Drugged UP With My Topamax On

[eggwards]

I've talked about the crazy amount of drugs I've been on since my back started acting up back in November, but really, since I started seeing a doctor regularly again, I've seemingly been on a growing amount of pills. It's kind of disturbing.

I have to admit that I wonder about this love between doctors and prescription drugs. Everything seems to have a pill to fix it. Of course now we're hearing the backlash of this as more of these wonder drugs seem to have little quirks that were not expected. they are so widely prescribed, to so many people, that it's not surprising that someone out there would have a negative reaction, but the percentages have been so high for drugs like Celebrex, that it was hard to ignore.

OK, off the soapbox and back to little old me. My doctor, always worried about my weight, as he should be, has been trying a few different things to try to control my appetite. I'll admit that I didn't think I ate that much, but it's probably more of what I eat, in that quantify than how much of it, since I tend to eat poorly as it is. Sure, I tend to stay away from over doing the desserts and candy, but still cheeseburgers and pasta isn't exactly eating light.

So besides the Actos, and the Altace for keeping the blood sugar and the blood pressure right, respectively (low doses, just to make everything cool), I was on Glucophage to control my appetite. Now this is a diabetes treatment for many, and it's a fat blocker. Well, surprisingly, I don't have a problem with cholesterol (despite taking Crestor, for some reason - I think my doctor likes Capt. Jean-Luc Picard), but he though that this would be good, but it didn't seem to take, and last year I was actually gaining weight, rather than losing.

So, we come to TopamaxWhich is actually a drug for migraine prevention. I have never had a migraine, but surprisingly, Topamax has an appetite suppressant affect, so off we go. Well, Topamax, I find out a few months later, also makes you feel like a drugged-out zombie.

This is exactly how I've felt for the last few months. I won't say that it's all this drug's fault, some of it's been down right depression, which I'm starting to be able to self-diagnose now, but talking to my doc recently, he agrees that the drug has an effect on people, and now I have to see if I want to change does, or how I take it, or to discontinue this. In a way, I don't want to, because it's effective, it does actually work, and I find that I'm eating less.

Still, some of the side effects include depression, difficulty with concentration, difficulty with memory, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, mood swings, oh, and weight loss. There's only one of those I want.

I'm liking this page about the medicine...Crazymeds.org

Maybe I could work out a little more. Maybe we could look for a different drug.

Comments

[xkot.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the meds. Working out is a great idea. I always felt a sort of natural high when I was doing it regularly. It's just the motivation to start back up that I'm having trouble with :)

[standardtom.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to know about that fatigue / depression side effects of Topamax. Derek, as an epileptic, takes it as an anti-convulsant, and though he's lost 60 pounds, he's also very tired, spacy, and sleepy all the time. Now to figure out how to counteract all that without making him have seizures again. :-\

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

Well, sadly they'll probably prescribe something else, but now you know what's causing it! Wow, 60 pounds? how long has he been taking it?

[standardtom.livejournal.com]

He's been taking it for probably 2.5 to 3 years now. And I must say, in combination with Depakote, it's done a pretty good job of keeping his seizures down. His weight loss mainly occurred during the first year, up until the point they added the Depakote to his regimen. One of Depakote's side effects is weight gain, so now they've more or less balanced each other out.

I remember during that first year though, that I'd often have to practically beg him to eat.

[hugh-mannity.livejournal.com]

Doctors prescribe drugs. That's what they do. It's more properly called Allopathic medicine and is what is taught in medical schools.

This one school of medicine has got medical insurance by the short and curlies. Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Chiropractic, Chinese herbal medicine, et al. don't get a look in thanks to the establishment of medical licensing at the end of the 19th century.

You might get better results from an alternative to allopathic medicine.

If you don't have a cholesterol problem then DO NOT take meds for it. The side-effects from the statins can include some "interesting" psychological and neurological problems, including depression.

There's better living through chemistry and then there's better living.

Work out more, doesn't have to be difficult. I'm biking 15 minutes 3x week as part of my knee rehab and it's done my general health the world of good. 30 minutes on a bike 3x/week could be enough to switch your metabolism from "store fat" to "burn fat".

Drink more water. It's a surprisingly effective appetite suppressant. 8-10 glass/day is what they recommend.

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

Drink more water. I tell my clients to take their weight in pound, multiply that by .75, and drink that number of ounces of water a day.

For instance, if you weigh 300 pounds, 300 * .75 = 255 ounces of water a day. Not only will your body thank you - all of your body's systems use water to function optimally - but you will not be as hungry, will have more energy, will process the food you do eat more efficiently, and will lose weight.

[bendawg.livejournal.com]

18 and 3/4 cups? That's a lot! I agree though, I've never done better than when I actually drank a proper regimen of h2o. Now I just feel fat. :-(

[bendawg.livejournal.com]

Psst.... working out more stimulates natural good mood chemicals. :-)

That's creepy about the medicines! Glad you have forced your doctor to take the time to discuss these isssues to change things up.

Meds

[jamesbeary.livejournal.com]

As a rule I *hate* taking medications.

Lately I have been taking Celebrex for anti-inflammination for the knee and vicodin for the pain. I hate taking vicodin, a painkiller, because it made me sick and when I complained that to my knee doctor, he had me take Tramadol. That medication worked pretty well and did not make me sick or sleepy. However my knee was improving and to the point it no longer hurts at all so I stopped all pain killers, except for Celebrex.

I have been eating more grains and cereal a lot more than usual. It really does help lower my cholesteral level big time. Much cheaper than pills.

Re: Meds

[jamesbeary.livejournal.com]

Plus Celebrex seem to inhibit my dick from getting a boner that much so thats allright as I do not have anyone to have sex with for a while... but hope to get off it soon. :-)

Re: Meds

[garebear.livejournal.com]

But that is a bad thing. Although I barely met you, a bit after Austin I came across one of your photo galleries and have to say, if you're not having anyone to have sex with, that's a waste of one sexy bear... not just your photo gallery... but in person (with clothes) as well.

[jrjarrett.livejournal.com]

I finally found a dr./clinic to go to here in Madison. I went Tuesday because I've developed yet another sinus infection. So this was the first time I'd seen them there, and we were going over my health history. The NP I saw asked me to confirm that I wasn't "on" any medication regularly, and if that was my choice.

Why? What SHOULD I be taking? Because I'm not on Paxil/Prozac/Welbutrin/whatever, that's abnormal? Or Liptor or Viagra (oh TRUST me, I so do NOT need Viagra...).

Geez.

Granted, there have been days recently I wonder if I SHOULD be on something...but yeah, I'd rather not be "on" anything.

As it turns out, I'm going to be using Flonase as an allergy spray for a while, in case untreated allergies are what are causing my nose problems. And it smells like pretty flowers.

[jdvsqz.livejournal.com]

Of the seven Rx drugs I'm on, I know I would be off of at least six of them if my weight was under control.

It seems like a long, uphill battle sometimes.

[jkusters]

I'm always concerned when doctors talk about losing weight as if it's some kind of panacea. Weight is often not a real problem, but doctors seem to treat it as some kind of disease. If it is a disease (and I don't believe it is), certainly it ranks lower than just about anything else. Don't let a doctor talk you into risky treatments just because he thinks you shouldn't weigh as much as you do.

Look into a book called "The Obesity Myth".

JOhn.

no structure

[theotherqpc.livejournal.com]

having grown up with asthma, allergies, and all that fun, i'm used to being loaded up with chemicals - seven prescriptions at once didn't make me flinch, nor did ten pills at breakfast.

after a self-instated drug holiday (and a doctor-instated return to meds), i'm down to just three prescriptions that i use daily.

running through the gamut of prescriptions out there is a pain, but when you find one that works with minimal side effects, it's great. Singulair and Pulmicort were my saving combo, and i hope you find yours soon.

after things have been going well for a few years, tho, i'd recommend talking with your doctor and seeing if you can drop any of your chemicals.

[spacemonkeyvx.livejournal.com]

I was on Topomax for almost a year. Surprisingly enough, it was something that has started out as a random pill popping thing, and mixed with my prozac began to have benefical effects. When I first started taking it I had problems with motor control (I took it once before starting my shift at the ocean spray distribution warehouse. my brain took almost two weeks to recode the left and right signals in my head), communication issues (i would blank out while looking for a specififc and common word) and for awhile had problems just thinking. It did work great on those long days when i wanted to just run on automatic and not think of anything. after 2 months the only thing you really notice is a lack of appetite and when you really try to think a lack of an voice. ive long since been off that and many other drugs to great benefit. I would suggest as a precaution, to get a second opinion on your combination of medications. most physicians dont pay attention anymore to what theyre prescribing. a bad combination can have dire side effects. physicians anymore seem to be puppets of the drug companies. dont fall for it. make sure you get a second opinion.

[garebear.livejournal.com]

This really hit a nerve.

I'll be the first to say that if you're feeling depressed, zoloft, wellbutrin, celebrex, prozac are worth considering... life's too short to feel miserable.

But at the same time I've become a walking medicine cabinet.

Take Actos, Metaformin (Glucophage) and Lantus for the diabetes.

"Your blood pressure isn't high, but it's not low either...: Altace...

The hacking cough you've had for the last six months, could be the Altace, take Diovan. While you're at it you are retaining water, take Floursemide.

Now that you're taking Floursemide (Lasix), your potassium may be low, take Klor-con.

Let's add Precose to the diabetes mix.

You're cholesterol is 150. Not high, not low either, but your good cholesterol is low, take Lipitor.

Muscle craps? Muscular weakness... it's probably the Lipitor. See if you can live with it.

You have sleep APNEA, here's a CPAP.

You have asthma. Asthma? Take Singular.

And take 81 grains of Asprin each night as well.

Are you having any difficult with completing intercourse? I reply, "well , sometimes I..." and before I could finish I have a prescription for Viagra! I was about to say that I'm so fat that sometimes I begin to get out of breath and tired... but now that I have Singular the breathing problem has cleared up. But hell, the Viagra turned me into Superman... the man of steel.

I think I know what the problem is, you have low testosterone. Deprotestosterone injections every two weeks... yeah, it'll raise you libido as well... but before that I was screwing everything in sight... now I don't have time to do anyone... have you tried using Viaga with the testosterone therapy? OMG, talk about steel... but no time to use it.

Weight gain? Testosterone will do that... it's a growth hormone, you know.

Everyone says loose weight... like it's easy. Tomorrow I think I'm gonna loose 50 pounds. I'll just stop eating. I'll eat right. I'll exercise... the whole thing is a rerun that I've heard dozens of times; the ending is always the same.

I can't wait to see what new drugs I'm on ten years from now. Maybe all of these drugs will kill me first.

Correction about Celebrex

[jamesbeary.livejournal.com]

It is not a medication for depression whatsoever. Its only a anti-inflammatory. Just wanted to point that out. I know that as I am taking it. *sigh*

Re: Correction about Celebrex

[garebear.livejournal.com]

Hi James,

Thanks for the clarification! All of these TV ads get confusing (and are probably detrimental to health care).