Taking Control
Master the Basics
Think of epilepsy as an ongoing challenge that can be managed.
The way you choose
to deal with your condition, your treatment, any side effects you may experience, and even
your day-to-day routine can have a tremendous impact on the way you live your life. Developing the
right skills now can make a critical difference.
Begin with the basics. There are many things you can do to increase your independence—but there
are a few things you must do.
- Follow your healthcare professional’s instructions. Take your medicine exactly as prescribed,
and consult your healthcare professional before making any changes.
- Stick to your treatment plan. Make taking your medicine a part of your daily routine.
- Take sensible precautions. Speak with your healthcare professional or other healthcare professional
before taking part in activities such as skiing, skateboarding, or scuba diving.
- Avoid alcohol. Alcohol can lower the threshold at which seizures occur and may increase the side
effects of your medicine.
- Minimize stress. Get enough sleep on a regular basis, and avoid unnecessary stress.
- Communicate. Talk with your healthcare professional and those who care about you to let them know
what you’re thinking, how you’re feeling, and any concerns you have.
- Learn as much as you can. Get in touch with others who have epilepsy. Keep up with news from epilepsy
organizations. Ask your healthcare professional to recommend groups and newsletters. Keep yourself
well-informed, and take an active role in your own care. And—if your healthcare professional decides
TOPAMAX is right for you—be sure to join Everyday Essentials™, the FREE support program for people
with epilepsy and their loved ones.
Define an Approach That Works for You
A healthy life is the goal: independence, with your seizures as controlled as possible and any limitations
overcome or kept to a minimum. But once you’ve set your goal, how do you get there?
The good news is, you’re not facing epilepsy alone. You can partner with your physician to find
the appropriate therapy and, if you’re taking medicine, the right dosage levels to control your seizures.
Be as active in your own care as you possibly can; if you experience side effects, get your healthcare
professional’s advice on how to counter or minimize them.
Treatment aside, you know your situation best. How you choose to deal with the challenges you face
depends not only on your condition, but also on who you are. How you choose to set up your life can
make the difference between merely coping and taking control.
Keep Learning
More than 2.7 million Americans have some form of epilepsy, and most of them live their lives with their condition, not around it. Get in touch with other people who are living with epilepsy, and learn what
has worked for them. Online communities and local organizations are a good place to start.
If you have questions about TOPAMAX, now there’s a way you can get answers quickly and easily from people who care.
Just call 1-877-YES-YOU-CAN to speak with friendly, knowledgeable healthcare professionals.
M-F, 9 AM to 5 PM EST
For more facts and information about epilepsy and its treatment, ask your healthcare professional
to recommend publications. Many responsible organizations devoted to epilepsy have Web sites, newsletters,
and other useful publications.
Make use of online resources. To read up on specific topics and concerns, visit the Epilepsy Foundation
Web site at www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
For links to many other epilepsy resources, visit the Epilepsy Information
Page of the National
Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Please see
our Important Organizations and Resources page for more.
About TOPAMAX®
TOPAMAX® is approved as initial monotherapy in patients 10 years of age
and older with partial-onset or primary generalized tonic-clonic
seizures.
Effectiveness was demonstrated in a controlled trial in patients with
epilepsy who had no more than 2 seizures in the 3 months prior to
enrollment. Safety and effectiveness in patients who were converted to
monotherapy from a previous regimen of other anticonvulsant drugs have
not been established in controlled trials.
TOPAMAX® is approved as add-on therapy for patients 2 years of age and
older with primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, partial-onset
seizures, or seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Important Safety Information
Serious risks associated with TOPAMAX® include lowered bicarbonate
levels in the blood resulting in an increase in the acidity of the
blood (metabolic acidosis). Symptoms could include hyperventilation
(rapid, deep breathing), tiredness, loss of appetite, irregular
heartbeat or changes in the level of alertness. Call your doctor
immediately if you get these symptoms. Your doctor may want to do
simple blood tests. Chronic, untreated metabolic acidosis may increase
the risk for kidney stones or bone disease.
Like other antiepileptic drugs, TOPAMAX® may cause suicidal thoughts
or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500. Pay
attention to any changes and call your doctor right away if you have
any of these symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry
you: thoughts about suicide or dying, attempts to commit suicide, new
or worse depression, new or worse anxiety, feeling agitated or
restless, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, new or worse irritability,
acting aggressive, being angry, or violent, acting on dangerous
impulses, an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania) or other
unusual changes in behavior or mood.
Do not stop taking TOPAMAX® without first talking to your doctor.
Stopping TOPAMAX® suddenly can cause serious problems.
Other serious risks include decreased sweating, increased body
temperature, kidney stones, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion,
difficulty concentrating, and increased eye pressure (glaucoma). Call
your doctor immediately if you have any decrease in vision or eye
pain. These problems can lead to blindness if not treated right away.
More common side effects in adults are nervousness, coordination
problems, fatigue, speech problems, slowed thinking, memory
difficulty, tingling in arms and legs, and double vision; and in
children, fatigue, loss of appetite, nervousness, memory difficulty,
aggressive behavior, and weight loss.
As monotherapy, the most common side effects of TOPAMAX® (in the 400
mg/day group and at a rate higher than the 50 mg/day group) in adults
were tingling in arms and legs, weight decrease, sleepiness, loss of
appetite, dizziness, and difficulty with memory; and in children,
weight decrease, upper respiratory tract infection, tingling in arms
and legs, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and mood problems.
In combination with other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), the most common
side effects of TOPAMAX® in adults (200 to 400 mg/day) were
sleepiness, dizziness, nervousness, loss of muscle coordination,
fatigue, speech disorders and related problems, psychomotor slowing,
abnormal vision, difficulty with memory, tingling in arms and legs,
and double vision; and in children (5 to 9 mg/kg/day), fatigue,
sleepiness, loss of appetite, nervousness, difficulty with
concentration/attention, difficulty with memory, aggressive reaction,
and weight decrease.
Tell your doctor about other medications you take.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription
drugs to the FDA. Visit
www.fda.gov/medwatch,
or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see
full U.S. Prescribing
Information.
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This site was last modified on: Jul 26 2007 at 13:45:31 EDT