Topamax & Weight Loss?

MPJ737

Hi, my doctor put me on topamax (topiramate) back in March or April for my appetite as its apparently supposed to help decrease it. (My other medications caused me to gain 50+ lbs & increased hunger) so this is supposed to counteract it, anyone have good reviews with it? I was on 50 mg/day and only lost about 3 lbs but lost 3-4 inches. He increased it today to 75 mg/day, thoughts? And
Please don't be harsh, I've tried weight loss and eating healthy on my own and I just can't lose, it always come back on from
My medications for my anxiety and mental health. Thank you for listening!
Cheers

-mike

Sdupre4502

My doctor just started me on Topamax as a migraine preventative but I did notice today that my appetite was less than usual.

SherryTeach

I took Topamax for several months to see if it would alleviate my vertigo. I initially lost a few pounds but I think it might have been that my brain was so foggy that I could barely remember my name, much less that I was supposed to eat, go to work, or do anything else except wander around in a daze.

emmooney235

Good luck with it. I was put on it about 10 years ago for migraine control. In about 3 months I ended up with jaundice and cirrhosis of my liver. I was 22 at the time. I also experienced the numb finger tip side effect, I still can't let my hands get too cold otherwise I can't feel my finger tips.

Moral of the story is watch all your side effects! If I had called my doctor at the first signs that my liver wasn't producing/delivering bile so that I could eat a slice of pizza or anything with a higher fat/oil content we may have caught it before the damage got as bad as it did.

hekla90

I took topamax for years as migraine preventation and only stopped when I became sexually active due to potential birth defects if I happened to get pregnant and it turns out birth control helps my migraines about 85% as well as topamax but with less side effects such as loss of bone mass. So the reduction in effectiveness was worth it to me.

Unlike most it was a life saver for me, I went from 3-4 migraines a week to almost none. It had zero effect on my weight. Drugs can influence your appetite up or down but it's still up to you to choose what you eat.

Furbuster

I was on Topamax too for seizures. I have heard good reports that for some it does reduce appetite (not for me but hey).

As others have said watch out for side effects it's a strong drug! It was a bad drug for me but I have read glowing reports from others - I wish you luck and report anything out of the ordinary to your doc/optician straight away.

TheGaudyMagpie

I took Topamax for migraines and it turned me into a drooling zombie. It may have suppressed my appetite, but it turned my energy level down to zero and I could not form a logical thought. It had no effect on my weight that I noticed. I eventually chose the migraines over the drug although I did finally find something else that works without the side effects. My experience is common but not universal so hopefully it works better for you.

Tahlia68

I was on Topamax years ago for migraines and it didn't supress my appetite whatsoever. I'd be very cautious taking it for weight loss. Good luck.

RodaRose

It works for some people. Maybe the 75 mgs will help you more than the 50 mgs did.

Emily3907

I took a combo of topamax/wellbutrin and had to force myself to eat. And when I did eat, nothing sounded appetizing. I lost about 40 pounds with it in about 3 months. I stopped taking it when my husband and I decided to start a family and gained back 13 pounds.

So, yes, I think that the combo works great, but it does not change the fact that you still have to learn the basics of eating properly and maintaining a weight loss. Also, there are some crazy side effects. While taking the combo, I had trouble with memory, normal thinking processes and the tingling. I literally could be standing in the grocery store, staring at my list/cart and trying to remember what I had already put in my cart. It was a very odd feeling.

V_Keto_V

Topiramate as well as all other meds with Carbonic Anhdrase Inhibition do have weight loss associations for side effects. It's got quite a broad spectrum of mechanisms including Sodium channel blockade, enhancement of gamma amino butyric acid, and glutamate antagonism, hence its use in seizures. CAHI activity contributes to its uses from migraine prophylaxis and weight loss via metabolic acidosis (alkalizes urine, hence the body becomes more acidic).

Drug interaction with Metformin via additive metabolic acidosis...Metformin in itself is not a bad option vs Topiramate if you're trying to avoid topiramates nasty long list of CNS side effects. Newer on the market is SAXENDA (liraglutide)...same drug as VICTOZA but dosed even higher....mostly to induce Nausea and decrease satiety via slowing gastric emptying rate (glucagon like 1 peptide agonist). I had a patient literally tell me she felt like she was poisoned on Liraglutide because she did not titrate the dose properly...needless to say she wasn't eating.

I personally think Topiramate is too dirty of a drug to use chronically...4 mechanisms, notable side effects: nephrolithiasis, oligohydrosis, confusion/cognitive decline, glaucoma, nystagmus, hepatic encephalopathy, impaired renal function, somnolence, memory impairment, dysarthria

FYI anorexia nervosa adverse drug reaction rate is 4-15%, weight loss 6-13%

Shells918

I take topamax for migraine prevention and I have since 2005. Well it has worked wonders for my migraines, they have and decreased from five days a week to once a month, the weight-loss that I experienced in the beginning which was about 20 to 25 pounds is going away. I've have now my psych meds have increased my read by double that, and I am fighting to get rid of it. I'm actually looking for a neurologist to possibly take me off of it because the side effects from Topamax even 10 years later are still here and still bothers soon. I believe there is a new diet pill that is a combination of Topamax and phentermine that you might want to look into but beware of the Topamax side effects because they can be quite daunting.

kateandkevin

I take Topiramate for migraines. I've been on it for about 4 years. Initially, I lost about 15 pounds or so; I had no appetite. Unfortunately, my appetite came back, and so did the weight. On the bright side, my migraines are under control. While the side effects are burdensome, they do allow me to go about my daily life--parenting, teaching, being a wife--while the migraines were completely debilitating. I imagine everyone will have different results with different drugs.

shabaity

I took it for migraines once upon a time the migraine went away but was back even worse 8 hrs later... otherwise it did nothing for me. Later it was determined what the root cause of my migraines were so that is being treated instead of the migraines.

noclady1995

My doc put me on it for migraines and I think I took it for a few weeks and hated it. She warned me about the weight loss, but I didn't experience any change in appetite. I did remember it changing how certain foods tasted, but it still didn't affect my appetite.

firephoenix8

I've been on topomax 100mg for years for migraines, and I've never noticed any weight loss, although I don't trend toward strong side effects from any drugs. I've not heard of using it as a weight loss drug - pretty sure that's off label. It's approved for treating migraine, bipolar, and epileptic seizures, that I know of.

I would definitely keep an eye on side effects as others have said. A really side effect that can be a blessing in disguise is that a lot of people find soda suddenly tastes bad, so if you've got a soda addiction, it might help with that.

meblu3u

Topiramate my son takes for seizures he's 8 he has not gained weight. And his Dr said it can cause weight loss. There are some side affects for this medication. But from what I have heard it's a new form along with Something called Belviq never tried it but heard it works wonders.

WeddedBliss1992

MPJ737 wrote: »

Hi, my doctor put me on topamax (topiramate) back in March or April for my appetite as its apparently supposed to help decrease it. (My other medications caused me to gain 50+ lbs & increased hunger) so this is supposed to counteract it, anyone have good reviews with it? I was on 50 mg/day and only lost about 3 lbs but lost 3-4 inches. He increased it today to 75 mg/day, thoughts? And
Please don't be harsh, I've tried weight loss and eating healthy on my own and I just can't lose, it always come back on from
My medications for my anxiety and mental health. Thank you for listening!
Cheers

-mike

i was on topamax for weight loss b/c i gained so much when i started taking seroquel. the topamax didn't do anything for me at all. i am off that now, and start metformin tomorrow. hoping for better results.

HippySkoppy

Like many others I was taking Topamax in an effort to control the vasculitis migraines caused by Lupus. It was a disaster for me. Yes I did lose weight, not that I wanted to but the side effects were unbearable my liver function tests were awry and I still suffer with the lingering IBS that the tablets reignited after many years of remission.

From what I have read the weight loss effects are often transient and small, although some do report astounding losses but keeping it off long term does seem to be problematic.

Oh....I really understand why it is know as "Dopeamax".....I couldn't think straight and often the word that I would be searching for was beyond me.....distressing and funny at the same time.

Good luck if you decide to take this med.

littleb0peep

darlswife wrote: »

I take topamax for migraine prevention and I have since 2005. Well it has worked wonders for my migraines, they have and decreased from five days a week to once a month, the weight-loss that I experienced in the beginning which was about 20 to 25 pounds is going away. I've have now my psych meds have increased my read by double that, and I am fighting to get rid of it. I'm actually looking for a neurologist to possibly take me off of it because the side effects from Topamax even 10 years later are still here and still bothers soon. I believe there is a new diet pill that is a combination of Topamax and phentermine that you might want to look into but beware of the Topamax side effects because they can be quite daunting.

Qsymia.

ajarosz78

My dr is starting me on wellbutrin / topamax combo to lose...I pray it works