[AspiringAuthor]

I'd like to hear from people who take Topomax for mood stability. I started taking it to stop weight gain from Zyprexa (yes, it stopped weight gain, albeit is not bringing about weight loss, probably because I am still on Zyprexa) and noticed with amazement that 12.5 mg slowed down racing thoughts and made them much more positive in content (yes I had racing thoughts even on Zyprexa) while 25 mg completely stopped racing thoughts and made my thinking process go pretty much the way it did before the disorder started (I had late onset). I am now on 50 mg and although I am not depressed, I am kind of less enthusiastic, have kind of lost some of the zest for life, so I am trying to untangle what is causing it. I also with this change went down from 7.5 Zyprexa to 5 mg Zyprexa (for two reasons - I am hoping to sleep less, and this does help, as I now sleep 9 hours and used to sleep 11 hours on average, and I am hoping to suffer fewer metabolic long term side effects).

So was it Zyprexa that made me so enthusiastic at work and in life and was it going down on it that removed some of the enthusiasm? I doubt. I think it is probably raising Topamax. I initially planned to try raising it even further, slowly - I thought I'd try 57.5 mg next, then 60 mg but now I am not sure.

Hard to untangle what is baseline mood and what is due to medications. Also, hard to say what is due to a single medication and what is due to their interaction.

[MickeyCheeky]

Just wanted to let you know that I've read your post, AspiringAuthor. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of advice to give to you. I hope you'll be able to find the right meds combination for you, since you've tried so many. I'd suggest to talk to your Pdoc about this and see how it goes from there, if you haven't already of course. I'm so sorry you're going through all of this. I hope you'll feel better soon. Wish you good luck! Let us know how it goes. Sending many hugs to you

I've never taken Topamax, but have taken Zyprexa. I'm not sure what could be causing your enthusiasm reduction, but it does sound like some things are improving. I hope your psychiatrist can find the right dosages to find a happy medium. Sometimes it just takes some adjustment time. Perhaps the coming of spring will do us all a little good.

That's good news that your weight gain has eased. As for weight loss, you may need to go on a diet. Topamax may not be able to do that work for you. Maybe as you find the motivation, you'll be able to embark on a weight loss program and/or exercise.

[unaluna]

Ive been on topamax for so long (almost 20 years), and been away from certain triggering people so long, that ive about forgotten what racing thoughts are like, hallelujah!

I didnt realize topamax came in such small doses.

[AspiringAuthor]

Originally Posted by unaluna

Ive been on topamax for so long (almost 20 years), and been away from certain triggering people so long, that ive about forgotten what racing thoughts are like, hallelujah!

I didnt realize topamax came in such small doses.

The smallest dose is 15 mg in sprinkle caps. The next smallest is 25 mg tabs. I tried it in 2012 and unfortunately stopped too soon due to extreme dizziness and general malaise - at that time I started on 50 mg believing it was the smallest dose because some other people were taking 600 mg. This time I wanted to make it work so I titrated up very carefully, starting at 12.5 mg, and drank plenty of fluids to avoid dizziness.

I can easily see how you would forget what racing thoughts are like when you do not have them for so long. I also keep away from certain triggering people.

What is your dose? And do you take anything else of is it your monotherapy? I am thinking of trying it as a monotherapy on a weekend - during the work week I cannot afford experimentation.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I'm only on 25 mg but I've been on it for years because it helps with nightmares. I don't know why but for me that's a beneficial effect. I think we're going to try to remove it aftr the clonazepam but that is winding up to be such a long taper that it's impossible to know what will happen by the end.

[AspiringAuthor]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

I'm only on 25 mg but I've been on it for years because it helps with nightmares. I don't know why but for me that's a beneficial effect. I think we're going to try to remove it aftr the clonazepam but that is winding up to be such a long taper that it's impossible to know what will happen by the end.

Why do you plan to remove it after the clonazepam? I can see why you would want to remove a benzo, but a small dose of a medication with a benign side effects profile at that dose that helps with nightmares - why not stay on it indefinitely?

[BeyondtheRainbow]

We more want to test it out and see if it can go with the clozapine on board. For having such a hard hitter I'm on a lot of meds and we'd like to get it down to clozapine, Emsam, and gabapentin. I should be able to sleep well with all this without the topamax but if I can't I'll go back on it. My pdoc never makes me do anything so if I try stopping topamax and have nightmares like I did years ago then I'll go right back on it.

[AspiringAuthor]

When you had nightmares years ago, were you taking Gabapentin?

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Probably. I can't remember for sure when I started it. I know I was on a low dose for a long time and then upped it a good bit when I was IP starting clozapine.

[winter loneliness]

Wow. You have tried a lot of meds. I dont believe I have tried topomax. I am on Lamictal, lexapro and trazodone.

[AspiringAuthor]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

Probably. I can't remember for sure when I started it. I know I was on a low dose for a long time and then upped it a good bit when I was IP starting clozapine.

Gabapentin was and is a godsend for me. For many years until I started on it, I had what felt like a medicated sleep and what did not feel like normal human sleep. I did not have dreams at all. Trazodone especially, before it stopped working altogether, resulted in sleep without any dreams. Gabapentin restored dreaming - not every night, but before meds I also did not remember my dreams every nice.

During one of my inpatient stays at Stanford Hospital a psych resident told me of studies that showed that Gabapentin improved the quality (depth?) of sleep. Other medications that make you sleep do not do it.

It is possible that you weren't taking it when you had nightmares and that Gabapentin alone, w/o Topamax, can now provide relief from nightmares to you. At least you can try and see.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I love gabapentin. I think it works better than clonazepam. A resident told me once they work on the same receptors so if clonazepam works for you gabapentin often will. I like that we can control the dosing so tightly that I can get perfect coverage for anxiety without getting sleepy (except at night when I need it to sleep). I've been impressed ever since I was in the hospital starting clozapine how much better it is than clozapine at getting me to sleep. Clozapine is so sedating but on its' own it doesn't make me sleepy, just sedated in the morning.

My pdoc said my state is starting to track gabapentin like they track benzos. My state is very, very bad in the opiate crisis and are over-shooting by trying to protect everyone from everything I think. I hope that doesn't turn into anything.

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by AspiringAuthor

The smallest dose is 15 mg in sprinkle caps...
What is your dose? And do you take anything else of is it your monotherapy? I am thinking of trying it as a monotherapy on a weekend - during the work week I cannot afford experimentation.

I take 100 mg topamax and 40 mg prozac, both at night. Thats been steady for several years now.

[AspiringAuthor]

Originally Posted by unaluna

I take 100 mg topamax and 40 mg prozac, both at night. Thats been steady for several years now.

I do not know if you even remember it, but before medications, could you sleep on your own?

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by AspiringAuthor

I do not know if you even remember it, but before medications, could you sleep on your own?

No. No no no no no. I first got on meds about 20 years ago, including Ambien, and finally was able to fall asleep within ten minutes instead of having racing thoughts for at least two hours every night. I was ALWAYS late for work. But 5 years ago, insurance wrote to me that i was getting too old for ambien, so i quit, without any problem.

topomax works like a charm for me. also helps with trigeminal neuralgia..so it's a win win drug. i actually recommended it to my dr. been on it for eons. wouldn't change it...ever.

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by resurgam

topomax works like a charm for me. also helps with trigeminal neuralgia..so it's a win win drug. i actually recommended it to my dr. been on it for eons. wouldn't change it...ever.

Yeah i have a mild epilepsy that was never diagnosed, even though it once happened in front of my doc. He was like, what was that?! Im like, hey youre the doctor! Anyway, it stopped after i started taking topamax, started up once when i was decreasing it, then never happened again. But i had it for fifty years. I googled it, i think it was the jacksonian march. It was like weird shiver. Unrelated to cold. I am happy never to feel it again.

[pat86]

did you guys feel topamax stopped your racing thoughts and brought about calmness and stillness in your minds?

also did it help with weight loss at all?

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by pat86

did you guys feel topamax stopped your racing thoughts and brought about calmness and stillness in your minds?
also did it help with weight loss at all?

It does tame the beast within.

[pat86]

Originally Posted by unaluna

It does tame the beast within.

you mean with weight?

or racing thoughts?

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by pat86

you mean with weight?

or racing thoughts?

Both....

[AspiringAuthor]

Originally Posted by pat86

did you guys feel topamax stopped your racing thoughts and brought about calmness and stillness in your minds?

also did it help with weight loss at all?

At a low dose of 30 mg I have no racing thoughts and my weight is stable, even though I take Zyprexa which, untamed, causes weight gain in me. I bet that without Zyprexa I'd lose weight, but I need Zyprexa for sleep and mental clarity.

[pat86]

Originally Posted by unaluna

It does tame the beast within.

Originally Posted by AspiringAuthor

At a low dose of 30 mg I have no racing thoughts and my weight is stable, even though I take Zyprexa which, untamed, causes weight gain in me. I bet that without Zyprexa I'd lose weight, but I need Zyprexa for sleep and mental clarity.

I am the same way except instead of Zyprexa I use Seroquel which helps me with so many issues I don't know what I would do without. It also helps me with sleep. I get a solid 8 hours of sleep every night and have no trouble falling asleep. No nightmares or dreams either.

But the side effect from Seroquel just like Zyprexa is weight gain.

I have been using Metformin ER and diet with Nutrisystem to lose weight so far.

[unaluna]

I cant use Nutrisystem. I tried. They send me a box with 5 little candy bars? Those will be eaten within the hour.