Topamax...

alord426

Is anyone on Topamax? I was just prescribed it for my chronic migraines. Just seeing if anyone has any reviews on it. Thanks!

ladyphoebe

I took it when I was 17 till I was about 21. I didn't have any problems with it but I was on it as a mood stablizer for my bipolar disorder. The biggest thing is that it can cause some weight gain so you just have to be careful with it.

KaidaKantri

I've never tried that one I don't think. I'm on a generic form of imitrex, and it works to get rid of a migraine 95% of the time. I'd like to know how it goes with you though

sophiathedss

I had used it for years , mood stabilizer for bipolar...it is supposed to be weight neutral but I found that I gained a bit of weight , but not as much as other mood meds......also side effect for me, caused numbness in my hands and feet...just my experience. good luck with the migraines, UGH they are terrible!

LAWoman79

I took it for a month and a half. I became irritable, lost my sense of taste, and just felt crappy while taking it, so I stopped.

cath129

i was on it a few years ago for migraines also. major thing for me was it made me very light headed. it's also known to cause mild depression. eventually the neurologist switched me to something else.

Fit_Vixen

I took it for several years for anxiety. They say that people on Topamax tend to lose weight , didn't happen to me! The thing I hated about topamax is that when it was starting to kick in or starting to wear out my feet & hands would tingle. Kinda like that feeling you get when they fall asleep, yep like that. My feet used to also feel like they lit a match on them, and no my feet never sweat. And a funny thing that would happen, is that when I would rub or scratch my nose, it felt like I had fuz on my nail and would tickle my nose. But there was nothing!!! LOL Any neurological medication can & will weaken your teeth, you will be prone to cavities. How do I know this? Well because I started getting more cavities. Reason being, your saliva glands don't produce the adequate amount of saliva. Both neurologist & dentist told me this after I asked them.

It never really seemed to help my anxiety, I'm on clonazapam for that & it helps a little. But the thing I liked about Topamax is that it would keep me away from drinking sodas, lol. Because they would all taste flat & just plain ol' ewwww!!!

CaffeineSlug

I took it for a little while for some exercise-induced headaches. It eliminated those completely.

I only really saw two side effects. This was one:

But the thing I liked about Topamax is that it would keep me away from drinking sodas, lol. Because they would all taste flat & just plain ol' ewwww!!!

That went away within a couple weeks of stopping the medication. I don't remember anything else that tasted different.

The other was related to memory, I would occasionally have a hard time picking out the right words to use, like I picture something common in my mind and I can't remember what it's called. That still happens occasionally, but much less frequently.

Caz104

I have tried just about everything available for migraines, including Topamax. Topamax didn't work for me.

Treximet - now that is a miracle if you ask me! It's a hybrid of Imitrex and something else that I don't' remember. Weirdly, I cannot take Imitrex in any form.

I swear by Treximet and have turned a few fellow migraine sufferers on to it. It doesn't make me sick or drowsy in anyway and it's super fast acting. Oh - and it's non-narcotic!

Good luck - I hope you find some relief soon!

caro1275

Hi,

I take 100mg of topamax everyday to help prevent migraines. I started about 2 months ago and not one migraine. I was told lack of appetite could be a side effect, but since I've actively been trying to lose weight the past 6 weeks, not sure that's worked in my favor. I did have other weird side effects that just recently dissipated; forgetting a word, or stumbling over words, wanting to write one letter and jotting something else. I think however, those effects are fairly normal, and like I said, in my case have already gone away.

I recently learned that it's being given out as a diet aid! It was originally prescribed as an anti-seizure med I believe.
Good luck,
Caro

careyannal

Hi,

I was on it for awhile, and the most noticable side affect I had was that my fingers felt "tingley" ... almost like my hands had fallen asleep. It was really strange and never went away.

From what I've heard, this is a 'normal' sideaffect, however.

alord426

Thanks everyone for your responses!!!! I have noticed the tingling in the fingers and flat taste when drinking a soda. I would love to take Immitrex but I am allergic to it so that an anything related to it I cannot take I am hoping Topamax will work for me since i get a migraine every other day!!! Thanks again for all the responses!!!

CowgirlKimi

I took it when I was 17 till I was about 21. I didn't have any problems with it but I was on it as a mood stablizer for my bipolar disorder. The biggest thing is that it can cause some weight gain so you just have to be careful with it.

Actually Topamax causes weight LOSS not gain. i have been on it since April of this year for migraines as well. I take 100mg at night.

There is a large amount of info available on the internet about this very topic, where people have lost MASSIVE amounts of weight on topamax. However, as with ANY prescription that has weight loss directly caused by or related to it, if you do not modify your eating habits and lifestyle, as soon as you stop taking the meds, you will almost certainly experience rapid weight GAIN.

(I have lost 62# since April 2012.) But I also have changed the way I view food COMPLETELY. I work in a physically active career field and on my two days off, I am up and jogging for an hour both days. It has been a total transformation for me, because I need this to be a LASTING one.

The Topamax has been a help, because I am no longer having headaches which give me a reason to stay in bed or "feel bad" on a consistent basis. (By the way, I think the fact that I am no longer putting garbage into my body is also a HUGE help in the migraines being gone, as I also no longer suffer from indigestion, or other health problems.) I am taking FULL advantage of the opportunity this prescription has given me, but I do NOT take it for granted. I am doing the work for myself. There are no free rides in this journey.

God Bless!!!! :flowerforyou:

MelStren

I took it for a few months and was literally walking into walls on the stuff! My dr. called it dope-a-max and I believe him!

I'm taking Relpax now as an abortive. My migraines started when I hit 40 yrs old and haven't gone away yet. I'm 44 now

I spent about 2 years doing a food elimination diet to pin point food sensitivites. That's helped more than any med I've tried over the last 4 yrs. Once I knew what foods to avoid, I was able to cut the number of migraines I have by about 75%. Things that still cause a migraine that I haven't found a solution for are weather, seasonal allergies and menstrual changes. And I still get one from time to time that I can't pinpoint the origin of.

Diet and exercise have been the biggest help so far. I have a good friend who also has migraines and she feels better and has fewer migraines now that she's watching her diet and exercising daily.

Skye_Light

I've never taken it, but a good friend of mine has been on it for about a year. She says it helps with her migrains and she's lost about 60 lbs. But, it's a med, so it effects everybody differently. Just listen to what your body is telling you.

krystina_letitia9

I've been on it for about 3 years for my migraines - I take 75mg in the morning and 100mg at night. I've been on soooo many things over the years. What I've found is that something will work for a while and then it stops. Then we try something else. This is the med that's worked the longest without stopping. I have my fingers crossed! It's been working reasonably well so far - that's not to say I don't get them now and again. I still do - but they are considerably less often. After three years, I still get tingling in my fingers as a side effect every now and again. I lost a few pounds initially from being on it, and then everytime we increased the dose, but unfortunately that side effect is shortlived! I gained them back eventually, but luckily not anything extra!

workoutgirl23

my doctor gave it to my a while back. but he was using it to help treat my anxiety. i didn't like it. i felt like it messed with my mind and made me feel worse. but every one is different and reacts to medications differently.

laserturkey

I took it for awhile a few years ago, I think as an adjunct to my other meds for PTSD and anxiety. I didn't have any significant side effects, but it wasn't all that effective for me, so when my new insurance didn't cover it and there was no generic at that time, I just chose to let it go.

chocoholicdiva

I take Topomax, but I take it for epileptic seizure prevention. I take 100mg twice a day along with 3 other seizure meds to control ONE KIND of seizure. I've been on it for almost 2 years now, and I have my moments when I just can't get any control of them, and I'll have times when I'll go a week or longer with the mix and not have a problem. I was a little leery of taking it the first time I was offered, but you can't take the safe route all the time, right? Any case, it helps me out well and I don't have to worry as much as I used to when it comes to seizures thanks to the addition of the Topomax to my batch of pills. Good luck to the rest of you with your Topomax endeavors!!! :flowerforyou:

monicalosesweight

Keep an eye on it. One of the side affects can be weight gain. If you start gaining weight, contact the doctor. It can happen pretty fast from what I remember.

I do know that Magnesium is supposed to be really good for helping with migraines. Any of you taking Magnesium?

jenjones28

Keep an eye on it. One of the side affects can be weight gain. If you start gaining weight, contact the doctor. It can happen pretty fast from what I remember.

I do know that Magnesium is supposed to be really good for helping with migraines. Any of you taking Magnesium?

Weight gain is not a side effect of Topamax. Weight loss can be. They have studied it as a stand-alone weight loss drug, and they've found that those who have the weight loss side effect can lose (I believe) up to 10% of their body weight as a side effect. Not everyone gets that side effect.

I've taken Topamax for over 8 years both for migraines and bipolar disorder. So-so on the migraines, great for the bipolar. As everyone else says, the tingling is a big side effect, but making sure you stay hydrated helps a lot. Make sure not to overheat, since that can be a problem with the medication. Hydrate, hydrate. I had word-finding difficulties in the beginning pretty bad, but that went away and I rarely have that problem now. When I first started taking it, I would also wake up very confused. No problems with that now. Foods tasting "off" or rotten has been a problem with me on Topamax occasionally, particularly some sauces or hamburger.

It can be a quirky drug, and I've noticed if my insurance company (three month mail-away prescriptions) has changed the brand of generic it sends, I may have more side effects until I adjust to that particular generic brand.

jenjones28

Just as a side note.... you know what rocks for my migraines? Botox. That's the bomb diggity. It took me from at least weekly migraines to one every two to three months.

CowgirlKimi

Just as a side note.... you know what rocks for my migraines? Botox. That's the bomb diggity. It took me from at least weekly migraines to one every two to three months.

AGREED!!!!

monicalosesweight

Actually, it's a less known side effect that does occur but rarely - so rare that I'm pretty sure it's on the famous list that every website tells you to get from your doctor, nurse of pharmacist. What you said is the norm so I'll cross my fingers that it does work out that way. It would be a pretty nice side benefit. I only found one website that referenced it and it's focus was migraines. I looked at who gives them their funding and it's the actual pharmaceutical companies like Merck and Bristol.

I'd say the best bet is to look at the insert which comes with the Topamax medication (she'll have to do that). This medication has a list of rare side effects which apparently has to be requested through your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. Weird. Either way, it doesn't matter. If you feel great - that's good. If anything happens like weight gain, too much weight loss, diarrhea, hair loss or a variety of other stuff - then contact the doctor. Either way, I hope it works for you. I get migraines but luckily not that often. I suspect mine were triggered by low magnesium and allergies.

http://www.migraines.org/treatment/protpmax.htm

Monica

monicalosesweight

I did see a lot of stuff out there about it causing weird taste issues. Either way, look up Magnesium or ask your migraine doctor about it. I bet they will know as it's supposed to help.

Here's one website that talks about it. I take the upper amount of 500 mg.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/migraine-headache-000072.htm

You have to scroll down to treatment approach supplements.

Heptoxide

I was on Topamax for about 4-5yrs for chronic migraines. At first (withing the first week) I noticed tingling in the tips of my fingers, but that went away soon after. A major positive is that it reduced my migraines down to about once a year quite quickly, and now I haven't had one for about 2yrs.
However, I noticed negatives with it after the 4-5yrs. (I was on a high dosage, but at the time reducing it resulted in more migraines.) I began having trouble with long/short term memory (more short term than long,) and I also noticed that it affected my mood: when I went off of it for a few days it resulted in a mild depression and mid-day I would have a different emotional outlook then before the Topamax. The most concerning thing was the memory loss, and since then I've gone off of it and am about to change to a different type. (Forgot what type, sorry.)
Another positive is that it didn't make me that hungry, because of the affect on the vagus nerve I believe, and it really reduced my daily caloric intake..

Consult your neurologist/doctor and explore the options. There are positives of Topamax, most definitely, but there are also other medicinal options for migraines, take it with a grain of salt (not literally.)

monicalosesweight

I just dug out my families Physicians Desk Reference (it's the bible of all medications and I'm luck enough to have easy access to this insanely expensive manual). You're right about the memory effect. I found it in the adverse reactions section. It has some other reactions like insomnolence (sleeplessness) and under the psychiatric column it said there were adverse reactions of anorexia (numbers were pretty high which I thought was weird - sorta like 1/5th of the population of the study). Weird. I finally found what I was looking regarding the weight gain. It was a secondary add on study on teens and youngsters and they did have an incidence involving weight gain. It was something like one out of 100 or so so it was very, very low. It's rare basically. They didn't find that in the adult study. Interestingly, it's not officially approved for migraines; but, the results/side effects of the studies noted it helped in this area which is why the doctors are using it. That's not unusual though as doctors usually look at studies and if there's a potential side benefit - they tend to use it so it's like an ongoing study using the general population. By the way, the section on this medication was HUGE which I'm guessing is why I couldn't find everything on the internet. It was neat to read about it though.

redmagpie91

I called it DOPE -amax while I was on it. It made me ridiculously stupid! Personally, the bad outweighed the good and I stopped taking it. It did not prevent my migraines, but it did make them less frequent. I did lose my appetite and my brain both while on it. It was like the world was going 1000 miles an hour and I just couldn't keep up. It made work and school very difficult

tezz1wifey

My 7 year old is on it for her migraines......what the hell is wrong with it?!?!?! :frown:

Debbiedebbiey

I took it for about 8 months off & on twice, soon after starting it both times I passed kidney stones, which are a side effect. So my doc took me off it. I took it for nerve damage in my neck. It def helped that. Was able to lose about 15 lbs, without restricting. My sense of smell was jacked up, my hair got super dry & some came out in the beginning, tingly hands/feet. Lost desire for alcohol. Brain fog-drove everyone crazy ! But like I said, it worked, was up to about 200 mg/day. Would still be on it if it weren't for darn kidney stones. Also took gabapentin, doc took me off that bc of weight gain possibilities. Good luck!

Mrs16

I've been using it for years..... No side effects and works great for me.