Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

[Paddy]

I've hit the 200 mgs Topa mark last week and thought I was doing fine. I had been at 175 mgs for quite a while, but the alcohol switch had not quite been off. But with the 200 mgs mark, the switch turned off. So that's the plus side.

Yet a couple of days since hitting the 200 mgs mark, I had a constant ringing/buzzing in my ears - a side effect which was also mentioned in one of the posts (I think by Marie, who actually was a volunteer in a trial by Johnson for Topa). Additionally, I sometimes feel a bit spaced out, if that's the right way to describe it. Like I sit there, and it's like I'm not all there ...

As off today, I decided to cut down again, though I liked the 'switch off alcohol' effect, but the constant ringing in my ear drives me nuts. If I knew it was going to go away at some stage, I'd probably stay on for another week or two at 200 mgs, but the uncertainty doesn't help.

Any input? Thanks.

[sami]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

Paddy....I visited my doctor yesterday for the first time about topa (I've actually been on it for two months for "migraines" but just saw her "face to face" yesterday w/ an admission of why i'm really on it----that's another story!). Anyway, she said that it takes about a month after each dosage increase for the symptoms to go away. I just increased to 200 4 days ago. I have noticed a slight ringing in the ears, but at almost uncontrollable urge to crawl back into bed. Words slur. I keep saying "Tie a knot at the end of the rope and hang on!" "This, too, shall pass!" And I keep reminding myself of some of my more disgusting alcholic moments that changed my personality and made me wonder why I even wanted to live. So I'm hanging on to this knot. According to my doctor (who was a jerk in many ways, but hopefully knew her research in others!) the ringing in your ears should subside in 3 weeks.
Hang in there, my friend.......3 weeks is a long time w/ ringing in the ears, but in the long term......may they sound like, oh, I don't know, what do you like?....
Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys?
Enya?
A child's laughter?
Tony Orlando and Dawn?
The voice from the c.d. saying "deeper.....deeper..."

[Paddy]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

Wow, that's indeed good news, Sami. So maybe I should stay on then.

How about Anita Ward's Ring My Bell, ha ha. OK, titrating right up again ...

Thanks Sami!

[gabby]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

Paddy, I bet it goes away if ya hang in there.

[sami]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

Just checking in with you Paddy.....How is the ringing in your ears?
I slept for 11 hours last night. Slept soooo well! Certainly missed sleep like that when I was drinking, but I didn't want to get up even after that many hours. Could've slept all day! Wish you could send the ringing of your ears over to get my ass out of bed!

[Paddy]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

Ha, ha, it comes in waves, but I seem to be able to cope better. Thanks for asking.

[anneinMA]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

Hi Paddy,
It was me who talked about the ringing in my ears. I can't say, I dropped back down to the 150 when I complained during the trial and they got "special permission" to keep me at the 150mg level after I went nuts.
Good luck to you. I hope it goes away.
Anne

[Paddy]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

Dear Anne

I know, I was referring to your post, actually.

Aside from the ringing in the ear, I was experiencing extreme fatigue on 200 mgs. Like, I could just go to sleep and sleep like a baby (abnormally deep!) and quite a lack of motivation.

Anyway, a couple of days ago, I decided to titrate back to my usual 175 mgs in order to get my life back. At the same time, I also to decided to try to go totally AF for a couple of days, maybe for a month or a couple of months. See how I can hold the fort.

That's the current state of affairs. As of today, I feel much better. The ringing of the in my ears has not gone away 100 %, but has lessened greatly. And the fatigue has decreased, too.

[relapsenomore]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

I am new here, just found this site while researching Topamax.

Female, 49, chronic drinker since early age, currently 160 lbs.. Decided to "get sober" and that lasted one month shy of 7 years and have now been back at it for another 7, a few periods of sobriety, 10 months, 5 months and the latest, two weeks. I am on day three now. Topamax seems like a miracle but I am concerned about the side effects. Not the weight loss! Hair loss, ringing in the ears, MOOD SWINGS, depression and the such. I live in an extremely rural area coming from suburbia far away from this mountain and found a doc here (the only in my insurance plan) who would not even prescribe Lexapro for my perimenopause-menopause, he had neve heard of it (Sorry guys) I have been reading the threads and it seems that hair loss seems to be the biggest regret to this medication. I would not do very well if my hair started falling out even more. Anyway, not to be a novel, but I am going to the "book" page and see the program outline.

Just wanted to let you all know I was here.

[marcel]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

Paddy,
What does it feel like? The alcohol switch being shut off, I mean? Do you just not even want a drink at all? Can you describe it? The program calls for me to go from 150 mg to 200 mg tomorrow but I think I'm only going to go to 175, given what you just said. I don't really 'crave' the wine any more but I definitely miss it from time to time. Do you ever stop missing it?
marcel

[Paddy]

Topamax - Hitting the 200 mgs mark and the ringing in my ear drives me nuts!

Just came back from the doc today, will increase to 200 mgs again. Well, the alcohol off switch is like you are NOT experiencing cravings. You will still miss the ritual of having a beer at times, but the cravings are gone and you can deal with it easily.