Topamax insomnia?

[wantokporo]

Keppra made me sick and kept Me up till 4AM So I started topamax. It also seems to Be alerting. Anyone had this side effect go away? Getting Pretty bummed...

[SueJohnson]

Did you try ambien or lunesta?

[wantokporo in reply to SueJohnson]

Thanks, Sue, for your ever present hopefulness and suggestions. I wrote my doctor just now. No I haven't tried either, although I suggested we might try clonodine 2x daily to ward off the spiking blood pressure I had with only once a day first. I think he will want to try that. He won't go higher than .2mg so I'm not sure it will help, but at least I don't think it will either wake me up or make me sleep all day...I know I have said this before but how blessed can one be to have a doctor that will check in with you by email on a Sunday and order new meds.

[SueJohnson in reply to wantokporo]

On Sunday - wow - never heard of a doctor doing this. 😀

[wantokporo in reply to SueJohnson]

Doctor doesn't want to try ambien or lunesta because I am 75 and long term use can cause cognition issues and fall potential. Didn't like the clonodine 2x a day either for some reason. I maybe will suggest dipyridamole.

[SueJohnson in reply to wantokporo]

I am almost 83 and take 5 mg of ambien every night as I have loud pulsatile tinnitus and otherwise can't sleep at all. I am a little unsteady when I get up but using walls and grabbing onto the door casing edges I am in no danger of falling. I drink coffee right away and that takes care of 90% of it. Since I sit down after that (answering Health UnLocked questions) I can't fall and after an hour or two it is completely gone.

Yes it can cause some mild cognitive problems although I haven't noticed any, but so can many other common medicines such as blood pressure medicines and even tylenol. Instead consider the effect on one's health by not getting enough sleep as well as the effect on one's quality of life. According to the NIH "Sleep deficiency is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression." AND cognitive problems. AND increase the risk of falling in elderly people.