I wouldn't be able to stay on that stuff but that's me. I would continue as it seems to be working, but after some time I would taper off. Maybe the dopeymax is working maybe your episode has run its course. Hard to tell. PF is good news and keep up the fight.
all the best
thebb

Eddie, those are excellent resources that Bob J posted. My experience is similar to yours - a recent Topamax user for the first time, with cycles that normally last up to about 2 months (if there's any normal with this stuff).

Initially my neurologist said that once I'd gone a week with no appreciable pain to begin to wean myself off the Tope. I went to see him this past Monday for a follow-up to my first visit a week or so into the cycle back in May, and since the Tope had been doing its job, and it would seem that the cycle is indeed winding down, he gave me a tapering off regimen that will take me down from 100 mg a day to zero over the course of 2 weeks.

In his opinion there's no need to continue the Tope if I'm not in cycle. Naturally we're all different and maybe your doc feels you need to stay on it. Perhaps you have more frequent cycles and it makes sense. But for me anyway - and I might hazard a surmise for anyone with a "normal" (there's that word again...) once or twice a year cyclical CH condition - I'm not sure I'd want to be on this weird (though great) drug with its bizarro world side effects. Unless of course one enjoys being one of the Three Stooges. I think of myself as Larry, personally.

All in all though, so glad to hear that a) the stuff helped you (it certainly did me) and b) you're coming out of a cycle. Oh and of course c) that this board has been of help... ditto the part about it certainly being so for me.

All the best.
David

My neuro also wanted me to take it all the time.  His reasoning was that it takes 4 weeks or so for it to take full effect, and would therefore be somewhat late to help out. 

FWIW