Home | Community | Message Board
You are not signed in.
Sign In New Account
Forum Index Search Posts Trusted Vendors Highlights Galleries FAQ User List Chat Store Random Growery

Magic Mushrooms Zamnesia
This site includes paid links. Please support our sponsors.

Community > Physical and Mental Well-Being
Threaded Mode Threaded  Previous topic Previous  View all topics Index  Next topic Next 

Welcome to the Shroomery Message Board! You are experiencing a small sample of what the site has to offer. Please login or register to post messages and view our exclusive members-only content. You'll gain access to additional forums, file attachments, board customizations, encrypted private messages, and much more!

Shop: Unfolding Nature Unfolding Nature: Being in the Implicate Order   Original Sensible Seeds Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds, Bulk Cannabis Seeds

Jump to first unread post Pages: 1
A Warning for Topamax Users
    #9389366 -

I have gotten severe migraines since I was 10 years old; they went into remission for a while during high school, then once I came to college, they have gotten progressively worse. Once I started taking Maxalt or Relpax ('abortive' triptan migraine medicines), I decided it was time to try something new. I went to a neurologist, who very quickly prescribed me Topamax, and worked me up to a dose of 50mg twice daily. He knew I had a history of depression (not for about 6 years though)... but failed to mention it was a severe side effect of the Topamax.

Needless to say, I want to give any current or future Topamax users a warning to not take lightly:

Topamax can change one's personality, their outlook on life, and make them generally depressed, anxious, and/or upset about their lives.

I took the Topamax for about 6 months before I put 2 & 2 together. I have been, for the last 6 years, a very happy person who is able to control my emotions very well. For the last 3 months, Topamax has run my life. I was at such a low point that I was always smoking, drinking, etc... looking for any escape from the harsh and depressed reality my life had become. One day, I was thinking about why I simply couldn't see ANYTHING in a good light anymore, when it struck me that I became depressed as soon as my migraines disappeared (presumably due to the Topamax kicking in).

Once I realized this, I started quickly weaning myself off the medicine that very night. I took 25mg twice daily for 2 days, then I just took 25mg before bed for 2 days, and now I have been Topamax-free for about a week. I finally feel like myself again-- I am in control of my emotions; walking down the street, instead of thinking how mad I am at the world, I think of how beautiful it all is and how much I have yet to do with my life. I never would have thought like this if I were still on Topamax.

If you are on this medicine, and you have a history of depression, PLEASE be very careful. If you begin to feel depressed or suicidal, GET OFF THIS DRUG! Migraine pain is bad, but living life with your head down, not caring whether you live or die, is much, much worse.

If anyone wants more information about Topamax, migraines, or other migraine medicines, let me know. I'd be happy to help however I can.


--------------------
EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Re: A Warning for Topamax Users [Re: Patisotagami]
    #9389422 -

Did you ever try Imitrex?  Does Cannabis work for you?  I know for some people medical pot is good for headaches but not for everyone--  what do you think?

glad you are feeling like yourself again, that must have been terrible!

EDIT:  as a side note, I have a close friend who suffered moderate to severe migraines for years which no pain killer could help or even offer slightly temporary relief.  She went completely vegan in an experiment to discover if she had any food allergies and is now headache-free for the last two years.  So, no-- while drugs may sometimes offer relief they are not always the answer to a chronic condition.

Edited by travelleler (12/08/08 02:13 AM)

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Re: A Warning for Topamax Users [Re: travelleler]
    #9389474 -

I use imitrex occasionally, I use the imitrix STATdose pen if I have a severe migraine, but it's just another triptan.. so unfortunately it wouldn't be any good for preventing migraine attacks before they occur.

Pot is good sometimes, but often I will get a headache during times when it is inconvenient to be stoned as well... like before I go to work, or class. Also, I don't know if others get this, but when I come down from my high, my headache usually comes back -- with a vengeance. So I usually try to stay away from the pot when I have a bad migraine.


--------------------
EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Re: A Warning for Topamax Users [Re: Patisotagami]
    #9389521 -

Hmm-- I can see how that would be inconvenient for someone if they weren't already a total pot-head.  Might be harder to focus on a lecture or to give a presentation.

damn it-- well...  I  know that food allergy thing works for some people but it is a serious undertaking.  You have to plan your meals carefully and not deviate from the plan in order to get results.  You'd need a few books to get recipe ideas and spend time in the kitchen preparing food and stuff.  Probably be easier when school is done with for a while.


--------------------




"Whales have deep thoughts"

:sun:Dreams are the fuel of the soul:sun:

:peace:

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Re: A Warning for Topamax Users [Re: Patisotagami] * 1
    #27435236 -

Damn I’m so sorry to hear that you went through all this. I take Topamax for seizures (200mg a day) and had almost the opposite experience to you. It’s been an absolute miracle drug for me. I’ve suffered from depression for as long as I can remember and depression is kind of my default. That all being said, I think the reason it helped me so much (especially at such a high dose) whereas it hurt you is because I have bipolar disorder. Most anticonvulsants double as mood stabilizers and also treat bipolar. 

The type of reaction you described is similar to what happens to me if I try to take an SSRI/ typical antidepressant. The way many anticonvulsant (and in this case anti-migraine) medications work is by lowering the amount of serotonin in your brain…and something about dampening the excitatory neurotransmitters. Both of which can cause seizures AND bipolar disorder which is why many of the meds work for both. Whereas non-bipolar depression is caused by not enough serotonin. So I’m thinking that’s probably why the Topamax made you so depressed. And it’s such a bummer because I get migraines too and the Topamax reallllly helps with it. 

I know this post is several years old but I couldn’t help but reply. Are you still struggling with the migraines? I hate to play doctor but if you still haven’t had success with med therapy you might consider talking with your neuro about getting the “head interstim” for migraines. It’s an internal stimulation device (think like TENS unit). The one for migraines is NOT deep brain stimulation-so outpatient procedure. St. Jude and Medtronic both do them. I know someone who had intractable migraines who got it and it was a lifesaver for them. Just something to look into.
Hope you see this and are doing better.

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Re: A Warning for Topamax Users [Re: PinellasMane999]
    #27437947 -

Topamax looks like a kitchen chemist's creation, made from one molecule of glucose, 2 molecules of acetone and 1 molecule of limescale remover.


--------------------
Omnicyclion.org
personal empowerment for the world

Onehomemission.org
truly make a difference

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Jump to top Pages: 1

Shop: Unfolding Nature Unfolding Nature: Being in the Implicate Order   Original Sensible Seeds Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds, Bulk Cannabis Seeds

Community > Physical and Mental Well-Being
Threaded Mode Threaded  Previous topic Previous  View all topics Index  Next topic Next 

Similar ThreadsPosterViewsRepliesLast post
* Migraine felixhigh 741 5 10/27/08 01:12 AM
by SirSmokesAlot
* Migrains of unbelieveable pain AJ4U 2,116 17 06/16/07 07:31 PM
by Spooge
* safer topamax equivalent (female) RODIpure 238 0 04/24/11 02:47 AM
by RODIpure
* Suffering from Migraines? Eightball 1,163 6 05/14/07 03:04 PM
by Newbie
* . soulcircus 599 3 04/07/07 12:46 PM
by MushroomTrip
* What is wrong with this world, or is it me? (warning-rant) LouiseLouise 1,390 14 09/10/05 12:27 AM
by LouiseLouise
* WARNING! HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - NO ENTHEOGENS MarkostheGnostic 3,189 3 12/31/04 04:19 PM
by canid
* Chronic Headaches Waffle 1,620 14 03/15/06 09:53 PM
by Waffle

Extra information
You cannot start new topics / You cannot reply to topics
HTML is disabled / BBCode is enabled
Moderator: CherryBom, Asante, Rose, mndfreeze, yogabunny, feevers, CookieCrumbs, Northerner
1,975 topic views. 1 members, 2 guests and 4 web crawlers are browsing this forum.
[ Show Images Only | Sort by Score | Print Topic ]
Search this thread:

Copyright 1997-2026 Mind Media. Some rights reserved.

Generated in 0.026 seconds spending 0.005 seconds on 17 queries.