B complex symptoms and conditions

Taking nicomide while taking Celexa and a b-complex for hair and nails. I read somewhere that nicotinamide may have anxiolytic effect. Not sure if this combination of vit B3 along with the other B vitamins and an SSRI is causing the SSRI to be less or more effective, but have experienced I think a tranquilizing effect, more noticeable at night. But at the same time I feel some depression and anxiety so I wonder if the Celexa concentration is being decreased secondary to the vitamins. I will stop taking all B vitamins for a few days and see how I feel. My work environment lately has been more stressful, too, so it's hard to say what exactly is going on. But will stop all B vits and see how I feel.

I was put on Yasmin not for birth control but for the beginning of fertility treatments. I was on Yasmin only 1 months. After about 2 days I started getting symptoms. I called the Pharmacist and my fertility doctor and they both told me the pill wasn't the culprit. But after the 20th day I just couldn't take it anymore I went off of it. After starting Yasmin I had TERRIBLE Panic attacks, Anxiety ( still have to this day two months later), Heart Palpitations, leg cramps, boobs hurt, breathing trouble ( still to this day), HORRIBLE thoughts, adrenaline rushes all hours of the day, tingling in my hands and feet, my mind feels fuzzy, no appetite, no sex drive, depression, crying fits for hours, I felt like i was going insane.... You name it I had it. I stopped the pill two months ago and I still have the horrible anxiety/attacks, feel like i cant breath properly, OCD about my breathing.

I went to the hospital and got checked for blood clots in my lungs, legs, Asthma test, EKG, blood tested, was put on heart monitor all came back normal. I have started seeing a therapist, on depression meds and none of it is working. I feel like this pill has ruined my life and i wasn't even trying to stop life i was trying to help create it.

Here i am two months after stopping the pill and yes some of the stuff has went away but i still suffer with Anxiety from the time i wake up in the morning till the time I go to bed at night. And sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety. My head is getting a little clearer and I am not as depressed as before. But I am just praying that this anxiety goes away. I have NEVER been a person who can't handle stress or gets anxiety/panic attacks and since it started it hasn't stopped. I am so very weak, muscles ache so much which i think is from the anxiety attacks and the muscles tightening.

So if you have this... you are not alone! I am suffering with it everyday. It is so debilitating I cant do much. Has anyone else had this months after stopping Yasmin?

I took Levaquin for five days, beginning on June 5th. My doctor gave them to me in the individual "blister packs", not in the box or with any pamphlet. I had/have horrible joint pain in my ankles, knees, and hips. The pain in my hands and wrists is almost gone, but the rest is still there and, in some areas, getting worse. I called the doc. and told them about my problem, they said all the side effects should go away after about 72 hours from the last dose. Has not happened, its been over a month and my left ankle and hip are worse. Does anyone have any advice? I'm ******

I have been reading all the entries for this website and thought I would pass along some useful information. I have been on Levoxyl for 8 years now and have had lots of the symptoms that all these people have had. I then had an appointment with a great Endo doctor at the *** and discovered some interesting things. There is a number "range" they put all people into when checking your TSH levels, only problem is each person is different and even though the doctor may say your in the range, it may not by the right dosage for you. Unfortunately the only way to determine the correct range for you is to experiment with the dosages and it takes 3 months or more for your body to adjust. Also, thyroid hormones are accumulated in the body and depending how active you are is how you may feel. The hormone pill you take today will not be used by your body for up to 10 days, so if you feel good for a few days at rest, then exercise the next day you may feel drained. It will take a few days for your body to replenish the stockpile of hormones to feel "normal" again. A working thyroid makes hormones as needed, yours now does not so this is why so many people feel fatigued, or racing heart beat if they don't get enough exercise. I also had leg and muscle pain. The medication depletes your body of Calcium and B complex especially B12. My leg and muscle pain have disappeared. I still get headaches, but much less with the B12, and some days I still feel tired but I say again, your body cant regulate its needed thyroid hormone and a synthetic pill is only a substitute.. You will always have some side effects. Hope these tips help someone.

I went to my doctor on Monday December 17, 2007, because I was experiencing a fever, chest congestion, with an extremely painful cough. He gave me 7 sample blister packs of Levaquin 500mg, and a sample Pulmicort Flexhaler 180mcg. He also prescribed a cough medicine for night time if I needed it. He said I had bronchitis or a possible pneumonia he couldn’t hear. I also used a nebulizer with Abutrual.

On December 23, 2007 I awoke with the most intense pain I have ever experienced. My wrists, finger, toe, elbows, knees and ankle joints all hurt. My muscles in my legs and back burned. My hands, fingers, feet, toes, and shins felt like they were “asleep” or the worst pins and needles ever.

My husband went online and found out that is was most likely caused by the Levaquin. And thankful I was taking TWO steroids! So when I called the company that makes Levaquin they told me to stay in bed! When I asked them how long this could last they said 1 week to two months.

As of today, the pain in my fingers, toes, wrists, elbows, ankles and knees, which is like tendinitis is mild to moderate. The burning in my muscles in my legs and back is still intense. The “pins and needles” is affecting mostly my hands and feet and my left leg from the knee down. I also still have a deep pain under booth knees. I have also experienced a periodic facial twitch on the left side, below the eye about 1.5 inches.

I am weak, and completely unable to get around do to the pain in my legs and feet. I am furious that my doctor prescribed a medication that could cause these problems without warning me, as samples do not come with warnings. I feel disabled, angry, and would like to know what I am supposed to do now!! Has anyone found anything that helps with the pain?

How long will my pain last knees, legs, feet arms all my joints,,,, I feel like I am 100 years old! How long will it take to get better, my doctor took blood Friday to see what was going on but I haven't heard anything yet

I have been off Yasmin for almost 2 weeks and the panic attacks are gone!!! I feel much better. I decided not to use another form of birth control "with hormones" until my hormones are balanced! The only thing is I am having HORRIBLE headaches, the muscles in my legs and arms are still aching and my mood swings are still there. I hope this ends SOON!! Right now I am taking vitamin B complex to see if that helps any.

I've been on Diovan for about 9 months and I have all of the side effects everyone else here has mentioned! Weight gain, bloating, fatigue, mood swings, extreme muscle aches- especially in my lower back and legs, hunger, and more! These Drs. are sooo stupid!!!! They tell us to lose weight and then give all of us medications that cause weight gain. I am also diabetic and my Dr. also has me take Humalog insulin- which also causes weight gain! I would enjoy hearing from everyone who has had side effects from Diovan, and I would like to hear about alternative remedies for hypertension. Good luck and Best Wishes to all of you....Kim Q.

I started having problems with my voice cracking and throat aching after singing or talking alot. Went to Dr. and he said he thought it was reflux (of which I had no symptoms). Wtihin days I started experiencing fatique, headache, depression, dizziness, ringing in my ears, and my right leg went numb about 3 weeks into taking it. Then about 2 months into taking, my entire right side went numb (thought I was having a stroke). Since that time I have been through CAT scans, MRI's, lumbar punctures. Been to 2 Neurologists, a Neurosurgeon, Cardiologist, Endocrinologist. 3 different Doctors thought I had Multiple Sclerosis or a stroke. All tests negative for both. After researching Prilosec on my own I found that Prilosec and all like meds block the absorption of and strip vitamins out of your body. 2 1/2 months after stoppping it I had B-12 level checked and it was almost non-existent. Started taking B Complex and B-12 shots. Symptoms have tremendously improved but haven't completely left. I still have numbness even 14 months later. The problem is that B-12 deficiency can cause the numbness and if not treated quickly enough the problems can become permanent. IF YOU TAKE any acid reflux medicine have your vitamin levels checked ... especially B-12.

THANK YOU , JESUS FOR THIS FORUM. YES, INDEED. ALL
KINDS OF SIDE EFFECTS. RASHS, TINGLING IN MUSCLES,
PALIPATATIONS, TIRED, SWEATS, ANXIETY, HOARSE,
COUGH, SCRATCHY THROAT AND THEN THE ANXIETY
BLOOMS INTO ATTACKS. THIRD DAY OFF AND THE TEN
POTS OF COFFEE FEELING IS SUBSIDING. IM SURE IT GOING TO TAKE TIME. STARTED JUICING, EXTRA VITAMINS
B-COMPLEX, CALCIUM, ZINC, MAGNESIUM... GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND KEEP YOU SAFE AND AT PEACE.

I have been on topomax for about 10 days(50 mg for first week and 100 mg since then). I have severe hair loss, loss of apetite, memory loss, loss of words, confusion, not able to think clearly, mood swings and depression. I am worried at all these side effects. I sometimes think, if I have to chose between severe headaches and all these, is it worthy to continue Topomax? My Doctor only warned me of tingling effect on fingers and toes and nothing else. Today I had been to another doctor for second opinion and he actually asked me a few question as part of check up and the it struck me that all these things are happening to me. I was kind of ignoring these effects so far thinking they are part of post partum depression.

hi kim123.
i am not sure if b12 drops would make you more anxious or not. i take it in a b complex. it is so hard to know what will make us worse or better. i just tried taking a high dose fish oil for a few days but that seemed to make my physical symptoms worse. ie palpitations,agitation,racing heart and mild diarroea,not sure why that should happen as epa is meant to be very useful for anxiety and depression but it just goes to show how different we all are. i have tried many "natural remedies" that have given me an upset stomach or other mild symptoms. i used to be able to tolerate most things but cannot now,i don't know why. anything containing pseudoephidrine gives me really bad anxiety for some odd reason. i have taken it for years prior to yasmin. i agree with dejay that our brain chemicals have changed in some way as different drugs affect the 4 different receptors in our brain responsible for mood,sleep.body functions etc. oh joy!!!!!!! i hope that the natural balance can be restored naturally in time. i am going to give accupuncture a try and also maybe some hypnotherapy,i figure it can't hurt at this stage in the game. please have faith kim. i know it sounds easy to say but it will get better,the one thing we all have is time,devote some to your recovery and i'm sure you will feel better soon.

sarah

hi kim123.
i think the main difference between yaz and yasmin is that it only has 0.2 drosperinone compared to 0.3 in yasmin so it is a slightly lower dose,the drosperinone component is the equivelent of progesterone i think,it has been a while since i have looked at the leaflet. i am sure silke had a problem taking the "b" vitamins so she may be able to give you some advice there. i take b6 and b complex,i have not tried missing a dose since i stopped taking yasmin so i am not sure if they make me more anxious or whether i would be calmer without them as odd as that sounds!!!!! i just read that they will help with my hormonal problems and have been taking them ever since!
i know how you feel about missing all of the things you loved,now i am on the road to recovery i make a point of trying and doing everything that i used to love and do you know what...i enjoy them so much more now because i know how much i missed them when they were taken away. i used to hate going to the supermarket,i thought it was boring.... i love it now because i can go without feeling terrified!

sarah

hi claudia, you poor thing,i really feel for you,i know exactly how you are feeling right now as i have been there. that kind of workbook does your psychotherapist have you following? how do they suggest you deal with the panic/anxiety attacks? that may be the best place to start,i know what worked for me but i searched for my own methods.please let me know what they suggest and i will see if i can give you some practical tips that will help. as far as cleaning out your system... i take magnesium daily,as well as a b complex and b6. stear clear of tea and coffee,drink camomille tea to soothe your nerves and to help restful sleep.you could also try nettle tea to cleanse the liver as the liver has to process all the excess hormones you need it to be working at it's best to rid you of toxins faster. eat a diet high in fibre as the fibre will also cleanse your system and will help remove excess hormones. other than that drink loads and loads of water as dehydration is an anxiety sufferers worst enemy. it will take time but you WILL get better,you really need to work on the mental aspect of the panic attacks with positive thinking techniques etc.as i said before let me know what treatments your psychotherapist has suggested and i will see if i can add to it. i won't say i don't still have a little anxiety about panic attacks happening but i have many great techniques that i use that have so far......kept me panic attack free. please get back to me and i will do all i can to help. i could give you some book titles that i read that really helped me if you would like,you can buy them on ebay for very little cost. also which country do you live in?

sarah

hi sylvia,
i am 32 years old. my symptoms also seem to be worse around 10-12 days before my period.....this is due to the natural change in hormone levels but as i am sure you have figured out our hormone levels are no longer normal after taking yasmin! i had all my levels checked recently and although they were in "normal" range they were all low end normal. i seemed to have developed hightened pms symptoms (i'm talking about the clinical definition not the ..ohhh i feel a bit pmsie type!) if you look up pms or pmdd you will notice a lot of similarities and i'm sure that as most of your other symptoms have settled down now you only really notice a major change during ovulation/menstruation. i never had pms before i took yasmin but now i do,in fact many of the symptoms i had at my worst time on yasmin are also similar to a really really extreme case of pms. Anxiety symptoms are also part of pms it is called pmsa if you suffer anxiety as a major factor in your monthly symptoms and pmsd if you suffer depression as a major symptom. i think that once your hormones get back into their natural balance you will start to really see an improvement. i have started taking a low dose of agnus castus to try to balance my hormones out...will post how i get on with it.

sorry for the marathon post... to the lady who says she has just been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and prescribed lexapro...i was also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder whilst on yasmin,i was given diazepam.they did nothing to help me. i have never tried lexapro so cannot comment on it. but i tried many congnitive therapies to try to improve my condition. of the many great things i learnt along the way here are a few tips that will help.
keep yourself distracted at all times,sing,dance,read a book,phone a friend,wash the dishes...whatever just keep busy.when your brain is busy it is not anxious.
drink loads of water,take a supplement of magnesium,zinc,b6 and b complex. don't give in to your fear, be bold,day dream as much as you can about happy things and think positively at all times,if you think a negative thought replace it with a positive.your brain will soon get the hang of it. it all sound a bit touchy feely but i promise it all works,i have tried everything to heal myself without medical intervention as i know the yasmin i was prescribed caused my problem because within a month of stopping taking it i was feeling much less anxious. yours could be due to your hormones being out of whack. as your doctor to check your levels. look up symptoms of high estrogen/low progesterone.

best wishes to you all.

sarah

hi guest 32341,
have you tried switching the time you take your pill until just before bed? some people have suggested that this may ease some of the symptoms because you pretty much sleep them off. if you are reluctant to switch to another brand of pill then give this option a try. i am a little concerned as you say that you are finding everyday things are a chore and that you are feeling overwhelmed, i was the same,i lost interest in everything,my friends,my social life,my marriage and my kids.everything was just too much like hard work,i became very introverted which is so not me! i also started to suffer other mental and psychological side effects that i never for one minute thought could be caused by my bcp. maybe you could try taking them at night for another cycle and if you are not improving or are getting worse then please please talk to your doctor about switching to another brand of pill, maybe a lower hormone dose pill. my hormones were also all over the place after having my youngest child as i breast fed her exclusively for a year and my poor body was lacking essential vitamins and minerals so i was not in the best shape when i started this pill and my life became a nightmare because of it. whilst you are still taking yasmin drink loads of water (as much as you can) take a supplement of vitamin b6 as well as a b complex and also some magnesium and calcium and also some zinc. you may be able to find a good multivit that contains all of these things try to take approx 30-50 mg b6 daily. best wishes to you whatever you decide to do. i hope that everything will turn out well for you and that you can get back to being a caring compasionate mother and friend.

sarah

hi silke,
i'm so glad to hear that you still look in on us everyday,i think yours were some of the earliest post i came across on this site and you seemed to be the one to ask all the questions. i am glad that your cycles are beginning to return,i am also 32,mine came back at 28 days for the 1st to post yasmin cycles but now can be anywhere between 32 and 40 days (pre yasmin you could have set your watch by my cycles,i was 28 days without fail and always between 5 and 6 o'clock in the evening!) when you mentioned the anti anxiety drugs making you worse that really struck a cord with me,i was on diazepam for about 2 months and they were among my worst times,i never realised that they could have made me worse,i had really scary vivid dreams on it,i stopped taking diazepam and i started improve a little,when i stopped taking the yasmin too i improved a lot! like you ,silke, i am still suffering the mid cycle anxiety although not at extreme levels like on yasmin,i also have monthly cystic acne and hair loss,while all these things are upsetting they are preferable to the yasmin nightmare symptoms. talking of thyroids,i have an underactive thyroid (hashimoto's) and whilst on yasmin i became more hypothyroid and had to have my dose doubled! now i have been off yasmin for 6 months my levels have come down again so i have now had my dose reduced to avoid becaoming hyperthyroid. i still take the b-complex and b6 as well as magnesium and zinc but like you i have also stayed off all kinds of medication to treat the symtoms that yasmin caused. one of my doctors even suggested going back on the pill to sort out my hormone chaos (good way to describe it silke!) i won't tell you what my response was to that,but be assure my doctor got the message that i will not be putting that rubbish in my body ever again! i will let my body heal itself and let nature do it's thing from now on,i am through messing with my hormones,if i had found this site sooner i never would have let my doctor put me on yasmin in the 1st place,he sold it as the new wonder pill to cure acne,water retention and would help me loose my baby weight...ha! i would rather be fat,spotty and bloated than a skinny ,mental & physical wreck! just out of interest silke how did the b-complex make you feel worse? i take it everday and have not had any problems that i know of but it is useful to know what the symptoms were just in case!
best wishes to you silke

sarah

Hello again, just reading the most recent posts on this site about this pill. Clairey I had similar symptoms while on yasmin and I came off it when I couldnt take any more. It was unreal what I went through, I felt completly numb all the time and my realtionship with my boyfriend almost fell apart, thank goodness my doctor made me come off the pill immediately, the depression was getting to bad something I had never experienced before in my life, i really felt like I was losing controll of my life. I am off yasmin 2 weeks this friday and I can tell you things are alot better, the panic attacks and anxiousness have reduced by about 70%, im not constantly feeling sad all the time but I have up and down days. I am starting to feel normal again, while on yasmin it was like I didnt know who I was anymore. From doing some research on the web I wreckon the symptoms will reduce greatly within 3 months I hope, it feels good not to be taking that awfl pill anymore. Stick with it girls it does get much better, get plenty of sleep, look after yourself, keep busy, im taking a B Complex and i read on the web star flower oil helps with hormone balance, I recommend doing research on the web it has loads of info. It does get better (:

hi nervousreck,
i really really feel for,the answer to your question of is this side effect normal the answer is no! but it is unfortunately a very very common problem for women who have had the misfortune of taking yasmin. the anxiety and panic attacks are the worst feeling in the world,i felt so bad i couldn't leave my house to walk the 30 metres to collects my kids from school,i couldn't drive my car or even talk on the phone,it got so bad i didn't even open my front door as i felt terrified day and night (i was on yasmin for 1.5 years before i found this site) i thought i had had some kind of mental break down. i was paranoid,my husband was fantastic but i became convinced he was going to die and that i would not be able to cope alone,i also became paranoid about being raped,i was sure that if i went out something bad would happen,luckily i found this site and all these amazing women who shared their experiences good and bad with yasmin,all their advice helped to save my life..literally,i was not far from wanting to end my life. i have been off yasmin for nearly 6 months now and it gets easier month by month,i will not lie and say that you will be cured over night but you will get better. my anxiety/panic attacks started to improve within the 1st week i stopped taking yasmin but as i suffered this side effect for so long my life will take a while to get back on track but i keep telling myself that i will be one day be back to normal. explain to your boyfriend that it is this awful pill that makes you feel the way you do sometimes,confide in him about how you feel,i am sure he will help and support you as much as he can,as far as practical steps go here are a few tips to help deal with the panic/anxiety. distract yourself constantly,sing,dance,read,wash the dishes,whatever but keep busy. drink loads and loads of water (this is one of the best bits of advice for anxiety/panic) take a supplement of magnesium,b complex and b6 and also a little zinc & calcium. keep reminding yourself that a panic attack cannot and will not hurt you,as odd as it seems you are actually at your physical peak during an attack,your body is prepared for fight or flight so although it feels horrible just be conforted by the fact that you could react if you needed to. and finally if a negative idea pops into your mind tell yourself that it is not true and replace it with a possitive thought. sorry for the long post but i know how it feels to feel that you are alone.
best wishes to you,

sarah

Hello everyone, just so glad I found this site when I did, I have had such a horrible time whilst being on this pill i didnt know what was happening. I was constantly crying, panic attacks were unreal, nervous, scared about everything, I started stressing over anything the depression got very bad and my doctor took me off the pill immediately. Feeling so down all the time and for no reason and my boyfriend didnt know what to think, Thank goodness I came off this pill. I am now off it 12 days and feeling alot better. Im now taking a B complex and a well woman multi vitamin to build myself back up again. I feel alot better but not 100% yet, I really hope all the symptoms go away. Im never taking this BC again.

I have been going through the nightmare that is Yasmin for 2 months now and have been trying to help my body as much as possible. I have been taking a multivitamin plus a B Complex and a supplement that includes zinc, magnesium and calcium. Here is my question: about ten or twently minutes after I take all three vitamins I feel extremely nauseous for a couple of minutes and I have to lay down and wait it out. I have not actually gotten sick but this happens nearly every day. I have tried everything...taking the vitamins together, apart, at the end of the meal and in the middle.

Has anyone else struggled with this? Does anyone know if vitamins do cause nausea and why? I am nearly positive it is the vitamins because the nausea always happens right after I take them, no matter what time of the morning I take them.

Also, is it normal to still struggle a bit with anxiety even if I am not ovulating or menstruating at this time in my cycle? I do feel much much better on the whole, but I just want to make sure that even though I feel quite good most days, that it is still considered normal to have some hard moments. I think on my good days I get in the mindset that I am all better, and then I freak myself out if I do feel a bit of anxiety. I sometimes feel like I have to attribute the anxiety to that time of the cycle, due to coming off Yasmin, but if I am not in that part of my cycle, I get scared that I am crazy and that it is not Yasmin even though I know in my heart it is.

Any feedback from those who have gone through this nightmare would be appreciated!! Take care, everyone. You are ALL in my thoughts, all the time.

birth control pills in general seem to cause problems with regards to depression and anxiety so it is quite possible that your previous contraceptive caused your depression although an unhappy marriage probably didn't help the situation much. yasmin seems to be one of the worst pills for causing emotional instability,i am not sure why. it seems to affect women that had an underlying hormonal problem before they went on it so maybe makes a hormone imbalance worse..... i'm just guessing really. i used birth control before i had my 2 girls and never had a problem but went onto yasmin after i had breast fed my second child for a year as my hormones were all over the place,within six months i was an emotional and physical wreck. anyway,i am glad that you have come off yasmin and are feeling better,see how you feel in a few months time before trying the anti-depressant route again,you may find that you will get better naturally and also deciding to end an unhappy marriage may improve your depression. my doctor suggested anti-depressants but i never took them and now i have been off yasmin for 4 months i am glad i didn't as i am clearly not depressed at all it was just the artificial hormones causing the depresiion/anxiety/panic attacks and horrible horrible physical side effects. i can't stress how important it is to take a good b complex supplement as well as vitamin B6,magnesium and maybe some added zinc. and drink loads of water,it really does help. good luck with your recovery and really enjoy your time with your daughter,my youngest is now 3,they grow up so fast and i felt like i had wasted so much of my precious time with her through my yasmin induced nightmare.

sarah

brittkat,
i had the dizziness for quite a while when i was on yasmin,sometimes it would last for hours at a time for days on end,i thought i had an inner ear infection but it was ruled out by my doctor. i have been off yasmin for 3 months now and my symptoms have pretty much all subsided and improved dramatically. once your natural hormones get back into rhythm things should improve. i still get a bit dizzy and anxious when i am ovulating but even that is getting better and better with each cycle. i have no idea how long it will take to get back to "normal" but it is a good idea to take a good b complex,b6 and magnesium supplement to support your body while it is getting back into it's own rhythm. i am sure i am now suffering from estrogen dominance but not as severely as when i was taking yasmin,dizziness is a symptom of this condition along with many of the other symptoms suffered by a lot of women on yasmin. i am beginning to think that if you already have an underlying problem with low progesterone levels when you start on yasmin it will make it much much worse. it may be worth getting your medical provider to check your progesterone levels. (and your ears just in case you have an underlying ear problem that is causing the dizziness but i suspect it will not be the case.
i hope that is of some help to you,have faith in the knowledge that it will get better.

I'm just really looking for more information on this. My husband has been taking Lipitor for a little over a year. He has had the restless leg thing at night - in his sleep. His right foot constantly feels like he's walking on a wadded up sock. The doc prescribed B-complex for this. And just within the last month he has been losing his balance alot, and I've recently noticed that he no longer walks - it's more of a shuffle - almost like his knees are bent all the time while he's walking. He says his legs hurt most of the time. I made an appt. with the doc for him. He is having him tested for nerve damage. This is really scary. He is 52. Does anyone have advice? Do you know if this will reverse? He stopped taking the Lipitor two weeks ago.

I have been on Topamax for a few months now. I can't remember exactly how long because, to be quite honest, I have the memory of a gnat since starting this medication. My neurologist prescribed this medication for me after I was finally put on medication for grand mals seizures. I had been having them sporadically since 1999. I also suffer from migraines and he said it would help with that, my weight and my depression. It sounded like a wonder drug until my dosage kept increasing up to the 300 mgs. he needed me to reach.

I became a lethargic, depressed and very detached, angry lump to describe myself best. I have had a difficult time doing housework and everyday activities like playing with my children. My depression was first improving but it took a turn for the worse and I have found myself feeling suicidal at times. I have suffered breast pain so severe I had to have a breast ultrasound done. Nobody ever told me that breast pain could be a side effect in women. My menstrual cycle has also been unpredictable as well since starting this medicine. I called my neurologist's office in inquire about this and they were unaware about this side effect.

My mental clarity is totally gone. My memory is so bad I have missed doctor's appointments for myself and my children. I have to write things down everywhere and have my kids remind me of things instead of the other way around. I find myself trying to form a sentence at times and it comes out like gibberish.

I stay on the medicine because my five kids were witnesses to my last seizure and it scared my oldest three so much they remember it as if it were yesterday. I made them a promise it would never happen again. The last medicine I tried left me with bruises all over my body and unable to get out of bed. If left with having to choose between the two medicines I have to pick Topamax. I can't be a guinea pig anymore. My kids need me to keep my promise and I have vowed to do so. If you could see what I deal with every night when I put my daughter to bed you would understand. She says she is afraid to leave me to go to asleep because she is afraid I will have another seizure. Being on this medicine is the reassurance I offer her to prove that everything will be okay.

I spent years on SSRI's trying to fight anxiety and depression and I suffered horrible side effects so I am at the point that I am willing to settle. Currently my dosage has been cut down to 250 mg. and my rage is pretty much gone. I am still depressed and somewhat lethargic. The good news is that I did lose 30 lbs. since starting Topamax. Unfortunately, Topamax doesn't do much for me in the way of migraine relief. Since my seizures are sporadic I honestly don't know if it is even controlling those either. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

My heart goes out to all of you taking this medication. I know how you feel right now. If you are lucky enough to get off of it and are able to find something else less stressful on your body then that is great. If you are in my situation and you feel as if this is as good as it gets, well, at least you know you are not alone. I know now that there are alot of us out there. I am not sure how much consolation that really is but it is something I suppose.