I'm afraid to take them because I got them on the net and it took almost a month to get here. I'm sure your doctor has advised you on your dosage and you should definitely ask your doc about your concerns. :welcome:

[Quiescent]

How long do you have to stay on topomax?

Hi Suzanna,

Where did you get your Topa from?

You have to titrate off topamax. You can't just stop taking it once you've started. It is an anti-convulsent so if you stop taking it abruptly it may throw you into a seizure.

People are willing to share where they've purchased their topa from around here......maybe you should try another supplier.