My doc just started me on Topamax, 25 mg on Friday. I'll be upping my dose by 25mg each week for the next two weeks until I reach 75mg's. I already tried Lamictal but had to stop due to the rash. My doc wanted to start me on Tegretol first but I have to have an Ekg and some more bloodwork before I can take it so she gave me the Topamax to start with. Anyone have some "good" things to say about Topamax? Tegretol? I've only been recently diagnosed bi-polar 2 so I'm not very familiar with a lot of the medications used for the disorder.
One more question. Has anyone else been diagnosed at the ripe old age of 47?

Thanks,
Bluelady

My wife took this! BAD RX !
Her eye sight was effected

My wife took this! BAD RX !
Her eye sight was effected

Hi Bloohound,

I'm very sorry your wife's eyesight has been affected from this medication. Could you be more specific? How long was she on it? What dosage? How long before she noticed eye problems and what kind?

Thanks,
Blue

Hi,
I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 last year first the doctor put me on trileptal but i seem to gain weight on that med....That is an issue for me since i've been in the Curves programs before the meds to lose to weight i've gain from child birth....Now they put me on topamax i don't seem to have a problem with this med other than the shakes....Embrassing when i went to the bank and i had to sign a piece of paper to get money out of my account and the teller was just looking at me as i sign the paper... I was shaking like a leaf, i could imagine what she could be thinking maybe druggy....I've been on it since christmas....This is also has not been a weight gainer for me as well......My doctor told me that with any meds there will always be some kind of side effects....

How many mg's were you on when the shakes started? I just went up to 50 last night and so far, so good. After a week I go up to 75. I don't know if my pdoc plans on upping me or not.

Blue

Hi,
Right now i'm on 5o mg daily but not thinking till afterwards it also could be the Wellburtin because when i started the topamax they also up my Welburtrin to the max........So i guess it's hard to pick out which drug is causing what but i never had that problem with the Wellbutrin in the begining so that's why i really think it's the Topamax....Then again i could be wrong...Affecting the eyesight is scary i have second thoughts about this med now.....I'm going to mention this to my doc when i go to see him....

Hi,
Right now i'm on 5o mg daily but not thinking till afterwards it also could be the Wellburtin because when i started the topamax they also up my Welburtrin to the max........So i guess it's hard to pick out which drug is causing what but i never had that problem with the Wellbutrin in the begining so that's why i really think it's the Topamax....Then again i could be wrong...Affecting the eyesight is scary i have second thoughts about this med now.....I'm going to mention this to my doc when i go to see him....


It is hard to tell which drug could be the culprit when you're on more than one. I can tell you from past experience with Wellbutrin that it gave me the shakes so bad that I had to stop taking it. And that was at the low dose. The Topamax seems to agree with me so far at 50mg. I don't know what will happen when I get up to 75mg. We must keep in mind though that we're all different and these meds affect each one of us differently.
I hope your doc figures out which of your meds is making you shake and does something about it. I hate the shakes.

Good Luck,
Blue

I have been on topamax for a year, I love it except it makes my hair fall out, so they are switching me to something brand new. But if my hair was not falling out I would probably stay on topamax forever. I also was diagnosed with bipolar 2 at the age of 30, but if you get on the right meds you can really feel great so hang in there.

Thanks, that's encouraging to hear!
Good luck,
Bluelady