Psychotropic drugs symptoms and conditions

I am going to begin taking 25 mg of Topamax at bedtime tonight. After reading all of these posts I am a scared. I was prescribed Topamax for bipolar disorder. I am currently taking Lamictal as well. I always gain weight on psychotropic drugs and need to lose about 15 lbs (all of which I have gained over the course of being on Lamictal). Any who-my psychiatrist said that this medication may help counteract the weight gain I have experienced. Although I do not consider my self an overeater now. I do hope that it helps me to not like the taste of sodas though. I am addicted to Mt. Dew and caffeine, which I wouldn't mind stopping. Anyway, I am supposed to increase my dosage by 25mg per week until I reach 75mg per day. I am also supposed to go back and see my doctor before I increase the dosage beyond 75mg. I just hope I do not have the horrible side effects I have read here. Some of them I know I can deal with especially if they are temporary but the anxiety/depression/shortness of breath/lack of energy/morbid thoughts are the main ones that concern me. My psychiatrist said that with this medication I should drink plenty of water. He said that it could cause headaches and other side effects if I'm not sure to drink plenty of fluids with this medication. So, I am planning on hydrating myself really well today before taking it this evening. I'll post back and let you know how the side effects are going. Is anyone else on a combination of Lamictal and Topamax or on it for bipolar disorder? I'd like to hear more of your experiences.

For me GEODON has worked miricles! It is the first mood stabilizer that has actually worked. I started with 40 mg twice a day for a week, then 60 mg and on up to 80 mg x2 daily.

The morning geodon seems to make me feel alive. Before Geodon I ALWAYS felt tired with no motivation what so ever. Now I wake up around 7:30 am rather than 3 or 4 pm, I get up and get busy with household chores, running errands ect. ect. I feel energized.

When I take the second pill around 8:30, within an hour I feel sleepy. I go to bed and actually sleep sound all night. Before Geodon I'd be up and down or toss and turn all night long. I wasn't getting much rest and always felt tired. I'd sleep a hour or so then be up for a couple hours before I could fall asleep again. That went on every night all night long. Usually around 5 or 6 am I'd get to sleep then I wouldn't want to get up. I was really bitchy and irritable. I had zero patience and was constantly snapping at people. I knew I was being a bitch but I didn't care...I just wanted to be left alone to drown in my own misery. Geodon changed all that! I feel like a new person. I just hope it lasts. A few years back I took Trazadone, it worked well for me for about 6 months then all at once it stopped working and I went into a deep depression for months.
At one time I was taking 16 different psychotropic drugs for my bi-polar dissorder. What a nightmare that was! I didn't like ther person I was then at all. I was doing what my doctor told me to do without question. Then one day I WOKE UP...I realized that I DID have questions and I wanted answers. I was tired of feeling like a puppet so I decided to take control of my life. Since then I went through 8 different doctors before I found one who was willing to work WITH me, and listen to me instead of treating me like a pill popping lunatic.
I'm bi polar but I'm NOT stupid, it has nothing to do with intelligence!
Back to the point, even tho I am doing well on Geodon I have noticed a few side efects. I've developed a twich in my left eye and I constantly run my tongue over my teeth. both are a little bothersome, especially the tongue thing because it makes my tongue sore! =)~ But I'm hopeing it'll go away and if it don't, I'm willing to live with it. Seems a small price to pay in return for normalcy.

Here's a great place to check for drug interactions if anyone is interested. I just finished running a check for my mother and was suprised by what I found out. Alot of doctors these days are just plain pill pushers. They get kick backs from the big pharmaceutical plants for prescribing their drugs. I don't want to get started on that...it's a huge pet peeve! Ok, here's the link...www.medscape.com