Hi
Im looking for a start up dosage on Topomax. Im currently on 200mg Lyrica but water retention and swelling is effecting the nerves.

Please no horror stories re Topomax , they all have horror stories

Any suggestions re titrating down lyrica and introducing Topomax?

By the way i can go cold turkey and just switch since withdrawals dont effect me much but would prefer a more sensible approach

Thanks All

Did you ask the prescribing doc or even the pharmacist - although he/she would probably tell you to ask the doc - how to go about this? And if you search Topamax, that should also give you plenty of information about the drug. It's just that I worry about do-it-yourselfers when it comes to dosing/titrating with Rx meds.

Sheltiemom

I would ask the doctor....that is what he/she is there for.

If they don't know? Tells you alot about that doctor!

I believe Lyrica works differently in some respects to Topamax, but they are both anti-seizure drugs.

Typically people who start on Topamax start at 25mg a day and titrate up. Many use it for control of certain forms of headache/migraine.

But it is fairly common in children with seizures.

Topamax has more serious side effects than Lyrica, but I won't go into those since you asked specifically not to provide that.

What you need is an equation showing the dosage of one that equals another such as; T25=L10
Iknow the eqation for neurontin = lyrica is N600=L100 but don't know about Topamax.

I don't think it is possible to equate them like one can with Neurontin/Lyrica. That is because Neurontin works the same way as Lyrica.

Topamax does not. One may compare them at final dose range...but going off one is a different thing. And Lyrica has had complaints about discontinuance. The net is full of people having trouble coming off of Lyrica. (NOT everyone, but enough to notice it can be a problem)

thanks for the replies. Here is my scenario, I live in a developing country where docs know even less than is on the net. I do have unlimited access to meds but wont go into that as I was moderated last time.

The reason for my wanting to try topomax is I have water retention and leg/feet swelling from lyrica and neurontin. its frustrating since they do reduce the burn but the intermittent swelling causes another pain altogether

Anyhow, wont hurt to try topomax and i understand nobody here is qualified or allowed to advice. was just throwing out there and may try 50mg after reducing lyrica to 50mg. I have gone cold turkey 300mg lyrica and pulled up okay in the past.

Whats the worst that can happen? I die and no more pain

just kidding..

When I went off of Lyrica, my doctor had me go down by 25 mg every 5 days. And then when I went on Topamax (before I tried Lyrica), I went from 25 mg to 50 to 75 to 100 (twice a day). But... I was on several medicines at once (over 30 pills a day--prescription and vitamins), so I don't know if that is the way everyone should go or not.

I do know, if you go off Topamax cold turkey, you could have a seizure, so I don't think you should go off Lyrica cold turkey either. Just because you didnt have any withdrawals symptoms before, does not mean you will not this time. Things change, and it's a different drug maybe than the first one.

When I went off Topamax, I had to decrease the dosage 25 mg a week until I was down to 25 mg, then I stopped.

Self medicating with Topamax is risky.

You need periodic blood work for acidosis and bicarbonate levels.
This drug has serious effects on the kidneys and eyes.

You should have tests for glaucoma every 6mos while using this drug.

Hmmm and to complicate things further Im today having the best day in 6 months on lyrica. hardly notice the P.N yet 2 days ago was curled in a ball.
This coincided with 5 days of extreme tropical storms, the pain was a 7 now a 2
maybe Im overacting and now srorms have passed i may go back to my normal pain levels. No swelling either. God this is complicated!