2 weeks now, no food

[msuder0583]

I know Topamax almost completely depletes your appetite. And I've been on it for awhile now, but does anyone else go through periods where they have absolutely no urge to eat whatsoever? I am currently on 400 mg topped on 600 mg of Lamictal and 1500 mg of Keppra. Plus the 20 mg of Lexapro and 1 mg of Ativan 3 times a day. And it's really only been recent. But in the two week period, I've gone from 175 to about 163, and I'm about 6'0-6'1

[Endless]

Wow. I'm concerned for you. That is a lot of weight loss, and it sounds like you didn't have a lot to spare anyway.

Please see your doc. He might give you an apetite stimulant. Yes, it's another drug but it will help keep you at a healthy weight. It's used sometimes for chemotherapy patients.

And yes, I'd have periods when I didn't eat on Topamax. But it was only a couple of days and then I'd force something down. It helped to have someone cook for me. And for some reason, tomato and garlic-based soups seemed to taste okay to me. Most everything else tasted like aluminum. Don't know why.

[bazpa]

Yes, since starting Topomax, I am not really hungry either, but I gained weight on Keppra, so I am not sad about this. I am starting to fit back into my clothes! I also am having trouble sleeping, and with anxiety, but I like this med, because it does not make me so tired. I am up to 200mg a day, and down to 500 mg of keppra, but still having some seizures, especially when I first fall asleep, which is freaking me out-I do not like those. These kind are new to me, and I do not like my body seizing up like that. They are getting to the point that I don't want to go to bed! I have an appt on Monday-hopefully there is some way to calm me down a bit. I need to get rid of the Keppra, as I am so tired of taking so much benadryl to keep from being covered in hives. Getting through his bulldog of a nurse is near impossible, so I have just dealt with it for the last 6 weeks.

[Nakamova]

Definitely mention it to the doc, especially if the rapid weight loss continues. You can end up with low blood sugar (and related side effects on mood and cognition), as well as other health issues.

[mel239]

I dropped 18 lbs in 6wk from no appetite on zonergran.When I was in for video EEG,I was off that med and was hungry but food would smell and taste rotten so I lost another 13 lbs.They put me on 4mg of an antipsychotic-they blamed interictal psychosis which is my recent diagnosis for hallucinations of smell and taste-who knows?Sure is miserable to feel hunger though and taste like everything is spoiled

[survivor]

When i started my epilex, I also went through this period. But its definitely not good. I drank a lot of milk and had nuts and fruits. I could have cheese. U too try different things and have something. I would like to narrate one thing here. In here in india, rice is the staple food. I could not have rice at all. I told my doctor how can I do without having rice. He asked can u have kheer (delicacy with rice and milk)? I said i think I can. He said- "Then its not rice's fault, its urs!!" I could not believe that a doc could be so insensitive about the patients problem. Coming to U Msuder seizures are triggered if we are empty stomach. So do something! U can not afford to loose more weight and get more weak. Try different foods!

[jyearta]

msuder, I don't if you in fact can have this. But I did want to memtion it in case it could help you.

I use Boost dring with potein w/ vitmans & minerals.

It comes in several favors and SEVERAL types (don't know right word)

I pray you will get better.

[msuder0583]

Thanks all for your ideas. I will definitely try the shakes, etc. And I'm sorry to hear about the problems that some of you have had. I haven't had any increase in seizures or seizure activity since not eating. The scariest part is just the tremednous amount of weight loss. The only thing I take the Supplement vitamins to give me the nutrients I'm miss ing from foods

[msuder0583]

Ok......it is bad for people with Epilepsy to not eat because it can cause seizures however with the anti-convulsants I am on it suppresses your appetite. That just doesn't make any sense to me. I just can't eat....and I don't wanna force feed myself cause then I feel like I wanna throw up. I am now down to almost 165 and I'm 6'1. I'm stuck and not sure what to do.....

[Nakamova]

Contact your GP for advice on how to stay properly fed. If you can't do so while on your anti-epileptic drug, then you'll need to switch anti-epileptic drugs. That's what happened to me with Zonegran -- I couldn't eat while on it, and low blood sugar is a seizure trigger for me. The med "gave" with the one hand and "took" with the other. I ended switching to Lamictal.