Is anyone familiar with this? So far after 2 days only, it’s been nasty.
I’ve been taking 100mg since April and I’ve dropped to 75 mg the last couple days and this is what I’m experiencing-
Rockier/Dizzer
Bad Headache last night (or was it a migraine?)
Hot Flashes
Imsomnia
Mini-Nightmares
Anxiety
Am I ever going to get off this drug? How long will this take and does anyone recommend a tapering schedule? Thank you!
Sorry to ask a silly question, but why are you coming off it if it was helping?
Hi,
I just came off of Topamax but only made it up to 37.5 mg and was on it for about a month. I had coughed all day and night while I was on it and had other horrible side effects. When I was coming off of the drug I experienced coughing, nightmares and lots of tingling. I know you do have to take it slow when coming off of this drug. I wish you the best of luck and hope you feel better soon.
Are you going to try a different drug or are you feeling better? I just started on the generic for Celexa a few weeks ago and no change as of yet.
Take care,
Donna
I dont have Topamax experience, but I can tell you that I felt a lot worse when coming off of Propranolol and Verapamil. Its strange because these meds did nothing for my dizziness, but it made my dizziness and rocking MUCH worse for awhile when I tried coming off them.
I was on topamax 2x for 3weeks each. Only 25mg. The first time I got off it was cold turkey. I had anxiety attack and an on/off migraine for 3 days. Total withdrawl was 5 days long. The second time, I tried titrating down. I split the bill into 1/4. I took whatever that is… 18.75 i think. Did that for a couple days and then went to 1/2- 12.5 for a couple days etc… Each time I went down, even though it was such a small amount. It made me soooo dizzy. And when I did finally stop, I had the same 5 day withdrawl period anyways except this time I had a 24/7 headache and felt awful for the entire 5 days. Coming off of it was horrible. I learned for me… come off fast because im going to get the withdrawl anyhow. Coming off slow, just prolonged it.
Good luck.
K
Maybe you could get a prescription for the sprinkle caps, open them and then taper incredibly slooowly that way. I took Topamax for one year only to have continuous problems with cold extremities that would not resolve… and my dizziness never was under control. I was taking the sprinkle caps so they were extremely easy to open and divide the dosage. It probably took me one month to fully come off the medication and you can expect some kickback as the medication level recedes in your system. I don’t sleep quite as well, but overall feel much better, am more alert, and have a more normal body temperature now. Hang in there and go slow!
Gail
thanks everyone! gail- that’s a great idea about the sprinkle cap- i didn’t even know topa was made that way!
i am coming off topamax because when i went to ucla and met with dr. cha, she suggested that topamaz probably wasn’t helping much since i was having a lot of headaches and my rockiness and cognitive was horrible. she suggested switching to diamox which will hopefully give me my brain back once i get down to a low enough dosage.
this is tough though and pretty scary. i am just trying not to think about this…
Yes, sprinkle caps are really easy to open and tailor an ever-decreasing dosage. I know that even the generic comes in 15mg. sprinkle caps, but I don’t know if a larger dose capsule exists.
Best of luck on your medication change.
Gail
Man, I didn’t realize that 25 mg was such a difference! I’m currently hanging out at 75 mg and am so much more dizzier. Topamax has been great in the sense that it has kept the true MAV vertigo attacks away, but I am still 24/7 rocky and my cognitive sucks, that is why I am trying to taper down and make the switch over to Diamox.
I am wondering how in the world I am going to make it down to 50 mg and what the heck is that going to do to me?