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Hoping for some advice on starting this / side effects

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gillian62018
gillian62018

Hi all - I have been prescribed Topiramate off label by my Psychiatrist in the UK after gaining 3 stone as a result of taking Mirtazapine and being very overweight. I was prescribed Mirtazapine for an episode of severe insomnia two years ago but have struggled to get off it - I am trying! I tried one 25mg Topiramate a few weeks ago but was nervous to take it at night in case it interfered with my sleep (anything that does that is a big no-no for me) so I took it in the morning and was SO drowsy, I couldn't really work or function! After that I didn't take it again but after gaining even more weight I'm now thinking of giving it another go and wondering firstly does the drowsy side effect go away, and secondly a bit of reassurance that I'm ok to take it at night rather than in the morning without it interfering with my sleep? Thanks so much xx

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2 Replies

  • emma1610
    emma1610 gillian62018

    Posted

    hi gillian , i take topiramate for prevention of migraines as i suffer really badly and i can relate to the drowsy feeling! for around the first 4/5 days of taking it i took 25mg at night before bed ( i did this as i drive my car to work in the morning and wanted to avoid any potential side effects) i spoke to my doctor about this and was told this was completly fine to do but i to did notice as soon as i had taken the 25mg i was drowsy about 10-15 minutes later then knocked out cold, this thankfully for me did go away after the 4-5 day period and once my dosage was upped too 100mg a day i was then taking 1 in the morning and one at night and i dont have any problems with it affecting my sleep/feeling drowsy but i know lots of people have had different experiences with this, im now struggling a bit though with tingling in my hands and feet ocassionally and

    what some people call 'brain fog' it sounds bad but i feel a bit stupid sometimes because my memory recall and my concentration now isnt as great as it used to be so for this reason i am considering seeing if i can lower my dosage, i would suggest giving it a try but only you know your own body so defenitely do what is best for you. Hope all goes well for you.

    E

  • gillian62018
    gillian62018

    Posted

    Thanks very much for the reply Emma, that's very helpful xx

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