It's been 30 days now of 50mg dosage at night.
I had to read about the drug online after I left the doctor as he told me very, very little about it.
I've stopped reading about people's horror stories online, of how they feel psychotic, of their hallucinations, or how they woke up not remembering where they were, or how their hair was coming out in clumps, of how their goddamn diet soft drink tasted awful (of how many people was this an important health factor??) F*ck....
I've realised that these people are probably on a much higher dose and maybe have been put straight on to that dosage rather than being 'titrated' up. My new word....! Titration: noun, incremental increase in drug dosage to a level that provides the optimal therapeutic effect (Mosby’s Dental dictionary, 2nd edition. 2008 Elsevier. From medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com
Within the first two weeks I was ready to come off them. I felt so uncomfortable. Extreme pins and needles in my toes and fingers (which I still get. Extreme, I mean, numbness lasting half an hour…it’s hilarious). I felt completely out of it and I think the first day, I went into work, saw one of the teachers about my son, giggled inanely for a bit and told her I thought I was stoned. Luckily she just giggled back at me. (It’s that kinda school). I felt dazed and unable to focus on words on a page. I like reading stories to the class if it can introduce the art topic in some way. So this was a nightmare. I almost resorted to giving them all a colouring-in sheet, put my head under the desk in the rubbish bin and be done with it.
Being the good patient that I am (but mostly having the bossy but logical husband that I have) I had to see the month through. And I am glad I have. The overriding feeling is that my head fog has started to clear. I had become aware that I was in a subtle but gradually worsening dizzy fog for the last two or three years or so. I wake up less tired and I have more energy through the day as a result. I feel like some electrical pathway has been cleared in my brain, subtle but enough to feel different. Insomnia was a reported issue but actually I feel I sleep ok and maybe that’s why I’m less tired rather than any electrical impulse is being changed.
BUT having said that, I went to a GP before I was put on Topomax, regarding my dizziness and she linked it with migraines. I had never heard of this link so I did my research and it’s all over the internet, I’ve had migraines since a teenager and I had never read of this. I wonder if this is my body changing and my migraines are coming out in different ways now. Have I been suffering with migraines these last few years in this way as well as the classic way and have not treated it? So, therefore, it feels she could have had a point and Topomax has helped.
My only concern is that I have a history of kidney stones. Which the doctor failed to ask check about (I actually have little faith in him tbh…so my review with him this pm should be interesting. Let’s see if he sniggers at my questions today…last chance and then I’m off to the other hospital). Topomax is more likely to bring about kidney stones…wonder what his response will be. But overall, it’s changed me. Although I am dopey as anything and the memory certainly is affected.
I had to read about the drug online after I left the doctor as he told me very, very little about it.
I've stopped reading about people's horror stories online, of how they feel psychotic, of their hallucinations, or how they woke up not remembering where they were, or how their hair was coming out in clumps, of how their goddamn diet soft drink tasted awful (of how many people was this an important health factor??) F*ck....
I've realised that these people are probably on a much higher dose and maybe have been put straight on to that dosage rather than being 'titrated' up. My new word....! Titration: noun, incremental increase in drug dosage to a level that provides the optimal therapeutic effect (Mosby’s Dental dictionary, 2nd edition. 2008 Elsevier. From medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com
Within the first two weeks I was ready to come off them. I felt so uncomfortable. Extreme pins and needles in my toes and fingers (which I still get. Extreme, I mean, numbness lasting half an hour…it’s hilarious). I felt completely out of it and I think the first day, I went into work, saw one of the teachers about my son, giggled inanely for a bit and told her I thought I was stoned. Luckily she just giggled back at me. (It’s that kinda school). I felt dazed and unable to focus on words on a page. I like reading stories to the class if it can introduce the art topic in some way. So this was a nightmare. I almost resorted to giving them all a colouring-in sheet, put my head under the desk in the rubbish bin and be done with it.
Being the good patient that I am (but mostly having the bossy but logical husband that I have) I had to see the month through. And I am glad I have. The overriding feeling is that my head fog has started to clear. I had become aware that I was in a subtle but gradually worsening dizzy fog for the last two or three years or so. I wake up less tired and I have more energy through the day as a result. I feel like some electrical pathway has been cleared in my brain, subtle but enough to feel different. Insomnia was a reported issue but actually I feel I sleep ok and maybe that’s why I’m less tired rather than any electrical impulse is being changed.
BUT having said that, I went to a GP before I was put on Topomax, regarding my dizziness and she linked it with migraines. I had never heard of this link so I did my research and it’s all over the internet, I’ve had migraines since a teenager and I had never read of this. I wonder if this is my body changing and my migraines are coming out in different ways now. Have I been suffering with migraines these last few years in this way as well as the classic way and have not treated it? So, therefore, it feels she could have had a point and Topomax has helped.
My only concern is that I have a history of kidney stones. Which the doctor failed to ask check about (I actually have little faith in him tbh…so my review with him this pm should be interesting. Let’s see if he sniggers at my questions today…last chance and then I’m off to the other hospital). Topomax is more likely to bring about kidney stones…wonder what his response will be. But overall, it’s changed me. Although I am dopey as anything and the memory certainly is affected.
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