on july 29th, 2013 i stopped taking my topamax in hopes that the gi issues i had been experiencing for months would subside. one of the possible (albeit rare) side effects is diarrhea and i was worried that my unending and mortifying experience with that (which, not inconsequentially, was effecting my running) was because of the meds. after having been off the medication for a full 6 months and not noticing a significant change in my gi issues... i've returned to my medication. i was tested for a whole slew of other issues and am very slightly gluten sensitive which (as it turns out) is the problem not necessarily my medication.
in case you don't know what topamax is used for... i take it daily to mitigate migraines. i've suffered from migraines and tension headaches since my late teens and have taken all sorts of medications, food modification, as well as every other treatment there is... this is the only thing that has been successful for me. topamax... it is, however, not without it's downside.
i have to say that i am actually really relieved and admittedly a little apprehensive about returning to my medication. i am worried about the side effects that i am guaranteed to experience. i was on it for maybe the last 8-9 years with a short hiatus here and there of a couple of months. my personal guaranteed side effects include reduced sweating, dehydration, weight loss, taste changes, menstrual changes, memory issues specifically finding the right words for things, my teeth are uber sensitive to my dental exams, and sometimes fatigue when i first start taking it but that one goes away.
the reduced sweating is an issue because my body does not regulate its temperature correctly and i have to be very cognizant of what i'm wearing, what my physical output is, and what the weather is. then i also have to make sure i have appropriate liquids at all times which i've gotten away from in the past 6 months.
the lost of my words is mostly just annoying and tiresome. my family has taken to filling in the blanks which becomes exasperating for me because while they're trying to feed me the words they think i'm trying to say i'm effectively losing completely what i really AM trying to say. at best its funny and at worst it is frustrating and bordering on the most annoying thing on the planet.
the menstrual thing isn't a big deal... having my period go from normal to 2 days is actually quite awesome.
the weight loss sort of blows but whatever...
the taste changes go away the same as the fatigue does so that is a non-issue.
i have had some vision issues but it isn't clear as to whether or not that is from my lasik being over 13 years old or from the medication so i'm going with it being so old.
lastly... the teeth sensitivity really sucks but since i only go to the dentist twice a year i'm not going to sweat that one either. plus, my dentist is my aunt so there's that... she's gentle and all that jazz.
so yeah... back on my meds. we'll see how it goes.
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