I started Topamax a month ago. My neurologist told me to start out taking 50mg in the morning and evening. I am a nurse and have read that this med needs to be started out on small doses and slowly increase every few days. When I questioned him about it, I was told that I should be fine. Although I did not follow his directions and start out small and increase it every 3 days. After about a week I was on the full dose of 100mg daily. All carbonated drinks tasted flat, I was having a funny taste in my mouth, and I was sleeping more. Within the past week, I have been having numbness in my hands and feet to the point that my hands go completely numb. The tighter I tried to grip something, the worse it got. I also am having severe dizziness. I am unable to stand and walk without feeling like I'm going to get sick and fall. Forget trying to drive. I work 45 mins away and have no other option on getting to work. During the time that I have started to have the dizziness, I have also noticed a drop in my blood pressure. I do not even have to be standing or moving to have the vertigo start, I can be laying down. When I called the Dr, I was told to abruptly stop the med. No weaning. Everything I can pretty much deal with but, my main concern is the severe vertigo (dizziness) and low blood pressure. Is anyone else having this issue?
This is EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE NOT supposed to do. You are supposed to slowly start it and definitely supposed to slowly stop it. I started with 25 mg in the morning and 25 at night. Did that for 2 weeks and then did 50 in am and 50 at night. Definitely had the tingling but after the first week the tingling went away and didn't come back until I upped to the 50. That went away after a week of the upped dosage. I do have it every now and again but it doesn't last long and isn't that serious. Don't have any dizziness and and the worst side effect is that I'm tired. Sodas taste bad, but hey, sodas aren't good for you anyway. Can't always remember what I was talking about, but, I've been taking it for 2 months and almost all side effects except for being tired have gone away and I haven't had 1 headache, even during the worst storms!!! (Barometric pressure headaches). Weining on and off is the biggest part of Topamax. You could have horrible seizures if you don't do it correctly! Please don't give up on it, but just be really careful.
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