Hi There ~
Anyone use Topamax as a mood stabilizer? How did you like it? How long did it take to work? What side affects did you notice? Did they go away/diminish?
I have just been prescribed it as a mood stabilizer, I take it at night only (to decrease side effects and due to fatigue) and have titrated up to 50mg and will be upping to 75mg this week (25mg a week - going slow because I am pretty neurotic about meds) and will prob stop at 100 or 150mg as per Pdoc.
I know all the usual suspects and Topamax jokes (dopamax, tingling, word recall, etc) that you read on the brochure or hear about, but I wanted some personal feedback as far as how long the effects last and if they diminish. So far I haven't really had word recall issues and I've had some tingling but read that meant I needed to up my water intake and once I did that, the paresthesia (tingles) went away immediately.
What I do feel is TIRED....Like worked to the bone tired and decreased energy which is a bummer because that perpetuates my depression and anxiety. I am not a good "fatigued" person, lol - I get weepy.
I also seem to be (ironically) a bit weepy and moody on the Topamax - BUT with that said, I read somewhere that on the lower sub-therapeutic dose that does happen? But I don't know if that is true or not and can't seem to find where I read that. Has anyone had that experience and do you level out like you do on the SSRI - SSRNI's?
Any and all feedback is much appreciated. I look forward to hearing your stories. I hope to hear some positive ones - I am really hoping this works to stabilize my mood (and help me lose a few pounds too!!)
Thank you!!
Stacie