19 months ago I started taking amitriptyline for migraine headaches, which was very effective. Over time, the headaches would start to come back, become more frequent, and my doctor would adjust my dose. After a couple of times, my doctor determined the medication no longer worked for me. He switched me to topamax 4 - 6 weeks ago. I started out a 25mg a day, then each week, my dose increased by 25mg per day. For 1 1/2 weeks I've taken 100mg daily. For about 2 weeks, I've been experiencing some very troubling side effects, such as problems concentrating, short-term memory. I lose myself mid-sentence. I find myself crying for no reason, or wanting to scream and go ballistic! I called my doctor, who took a few days to get back to me, and said to just stop the medicine. I asked about tapering off, he said not to worry about it, not necessary, quit taking it, start taking the amitriptyline again. Frankly, it only makes sense to me, that you would have to wean off any type of anti-seizure medication, regardless! Am I wrong about this?
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Q: I take 100 mg topamax daily w/ severe side effects. Dr. told me to quit all at once. Bad idea?
Good job! You are quite right. Medications such as Topamax need to be tapered down slowly to avoid complications such as seizures. The usual taper is to decrease by 25 mg per week until you're off it, but you MUST do this under the supervision of a doctor. Do you have another doctor you can call for help on this?
I also suggest you find a new doctor to treat your Migraines.
Good luck,
Teri
Push your opinions more with your doctor. I have found that doctors tend to be very set in their ways (this happens the older the doctors are for some reason). Doctors have pre-existing opinions about what is best, what needs to be done...you have to be assertive and not feel bad about it
It does sound very odd. I have had the exact same experience on topamax! It was awful, because I stayed on it for a whole year at my doctor's insistance. I finally told him that I refused to stay on it. I was told to taper off...
And actually he put me on amitriptyline for the symptoms that the topamax was giving me. I don't think he understood that it was beyond depression. I was literally going crazy, completely losing my sense of who I was.
I am still taking the amitriptyline (I really enjoy it. I am an anxious person by nature and it really helps to reduce my stress) but I'm taking 1800 mg of Gabapentin. It is also an anti-seizure but it has not given me any negative side effects yet.
Good Luck! and stand up for yourself
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