Denise

You should see the list of meds I am on...your's doesn't scare me at all!

I started taking Topamax for my migraines in 2002 and it has been a life saver for me. Nothing else has ever worked. It's bad when you walk into the ER and the entire staff knows you by your first name and immediately puts you in a room! I discovered that vomit gets their attention quicker than blood!! LOL!

I actually drove myself to the ER once from school and they drugged me up, let me sleep for about 2 hours and then wouldn't let me drive myself home! How uncool was that! My husband was an airline pilot and on a 3-day trip...now how was I supposed to get home? I figured it out but it took me 2 more days to get my car home...silly people...geez, it was just a bunch of drugs!

Anyway, I know that "T" has worked very well for me and I've only had one breakthrough migraine and that was my fault thinking I could titrate down on the dose! I am on 200mg x 2. That's my dose...not more, not less. I also take 5 MeQs of Urocit-K to counteract the acidosis it causes and make sure I drink plenty of water (kidney stones is one of the side effects).

I hope you find some relief...if you want to try to "T", make darn sure you follow the titration closely because you will not be happy if you don't.
Start at night and up each dose at night.

I was on that for about 4 years, it seemed to help a little, but the side effects were so severe at the end, I almost lost half my foot because I didn't have any feeling in my extremities, and my nose, face, and cheeks....
The lists of what I've tried is endless, I'm depression isn't causing my migraines... Not feeling well is depressing.

According to what I have read, and experienced, with Topamax, acidosis can cause the loss of feeling, tingling etc. That's why I am taking the Urocit-K. Once I started that, the sensations stopped and I got the feeling back in the side of my face. The drug depletes the potassium in your system. Having MS complicates it for me b/c I wasn't sure if it was the MS causing the symptoms or the drug. But once I started on the Urocit-K and started drinking a lot more water, I was ok.

I have a good neuro, thank goodness.

You are right, not feeling good can be depressing.

Like Wren, I started having constant headaches ,then simple and complex seizures (which I might add were misdiagnosed for several years), until I finally had a grand mal seizure (at 6 mos. pregnant) that landed me in the ER.
An MRI told the doctors there was a cyst on my brain that had been there since birth. A year later and hundreds of seizures later (complex partial) with ever increasing headaches that just wouldn't seem to go away, I had another MRI at a different hospital and that 'cyst' turned out to be a brain tumor.
Here I am six years later and deal with constant almost daily migraines. I now take Topamax to help with the migraines (100mg 2x daily) and it helps dramatically. I also take Midrin when I get the breakthrough migraine- which seems to be a lot lately. I try to use Tylenol 8 hour (the only OTC that does ANYTHING at all for me albeit little)and when that doesn't work I crack out the Midrin as a last resort. Have to limit how many of those I take a day/week. What I'm wondering is if my Topamax dose is too low?

Three months ago I had never had a seizure and now I've had three in as many weeks . No one will see me and the I'm afraid to be alone. I have a list of twenty three drugs, seeing a chiropractor daily, and still getting worse.
At what point is all this worth it?
The pain is never ending anymore and what little bit of individual freedom I did have is gone.
Depression has taken up residents. I don't know where to turn.

Hello I am new to NeuroTalk...I have had migraines as long as I can remember, my grandmother had them as well, now my youngest son has them as well...anyways. I wanted to know if any of you have had symtoms like this...out of the blue feels like someone has hit you in the head with a bat in the head, searing pain, burning sensation in the head, blurred vision,nausea, have to hang on to something so you dont hit the floor, slurred speech, and meomory loss, according to my husband and family. Went to see the doctor has ordered a CT of my brain without contrast..I worried...anyone have ideas? Not even sure if I am posting in the right spot! Thanks

Hi there!
I'm on Topamax myself!
It has helped a lot since I've started using it..
When I do get an attack I have Imitrex Instant 50 that blocks everything instantly -or should-.
I've been having a lot of problems with hair loss lately..
I fear it's going to get worse soon! I also have other side effects like uncontrolled movements and I can't focus that well anymore, more aggressive, can't sleep, etc.
So pro's and contra's
Do you have that too?