Adison

Hi,

I'm new to the boards! I'm not sure if this will help you. Actually I am diagnosed w/ "cyclothymia". I know that is different from bipolar as my highs and lows and how my "moods" cycle are very different then how someone with bipolar deals w/ things.

But at any rate. I am on 250mg. of topamax. I actually lose weight on this med. Well. I wouldn't so much say that it causes me to lose weight, but rather it helps control my compulsion to overeat. It helps control my appetite! Some people feel they loose weight on it. I'm not sure it does that for me. I suffer from an eating disorder as well as cyclothymia and OCPD. With the OCPD and in dealing w/ compulsions, topamax has helped calm some of these symptoms. When I go off topamax I immediaty see a return in my issues with eating and when I'm back on the topamax this is one of the areas it helps me with. It doesn't "cure" it...but it helps me.

So maybe it is one to consider talking w/ your dr. about to see if it can work for what you are dealing with. I remember when my dr. first considered using it for my cyclothymia. She was aware of my struggles w/ bulimia. She didn't look at many other meds because of the fact that there are weight gains associated w/ them and didn't want me to go on those. She knew if she put me on a med associated w/ high weight gains, it could push me to start back up w/ my bulimia. She said topamax was one that did not have any weight gain associated with it and infact sometimes had weight loss associated with it...she obviously talked about what it could do as a mood stabilizer and we tried it. I've had great success with it.

Recently I've been hearing about topamax being used for a wide range of things.....I think it first came out as a treatment for seizures? I have recently started seeing ads on it for migraines!

You may hear people talk about it who have tried it and refer to it as "dopamax". Some try it and find that it leaves them feeling foggy brained. Or some try it and find it leaves them feeling so tired they can't get thruogh their day...like zombie like tired. When I was first put on topamax I took it in the morning. I think most do. I complained to my dr. about this. She suggested I try taking my dose in the evening. I take my dose about 6:30pm and this has been the best thing for me. I strongly recommend to people that are taking topamax and don't like that foggy head feeling or tiredness to talk w/ their dr. about taking their dose in the early evening. That was the best thing I ever did! Works very well for me....HOWEVER I CAUTION...never make any adjustments to your med, no matter how minor they seem...without first discussing w/ your dr.!

Anyway. Hope this helps!