Dear Molly,

Thank goodness for lithium levels. Docs like numbers.

I hope that you keep feeling better.

Mari

I hear that keeping a rapid cycler is one of the thoughest people to stabilize...I wish you much success on this merry go round....
hang in there
bizi:o

TOPAMAX caused me SEVERE vision problems. I went from 20/20 to 20/40, couldn't focus in one eye and the internal pressure was elevated indicating the onset of glaucoma. I stopped taking it and within weeks my vision returned to normal. Topamax has a whole bevy of nasty side effects.

Wow, that lithium level was really high! It took me 1800mg a day to get to "1" and I take half that now. I did feel drugged at that dose. I suppose there are times that might be a blessing. In combination with other drugs it might not need to be so high for you. That is what my PDoc told me. Of course any time I've been back to the hospital or seen another doctor they bump it up right away because it isn't up to the 'magic number'. My primrary meds are lithium, Lamictal, and Emsam. I take Seroquel and Ativan as prn's or 'as needed'

From http://www.crazymeds.org/topamax.html :

Topamax's Typical Side Effects: The usual for anticonvulsants. A pins & needles effect that usually goes away after no more than a week or two. Weight loss and appetite suppression - but please note that not everyone gets this side effect. Sodas and other carbonated beverages will utterly taste like ***, so you may as well give them up now if you're considering Topamax. Memory loss, aphasia (weird words coming out in place of what you meant to say or write), word find problems (not being able to recall the names of people, things or concepts), and a general cognitive impairment that has earned this drug the nicknames "Stupamax" and "Dopamax." As Topamax typically makes you really sleepy and has a long enough half-life, you can usually get away with taking it all at bedtime.

For tips on how to cope with these side effects, please see our side effects page.
These aren't all the side effects possible, just the most popular ones.

Topamax's Not So Common Side Effects: Dry and/or itchy eyes along with assorted vision problems. Topamax also has a warning for rare forms of myopia and glaucoma, so if you get any sort of visual weirdness, have your eyes checked immediately! Fortunately discontinuing Topamax usually takes care of these issues, but you can't let your doctor just blow it off as an eye thing. You may find yourself not able to drink coffee any more, so be prepared to quit the bean. Because it does hit the temporal lobes so hard you can get a zombification effect that is typically experienced only with antipsychotics. Unlike the antipsychotics it's not such a sure thing it will go away in a matter of a couple of weeks. And since the olfactory bulb is wedged in that neighborhood, food in general, and not just carbonated beverages, may not taste quite the same. If you were experiencing frequent, intense déjà vu or jamais vu you might experience the other as the damaged temporal lobe starts working correctly.
These may or may not happen to you don't, so don't be surprised one way or the other.

A little bit better
 

I'm doing better, a little bit.
Thanks for the crazymeds info on topamax - i love that website!!
also for the info on Lamictil. That was the first mood stabilizer I tried and it was Great, so effective - a real wonder drug. I was myself again for the first time in years. But then... the Rash, the horrible rash. I didn't want to tell my doctor! But of course I had to. :boy(sad):
For now, I'm detoxing from the lithium and getting over a really bad cold.
Fortunately it was a beautiful, lovely weekend, and I'm so grateful for the sun.
:)