Can someone check into the dangers of Topamax

[Lee_S]

I rec'd a 2pg insert w/ my Topamax tonight. I've been taking it as a mood stabilizer for over 25 years for my bipolar disorder. I'm having the  SERIOUS side effects for mental AND now medical it causes. I faxed it to my Dr & hes immed weaning me off. Im 54 yo & very sick. What add'l help can i seek? FDA? Other?

[Paxiled]

First, understand that side effects are a very individual thing -- those inserts list every side effect reported largely by hospitals (psychiatrists usually don't care enough to report anything and they have no supervision at all nor do they work with anyone else who might prove a check on their incompetence) that the FDA would require to be reported, but it doesn't mean any particular individual is going to get them.  Some have an easy time of it, some have a terrible time.  As for learning about it, most of what anyone including your doctor knows about medication comes from what the pharmaceutical companies choose to share.  There are often, however, independent reviews of drugs when they've been on the market a long time.  You can just Google any drug and many many sources of information will appear, for example, the NIH website, the Kaiser foundation website, the Mayo Clinic website, and you can also find by Googling published studies about the drug.  Older drugs are much easier to find reliable information on than newer drugs because they've been subject to FDA review panels.  That will tell you as much about the drug as you're likely to be able to learn and will leave you a whole lot more educated than your doctor.

[Paxiled]

Also, Googling will reveal websites by patients or doctors who had experience with the drug and often will include a section with references to studies.

[Lee_S]

There was much more information I try to include in my question but it would not allow me to post more then  those you sentences  even though it said 8000 characters.