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Topamax and nightmares

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Posted 5/10/2011 11:46 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone. I'm on topamax for neuropathic pain - I'm actually a regular down on the chronic pain area but am venturing in here in search of help given that it's more commonly used for epilepsy.

I've been on 50mg twice a day for quite some time with no side effects but my pain started to get out of control again so we increased to 50/75 and then 75/75. The last couple of weeks - really since I hit the 150mg a day - I've been having horrendous nightmares. Normally I don't recall my dreams, but these are so bad and so real that I wake and I am afraid to go back to bed.

Has anyone else on topamax experienced this as a side effect?

Many thanks.

Laura
Posted 5/21/2011 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
sorry, i can not be of any help, never on the drug. dilantin, keppra fpr epilepsy.

good luck...

Posted 5/23/2011 3:26 PM (GMT 0)

I also took Topamax 6 years ago for only 3 month's. This was for my epilepsy.

I didn't have nightmares but my concentration was thrown out of wack. As an Accountant, I couldn't even do basic calculations while I took Topamax.  My doctor decided to put me on Keppra which really work's. 

I think Topamax really affects a certain part of your brain & that can be causing your nightmares. My cousin also took Topamax for seizures & she said sometimes she really had feelings of depression, which stopped soon after her neurologist changed her medication.

Posted 5/23/2011 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Vonnyj,
may i ask, the mgs of keppra, you are consuming dialy? i was told by a neurologist (one who thought, he was God), if 300mgs is not controlling seizure activity a larger dose will not have any more effect. the more reading on these forums, i am learning the anxiety and depression become involved with epilepics. i have not experienced the depression. the massive doses of the anticonvulsant drugs can onset the depression factor.
Posted 5/23/2011 5:10 PM (GMT 0)

Kath51,

I'm consuming 1000mgs twice a day (morning & evening).  When I first started this med 6years ago, I was only on 750 mg twice a day but when I had a seizure, my neurologist increased it to 1,500 twice a day. This seems to control my seizures a lot. They recently decreased my dosage to 1000mgs twice a day because I lost 55pounds due to an ileostomy surgery.

It's been almost 2 years since I had a seizure. The Keppra seems to have calmed my seizures down a whole lot. Before taking Keppra, I used to have seizures every month around my menstrual time but after I started Keppra, they gradually slowed down & then three years ago, the seizures only happened twice a year due to chemical changes in my body. I haven't had a seizure since November 2009 & I really love this medicine.

My neurologist always checks my Keppra level & if your weight changes, the dosage may have to be increased or decreased depending on how much you gain or lose.

Posted 5/23/2011 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
Vonnyj,
Thanks so much for the quick reply, this is interesting and exciting news about thr keppra. Currently, I am recovering from back surgery and intending to switch doctors at this point and time in my life. The neurologist who advised the dosage of keppra of 1,000mgs daily wasn't happy with still experiencing seizure activity and wanted me to have brain surgery... Fat chance! I swithced to another doctor, he sort of walks on eggs regulating my medications. so frustrating at times. Seven years ago, I was dianosed with two brain tumors. (benign) located in the back of the brain along with one in the front. they have no reflection whatsoever with the epilepsy. Go figure. Weird things happen in life.Yes, my menstral cycle would produce more seizures during that time of the month. With the amount of keppra intake, do you experience the brain fog? Overmedicated feeling? I am so happy for you, with the seizure control. The last information from the neurologist regarding WHY these occur -- brain cells fire out of control causing the seizure. I have learned, there is always someone out in the world, who is a little bit smarter than the last person.Stay well and stay controlled.
Posted 5/23/2011 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
Vonnyj,
Thanks so much for the quick reply, this is interesting and exciting news about thr keppra. Currently, I am recovering from back surgery and intending to switch doctors at this point and time in my life. The neurologist who advised the dosage of keppra of 1,000mgs daily wasn't happy with still experiencing seizure activity and wanted me to have brain surgery... Fat chance! I swithced to another doctor, he sort of walks on eggs regulating my medications. so frustrating at times. Seven years ago, I was dianosed with two brain tumors. (benign) located in the back of the brain along with one in the front. they have no reflection whatsoever with the epilepsy. Go figure. Weird things happen in life.Yes, my menstral cycle would produce more seizures during that time of the month. With the amount of keppra intake, do you experience the brain fog? Overmedicated feeling? I am so happy for you, with the seizure control. The last information from the neurologist regarding WHY these occur -- brain cells fire out of control causing the seizure. I have learned, there is always someone out in the world, who is a little bit smarter than the last person.Stay well and stay controlled.
Posted 6/15/2011 1:14 AM (GMT 0)

kath51 said...
Vonnyj,
may i ask, the mgs of keppra, you are consuming dialy? i was told by a neurologist (one who thought, he was God), if 300mgs is not controlling seizure activity a larger dose will not have any more effect. the more reading on these forums, i am learning the anxiety and depression become involved with epilepics. i have not experienced the depression. the massive doses of the anticonvulsant drugs can onset the depression factor.

I took topamax for a few months. I became horrendously depressed and experienced suicidal thoughts from a fairly content - treatment free - baseline. I am currently off meds, however, while on them, I became engrossed in the childhood traumas and any thing that - prior to the treatment - was something I could deal with. I am really struggling with the epilepsy as I also have pain induced seizures and badly injured myself in such a way that is so easy to cause pain that will trigger seizure activity from anywhere from migraines to grand mal seizures. I typically just faint and shake a bit. But I have to say that I need a med to control the pain as well as a med to control the seizures.
Posted 6/30/2011 5:38 AM (GMT 0)
I tried Topamax back in 2000 and the whole experience was a nightmare for me. Aside from it making my mind freeze up (I couldn't find the right words and often said nonsensical things), I stopped being able to add - I couldn't remember what one plus one equaled - very scary. One night while on Topamax I started to shake and freak out - I am not sure if it was a dream or not, but it was awful. I ended up in the ER. They took me off the Topamax right then and there. The bad symptoms quickly went away. You should talk to your neuro about it. Topamax can be a really tough drug for a lot of people.
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