topamax help

[Sonja]

I just started topamax a few days ago- can anyone tell me how long it takes befoe I start feeling any effects? I also started taking kudzo about 3 weeks ago which really did not seem to do much. I currently drink around 2 glasses of wine during the week and 2-5 drinks a day during the weekend, throughout the day. Ideally I would like to drink once in a while. I am am ex AA and really would love to find a middle way. Any connection with others would be great. Sonja

[jane27]

Sonja, What dose are you at? I think I was up around 250 when I felt the urge to drink vanish. When I did drink with it, I got weekend-at-Bernies wasted. I liked that it killed my appetite, but ultimately it made me depressed and very anti social. When the depression grew worse- I started to have suicidal thoughts, so I stopped it immediately. Overall it made me feel crisply miserable and detached from everyone and thing. I hope you have better luck than I did.

[memore]

Hi Sonja, I don't post much - but I was on Topamax for a bit. It did help with the AL cravings but the side effects were miserable. Your intake is not that high - not high enough to make me want to take Topamax. Did AA work for you? Anyhow - to answer your question - around 100 mg my desire to drink went away. But also my desire for sex, enjoyment of sex, interest in life, etc. Also, got weird pain in teeth and read up on risk of osteo so got nervous about losing all my teeth - lol. I wish it had worked because it also made me lose interest in food which made me much more productive at work. Not so many trips out for snacks. Worked right through lunch. Good luck!

[sunshinedaisies]

Sonja - I had to get up to 300mg before it worked for me and although I had had no SE's until then, at that dosage I was depressed - eventually after 8 months of sobriety, stopped taking it because of feeling so down - but it did work - however, you MUST follow the titration schedule to the word ! It does not work if you try and go faster - it also does not seem to work if you come off it and then go back on it at a later date.

Good luck!