[fluffybirdie]

I was doing great for a few weeks on 100 mgs Topamax, but pdoc insists it's too low a dose and we will now up it to 200. I mean, I'm no doctor, but I was doing just fine. So I was just curious if anyone else has done well and had stable moods on 100 mgs or a similar dose?

Thanks!!

[SashaSue]

Topamax is a weird, weird, med. It does nothing for probably most people, works great for some, at all kinds of different dosages. If you're doing well on 100mg, I'd say to talk to your pdoc about staying where you are.

[crazynotstupid]

If it was helping then good, you shouldn't need to go up. Honestly, it usually doesn't, but YMMV--not everyone is the same. Topamax is funny like that. And it can be very dose-specific. 200 may not do so well for you, especially side effects-wise. Hopefully you can talk to the doc and he will listen.

[fluffybirdie]

Anyways, to wrap up this very short little topic, I did go up to 200 and it seems to be working out just fine. thanks for repilies Overall, this drug agrees with me quite well.

[Anelize]

I'm at 300mg, and it seems to be working really well. I don't seem to be having any cognitive weirdness, so I'm pretty happy with it.

[Jenni]

100 mg seems to work the same for me as 200 mg. But either works great as a mood stabilizer for me.

[toronto_girl]

I've been as at doses as high as 400mg, and now finally down to 150mg. Mind you, I use it for Epilepsy. It DOES work for Epilepsy but not as a mood stabilizer FOR ME. And there is a reason this med is also called DOPAMAX. I have trouble finding the easiest words and my memory erases itself daily... Not to mention the depression and panic attacks I have developed. In my opinion, if you are medicating with AC's use LAMICTAL where there are ACTUAL studies proving the effctiveness of it's use for Bipolar 1 and some unipolar depression... My pdoc who is a big advocate for AC's never uses Topamax. But if it's helping you, GREAT!

[crazynotstupid]

toronto_girl, on 31 December 2009 - 01:02 PM, said:

In my opinion, if you are medicating with AC's use LAMICTAL where there are ACTUAL studies proving the effctiveness of it's use for Bipolar 1 and some unipolar depression... My pdoc who is a big advocate for AC's never uses Topamax.

Lamictal's efficacy generally runs more towards bipolar depression. Mood stabilization, less so. A lot of people will find topamax a better stabilizer than lamicta, though many will use the two in combination, like me, oir with other meds.

Note, though, that topamax is one hell of a picky med. It doesn't work with a lot of brains. It certainly wouldn't be my first recommendation except for a certain subset of people (it helps with my uber-aggressiveness, for instrance).

Remember that it's the lucky few that get away with one med for stabilization and that med is usually lithium...

[fluffybirdie]

I have been there and done that with Lamictal. It did squat as a stabilizer for me. I still had fits af anger, etc. I think topamax was selected for me because I have a very busy brain with anxiety and it does come out in the form of irritability. That has all but ceased. Now that I'm used to the drug I have none of the dopey feeling most people experience. I think I'm pretty lucky with this one!

I'll add that I'm not my DX is not bipolar, but MDD with what my doctor calls "shades" of bipolar. Eeenteresting

This post has been edited by fluffybirdie: 01 January 2010 - 10:17 AM