Total insomnia after sleeping well for a couple months

I had a rapid taper from topamax to about 20 percent of my total dose. I had total insomnia for close to a year. I had to take seroquell to sleep.

The last few was a lot better. I was sleeping between 6-7 hours a night and now I am having total insomnia again for the last 3 weeks. I get zero sleep almost every night. Not sure what is going on. I made a cut then but it was nothing to big. But this is crazy zero sleep insomnia.

Any insights would be very welcomed.

It's not uncommon to have poor sleep at less than a year out.  Many people take 18 - 24 months or longer to get their sleep back to a "normal" cycle.

I got hit at 18 months off with lots of "total insomnia" as you call it along with a lot of 1 or 2 hour nights.  It lasted a month. And that was after getting 5-7 hours most nights for months.

I know others that have had similar experiences. 

There really isn't any reason for it.  It just happens and no one knows why? But it will even out over time.

No one knows how long this "episode" will last for you, but it will eventually come to an end and your 6-7 hour nights will return.

Hang in there.  It won't last forever.

I just found this out about topamax that you are still taking.  It works very much like a Benzo and I am sure that is what is causing all of your problems? 

What does Topamax do to the brain?

Topamax is thought to decrease abnormal excitement in the brain. Among other actions, Topamax affects the activity of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA)

TOPAMAX® is believed to help "calm" the process that leads to migraines. During a migraine, overexcitable nerve cells send pain signals. With TOPAMAX®, it's believed that overexcitable nerve cells are "calmed" to help reduce migraine occurrence.

Benzos also "calm" your nervous system. 

Thanks for the replies. Topamax has been brutal for me. I did a taper of xanax that I had been on for 6 months and I got thru it pretty well. The topamax is another beast altogether. If I make a small cut it destroys me for two weeks. Maybe where I was on it for so long.

I appreciate the words  of hope. They really help at a time like this. When the really hopelessness creeps and your on like week 3 or 4 of almost a zero sleep spell any words of encouragement helps.

lets hope this doesnt last too long.

If small cuts of Topamax destroy you for a few weeks with symptoms and very little sleep, then obviously the cuts are the issue.  I am not sure if you can go slower with your taper/cuts or not? I did a CT so I don't have any experience tapering. 

I am very confident things will get better after you are completely off.

Hang in there and good luck.

Ok, I am coming into week 4 of this severe insomnia.

I dealt with this type of insomnia when I was first rapid tapered and I had horrible insomnia for close to a year and I got thru it. Now I am going thru another phase of this and its as bad as it was in the beginning. I am going one night with 2 hours sleep, the next with zero, then I have to take something to sleep the following and maybe get a few hours and then back to zero the next.

I am curious if maybe me being on a lower dose of this medication could be causing this? Should I just start cutting big amounts and get down to just taking 2 25 mg pills a day instead of 2  25 mg and the pieces that I have been cutting?

I know that I will go thru hell for a long while but I dont want to be into a 2 or 3 month no sleep wave and then start cutting it. Any help or advice would be appreciated.