Freaking out!!!

By shopgirl Tuesday, May 03, 2011

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I currently take 75 mg of Topamax in the morning and 75 at night for my migraines... Last month sometime, I renewed my insurance. I went to pick up my medication at Walmart and was informed that my meds were almost $150 because something was going on with my insurance and they weren't covering it. I can't afford that. So I didn't take it home. I have one more dose for in the morning and that's it. I know you can't just stop taking Topamax cold turkey, but I don't know what to do. I'm not sure how long it's gonna take to get my insurance figured out since I'm on the state health insurance. I don't wanna get a migraine and I don't wanna go through the withdrawals of not having my meds. But it's inevitable and I'm freaked out!! And my brother's graduating from college this weekend. Why did I have to run out of my meds this week?!?!?!?

Comments (11) | Add comment

ccrandall0518

5/ 3/11 3:24pm

Costco is the cheapest by FAR for all medications, take your prescription there. What normally costs $180 at walgreens/wal-mart is generally about $25 at Costco. Hope this helps.

Nancy Harris Bonk, Health Guide

5/ 3/11 9:47pm

First, don't freak out!!!! I would place a call to the insurance company, after you get your medication, and find out what is going on with your prescription coverage. You should have been notified of any changes in your policy.

You can also place a few calls into different local pharmacies and get their price information. Sometimes smaller independent pharmacies are more willing to work with prices than your big box stores. But call them anyway.

Have you tried the generic brand of Topamax, topiramate? It should be less expensive and for some people works just a well.

Let us know how it goes, ok?

ungermom

5/ 5/11 10:10am

I took Topamax for several years (around 4) and it helped alot, but it had lots of side effects for me. It wasn't until later that the neropathy in my feet was found to be a side effect of it too. Nerve damage in your feet is hell. They feel like they are numb, but the pain is like when your feet would be coming out of the numbness and hurts when you would try to walk. I have been off of Topamax for 3 years now and it hasn't gotten any better, in fact they are somewhat worse.

I was put on amitriptylan in place of the Topamax and it works just as well without any of the side effects that I had to deal with.

Think hard and long about continuing to take this drug, as it can affect you the rest of your life with some of the side effects never going away.

longstobefree

5/ 5/11 11:44am

1. Ask the pharmacy to give you a short supply of a few days or whatever you can afford.

2. After doing this, take half of your normal dosage. Instead of twice a day, take it once a day. This is how you would titer down anyway. This will keep the med in your system, just not as strong.

3. Call your insurance and other pharmacies to get help.

4. I had a situation years ago in which a doc told me to go off all of my meds cold turkey. It took about 10 days or two weeks for the symptoms to hit and they were horrible! Topamax affects the brain and stopping it cold turkey will make you feel like you are going crazy. I went to my regular doc and she put me back on it. I felt better after two days or so.

5. The side effects of Topamax are real, dangerous and long lasting. Read the insert, if you get one. I never get one. Go to Topamax's website for the info. Think long and hard about staying on this med. It's the only one that works for me so I have no choice but to tolerate the side effects.

6. I too, have medicaid and have been subjected to going without meds for weeks at a time while waiting for approvals and such. Because of this and the dangers involved, I skip a dose every once in a while. I do this a couple of times a month on my "good" days so that I build up a little stockpile of meds to last me for 10 or 14 days. It took me a few months to do this but now when there is a delay of some kind, I know I'll be okay while waiting for everything. I don't suggest that anyone skip their meds. This is something that I had to do out of necessity or else I would have no meds at all, at times.

7. Medicaid no longer pays for the brand name Topamax. They will only pay for the generic. You have to make sure that your script was not written as "brand name only".

Given your long term use of the Topamax, you should be fine for a few days or week since there is a build up of it in your system. Good luck getting it straightened out.

frannytal

5/ 5/11 12:34pm

Call your doctor to see if he has any samples. Sometimes doctors have samples to get you through till your insurance is covered.

longstobefree

5/ 5/11 12:41pm

That's a great idea! I never thought to mention it because the health system my doc is affiliated with has a policy AGAINST samples. Can't get one to save your life. It's horrible because I live in a very depressed area and this would really help people.

frannytal

5/ 5/11 5:53pm

Glad I helped.....Anything for a fellow migrane sufferer!!!!! I can feel your pain...

Teri Robert, Health Guide

5/ 7/11 2:41pm

longstobefree,

It's always great to see people chiming in to help people in trouble. Please, though, let's not recommend that someone change the dosage of their medications without checking with their doctors. This can be very dangerous. For example, depending on how much Topamax someone is taking, taking only half of it could cause them to have seizures. And, no, it's not safe to say someone is going to be fine for a few days or a week because of long-term use. Regardless of how long someone has been taking the drug, the half-life is just 21 hours. That doesn't change.

Sincerely, I'm glad you postd to help, but please be very careful not to give medical advice?

Thanks!
Teri

Teri Robert, Health Guide

5/ 7/11 2:42pm

Unfortunately, once a drug has gone generic, the companies stop giving samples to doctors.

Teri

JAAZ

5/ 5/11 8:33pm

1st - Get the generic of Topomax, you do not need a membership at Costco to get meds. filled. I take 100 am, 100 pm and a 90 day supply at Costco is $33!! with no insurance. - do not use your insurance at Costco - just pay Costco prices.

embet

5/ 6/11 3:40pm

DO NOT QUIT TOPOMAX COLD TURKEY!

This is an anti epileptic. Even if you are taking it for migraines and not seizures, going off cold turkey can cause seizures. The advice about going to your doc for samples is an excellent idea. If you explain to the pharmacist about your situation, they may also have samples.

My insurance requires me to always take generics unless they are not available, so I also take the generic topirimate, and I am on a really high dose (400 mg/day). The only side effects I've noticed are cognitive, which aren't great, but I'm willing to deal for the reduced migraine frequency.

Freaking out!!!

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