I have taken Topamax for 4 years sucessfully for migraines. I have had terrible ones in the past, the worst of which mimicked a TIA and caused my neurologist to put me on the Topamax and DC my birth control pills. If I miss a Topamax I have a headache the next day. I am afraid that I may become pregnant now that I am remarried and really am afraid of the potential problems associated with Topamax. How can I get off of this stuff?
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Q: I have taken Topamax for 4 years sucessfully for migraines. How can I get off of it? If I miss a pil
Answers (2)
9/23/08 3:46am
Jessica,
Discontinuing medications such as Topamax should be done under a doctor's supervision. They should not be abruptly discontinued since doing so can cause serious problems including seizures. Call or make an appointment with your doctor to discontinue the Topamax. He or she will give you a schedule to taper down, reducing a bit each week. Usually, they have you reduce your dosage by 25 mg per week until you're down to none.
You're wise to be thinking about this before becoming pregnant. If you haven't seen this article already, you should take a look at Migraine Preventive Topamax May Cause Birth Defects.
Good luck!
Teri
9/23/08 9:08pm
The more I hear about Topamax the more I want to get off of it...only problem is it's been a godsend for my migraines! Just like you if I miss a pill I'm laid out. Now I'm having problems with my eyes and I hear that getting off of Topamax can give you seizures too.
Luckily I've only been on it for 9 mos and only take one 25mg pill a day or my eyes would probably be popping out of my head! This stuff is just too powerful!
So we're caught in a real pickle huh? Either put up with the side effects of the Topamax or take on the migraines?
I definitely don't want to go back to 3-4 migraines a week, but at this point I think I'll be looking for another more natural preventative.
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