Not my coffee! :(

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Penny

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I have been on ALL kinds of meds since I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 and Complex PTSD in 2000. We are talking as many as one quack had me on 6 at one time (got rid of him, thank God). I have used anti- seizure meds for mood stabalizers but have never been on more than one at a time. I was on lamictal when I started having the seizures at 200mgs 2xs a day. My nuero took blood test and said was not at therapeutic level and upped it to 300mg 2xs day. I also take, trileptal 900 mgs trileptal a day and 200 mgs Topamax 2xday. Plus my bipolar meds lithium and Cymbalta and stroke prevention meds. I have to make myself eat now as everything makes me feel sick.
My most beloved time of day. When I first get up and make my coffee , get on the laptop and have a cup, I have a hard time drinking a whole one let alone 2 or 3 like I always have. Its driving me nuts. I love coffee. I have been drinking it since I was a grade school child.

How many of you are coffee drinkers? Is it your meds that stopped you or by choice or do you just not find any pleasure in it? :ponder:
 
Definitely a coffee drinker here too, and am thankful that meds haven't taken that away from me!

As I'm going through a med change, however, I've noticed that I no longer have an appetite since starting lamotrigine in October. Sometimes not a bad thing, but it's taking me 3+ hours to get through my breakfast! While eating isn't making me sick as it is with you, I also have to make myself eat.

Good luck!
 
I'm not a coffee drinker and never have been one.Cymbalta I can't take that because of my asthma. TOPAMAX I take.
 
I am a coffee drinker. Some say it isn't good, but I say neither are some of the meds I take because of the side effects. I have to have one first thing in the morning and another one mid afternoon to keep me going. It is a stimulant for me and I do need it because I am on three AEDs and have a thyroid problem, diabetes and depression. And at one time, a shrink said I was also bipolar. My docs haven't told me not to drink it. It is the one thing I can do for enjoyment.

You do need to be careful with that Lithium and seizures. Is a neuropsychiatrist treating you? I was once prescribed Zyprexa for my Bipolar disorder and that is what caused my Type 1 Diabetes. Those anti-psychotics are very powerful drugs and do interfere with other things, so make sure all docs know what you're taking.
 
When I had my stroke in 2012 my psych had me on Latuda. That was the first thing he wanted me back on when I saw him after I came back out of the hospital. I told himthey said it can cause strokes. He didn't believe it. There weren't enough studies. Well he wasn't going to study on me.
Same as when he wanted me to do ECT's a few month ago when my depression got really bad. Just bi weekly he said. I told him no. First I have seizures and second never again. He said that I could still have them even if I had, had a stroke and seizures. I havnt had any for 4 years and never again. The best thing I ever did was divorce my husband, I was suicidal when I was with him. Very abusive situation for 16 years. Life is good now. Getting better. At times I wonder if the stroke then seizures are because of the ECT's.

Anyway, current neuro told nurse that the Cymbalta was ok but did not respond about the lihium the nurse told me when we talked a couple weeks ago.I know it can lower th seizure threshold. I am scared to just stop taking it as last time I did I went manic and spent $3,000 on a credit card in one day. I had no control. Of course I have no car now either so I cant get out of this little town. lol I get lots of energy then too so.... I just hate those states. I will ask about getting off the lithium though since I am on 3 anti seizure meds all of which are used as mood stabalizers by psychs. So maybe that will work. Who knows !!
 
2ndchances said:
Definitely a coffee drinker here too, and am thankful that meds haven't taken that away from me!

As I'm going through a med change, however, I've noticed that I no longer have an appetite since starting lamotrigine in October. Sometimes not a bad thing, but it's taking me 3+ hours to get through my breakfast! While eating isn't making me sick as it is with you, I also have to make myself eat.

Good luck!
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I didn't know lamictial caused weight loss but I have lost about 12 pounds since I started on it in October. But my doctor also changed my sleeping meds. The old meds made me sleep eat.
 
Penny, i am a major coffee drinker. I start at 6:30am and dont stop till about 3. Lol. I do drink water in between. When I was on Topamax for my seizures i couldnt drink soda at all and I had to put lots of creamer in my coffee. The topamax made them taste like dirt. So that could be why you cant drink as much of your coffee. Plus you seem to be on to many meds. I had to stop the Topamax and switch to lamictal because of all the side effects. I had heart palpatations, stomach pains, ringing in my ears, tingling in my hands and feet, diarrhea, nose bleeds, night terrors to name a few. It also made me angry and anixous. I lost lots of weigh and it was very unhealthy for me. You could see my ribs and hip bones. When i stopped it i weighed 114lbs. I had started at 140. If you dont have to take topamax, i wouldnt.
 
I just got a call back from his nurse a little while ago and he cut the topamax dose in half. So I will only take 100mg 2xs daily now. That was what I had been taking until he upped it about 2 1/2 weeks or so ago. when I had some seizures. He will not lower the lamictal though. I think that will be ok. I never had a problem with it in all the years I have been on it so I don't think the increase probably caused one.
 
The brief time I was on topamax, everything tasted weird. I wonder if that's why folks lose weight on it, lol.
 
I love coffee but I found out that too much caffeine causes me to have seizures so I've changed to decaf. A little bit of caffeine, coffee and soda, here and there isn't a problem but I don't drink things with caffeine in it like a used to.

There was one med that I was on, I can't remember which one because I've been on so many, that I petty much stopped eating because I just wasn't hungry at all. Like you I had to force myself to eat because I knew I had to. I don't remember how much weight I lost but it was a ton. The neuro took me off of it when we told him how I was reacting to it and changed me to another med.
 
CathyAnn31 said:
The brief time I was on topamax, everything tasted weird. I wonder if that's why folks lose weight on it, lol.
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When I first started Topomax back in the 90's, I didn't have an appetite and lost 25 lbs. in 2 1/2 months. Weight loss is a side effect of Topomax.
 
Yes, I know. I'm just wondering if folks lose weight because everything tastes so weird. :p
 
When I first started on topamax In November at 25mg x2 a week titrating up, before that big jump, immediately I coundn't stand the taste of my favorite soda Diet DR.Pepper. I drank at least 3 cases a month. Not to mention how much soda I drank through drive thrus. I loved my soda. Since that day I havn' drank soda. It taste horrible. I have felt so much better off it to. I will never go back even if I go off Topamax and it taste better. First its better for your body and next boy I sure have saved a bunch of money. lol
 
It's probably just as well that you've stopped with the Diet Dr. Pepper -- it contains aspartame (which can be triggering for some folks) and phosphorus (which interferes with the absorption of magnesium, a brain-protective nutrient). I'm not scolding -- I've had the same issues with my fave soda (Tab -- yes, they still make it!). I still drink it occasionally, but no more than one can/day and only on a full stomach.
 
Penny, funny thing you mention Diet Dr Pepper. That was mine too..lol.
 
Nakamova said:
It's probably just as well that you've stopped with the Diet Dr. Pepper -- it contains aspartame (which can be triggering for some folks) and phosphorus (which interferes with the absorption of magnesium, a brain-protective nutrient). I'm not scolding -- I've had the same issues with my fave soda (Tab -- yes, they still make it!). I still drink it occasionally, but no more than one can/day and only on a full stomach.
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I didn't take it as scolding at all. Here I figure we are all trying to help each other over one rock of each mountain at a time. ( Did that make since or sound to corney). lol :roflmao:
 
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