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Avatar universal

so many symptoms so few answers

I'm a 33 year old female who has been under the advisement of a neurologist for 2 years. I have been prescribed Topamax for “seizures” brought on by “migraines” … and I am beginning to feel VERY unsure of this diagnosis. He claims that there is some unusual activity on the left side of my brain, but no lesions. My symptoms are becoming more severe and frequent and I am starting to lose control of my emotions. I feel as though my doctor is looking at my husband for answers rather than myself. I never had a headache till I was put on the Topamax and now I get them bad enough that I need to take Vicodin to subdue the pain. My cheeks, tongue, neck, hands, and feet feel heavy and like they are on “pins and needles” several times a day. Walking up and down stairs has become very painful for my ankles, knees, feet and hips. It is hard to grip things and even harder to open them… a jar that I could open a year ago is impossible now. I fatigue very easily and it is taking a toll on my family. We thought it may have been from the medication so the doc dc’ed it for a while and the symptoms persisted. I am at a loss. I am leaving out so much…. I am starting to scare myself. I have no clue what to even ask the doc to check for. Not sure if he is correct in his findings or if I am just a a dollar sign.
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Avatar universal
hi, me daughter has a unknow siezure disorder so i no little bit abut topamax because she has taking it and it sounds to me like lot of it side effects. More Common: Burning, prickling, or tingling sensations; clumsiness or unsteadiness; confusion; continuous, uncontrolled back-and-forth or rolling eye movements; dizziness; double vision or other vision problems; drowsiness; generalized slowing of mental and physical activity; memory problems; menstrual changes; menstrual pain; nervousness; speech or language problems; trouble in concentrating or paying attention; unusual tiredness or weakness Common Side Effects:

Breast pain in women; nausea; tremors

Less Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Back pain; chest pain; constipation; heartburn; hot flushes; increased sweating; leg pain

this was copyed from a web site about topamax but my thinking is its the meds. hope this helps
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Avatar universal
does anybody have any suggestions as to questions I should ask my doc. when I go to my next appointment? Or test that I should have him run?
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Avatar universal
I also wanted to add that I also went through a 24 hour EEG that rendered some abnormal results but were also labeled "within normal range"
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Avatar universal
Ok let’s start over :)
A couple of years ago I suffered stoke like symptoms that landed me in the hospital for 3 days. Loss of motor skills on the left side, drooping of face, and slurred speech. I had an extreme headache at the time of admittance but that was the first time I had had a headache other than your everyday run of the mill headache (before the Topamax).  I have never been diagnosed with diabetes other than gestational diabetes with my last child back in 1999; I never reached the point of insulin.
I have had sever MRI's with and without contrast as well as a CAT scan. My last MRI was about a year ago and came back "within normal range."
I have told my neurologist that I do not think the Topamax is what I need but he just blows me off. Little town, few "good" doctors!
A more extensive list of my symptoms include:
*A pretty constant numbing or tingling feeling around my lips, mouth, and cheeks
*Heaviness and or tingling in my hands and feet
*Pain in hips, knees, ankles, feet, sometimes in lower back. The pain I feel in my legs is odd and hard to describe. You know when your legs falls asleep and you don’t want to stand on it or put pressure on it? I have to move it and turn it or the pain will not go away. I can not stand on it… but if I don’t move it, it seems to cramp up even more. Like a Charlie horse in my whole leg.
*The feeling of my eyes moving slower than my head when looking around (not really sure how to describe that one)
*At times I feel detached from my body, almost like I’m floating, very dizzy, and light headed
*I feel like I am losing my balance and often find myself jerking for no reason, even in the sitting position.
*I feel my short term memory is shot... I would forget my head if it was not attached to my body. I find myself making several trips back into the house to get keys, cell phone, purse, shopping lists. I used to remember all this easily. But in the last year forgetting seems to be my hobby. I find myself either repeating myself to my husband or yelling at him for not doing something that I never told him to do.
*I've developed an even shorter temper than I already had. Very Irritable and fussy.
*Incontinence (just urine at this time)
*I also have noticed for a while that if I rest my hands flat that within a few minutes they end up contracted into fists without my thumbs on the outside.
*I am also on the max dose of Lexipro for depression. I have been on meds for depression for about 6 years now. I'm just not sure if I'm depressed because I'm sick or sick because I'm depressed.
*My vision is worsening as well.
I know I am not remembering everything. I am going to start writing everything down. I think what I am really looking for is the proper questions to ask my Primary Care Physician so I can be sent to the right type of doctor or specialist. At this point I am willing to leave town if I have to.
I am a smoker and I am heavy but I am also active, I am a cheerleading coach who can still demonstrate a split and a cartwheel. I can go outside and play soccer with my kids and walk several miles. Within the last year all of these activities have just become sooo much harder for me to do and I am beginning to lose the desire to do them and that hurts my heart.


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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello Jen.

It seems you have some symptoms of Neuropathy. Do you have Diabetes ? Have you had a Brain MRI done since you started experiencing weakness ? And can you eplease describe you "seizures" ? Since you mentioned you never had a headache before Topamax, I am not sure why migraine was diagnosed, in the first place. I would suggest you write your symptoms in a little more elaborate way. I am sorry for asking you to narrate the same things again, but I am trying to figure out what could it be.

Regards

AD
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