Topamax made me stupid!

[PapaJP]

Okay, so I LOVE the beneficial effect of Topa. From the second day after I started taking it, a drink didn't even sound appealing to me. Even for the 18 months that AA kept me sober, I could have never honestly said that a single time.

Any road, my doc started me out on 25 mg/day, for the first five days, then 50 mg/day. I took the 25 in the morning at first, which caused some minor focus issues I reported to my doc, who told me to take the pills at night. That pretty much fixed the problem, until I went up to 50 mg. Even after 5 or 6 days at 50mg/day, I was having horrible problems with simple mental tasks, which, in my profession, I CANNOT afford. In fact, I functioned better slightly drunk than I did on 50 mg. of topa. I have dropped back to 25 mg, and all seems to be well, but I simply cannot imagine anyone functioning on the doses suggested in the book.

If 25mg continues to be enough to keep the cravings away, then I don't suppose it much matters, but I would have expected the mind-numbing effects of 50 mg. to have subsided pretty quickly, especially given the much higher suggested doses.

Anybody else out there have similar problems?

[sunshinedaisies]

Topamax made me stupid!

Hi there - you are really lucky, in my opinion, that the 25mg works for you ..... I had to get up to 300mg for it to work for me ... and then had terrible depression ! It did make me slightly loopy - but not as bad as it obviously did for you. If the 25 works - and the SE's are okay then carry on with it ! I found that any SE's that I had DID go away with time. Apart from the depression and had to come off it 'cos of that.

Just a thought - why not split a tab and try for 35 or so? Take it at night - all of it. BUT, if the 25 is working - don't worry about trying to go higher.

Good luck with it ......

sun

[PapaJP]

Topamax made me stupid!

I might try 35mg, if it starts feeling like 25 is not enough. Actually, I took the herbal supplements for 5 or 6 days before I started the topa, and they were already helping reduce cravings, so I have hopes that I may even be able to quit the topa at some point. Who would have thought an invasive weed would have such a wonderful effect? As I said, I cannot even imagine taking 300 mg. of topiramate. I wouldn't even be able to find my way from my house to my office, much less be able to do any work if I ever got there.

[aclassicgirl]

Topamax made me stupid!

I worked up to 75mg over the course of several months. I couldn't remember a thing. Sad to say, that I can play that off pretty well! But, I had major hair loss. That freaked me out. Only 2% experience that. Quit taking it. Hair now staying intact. Plus, after a few months I was drinking on it anyways. Boo.
Currently I'm able to not drink because I can't stand it! Nothing ever good comes from my being hammered. And when I drink, hammered and hungover are the outcomes. Not pretty.
Thanks for posting and reading.