Anyone else using Adipex and Topamax?

breasonable

Hi there , I started Adipex August 29th and my Doctor added Topamax last thursday. From what I understand this is the same combo as the new weight loss medicine that is coming out but not readily available. So far I have been doing very well I am down 25 lbs. wondering if anyone is doing the same and how you are doing???

armishia

I thought Topamax was for seizures? My aunt takes this medicine for that.

breasonable

They use it for alot of things but also use it for weight loss!!!

klacount77

I took Topamax for seizures, it is also prescribed for migraines. Topamax has some pretty rare side effects that are awfully gnarley. But ... The most common side effect of it is weight loss.

I dropped 14 pound during pregnancy on that RX.

Good luck to you!

sylwia22k

I just started Apidex 4 days ago, 3 lb down

verapamil

In my opinion, topamax is great for weightloss but the side effects totally outweigh the benefits and I would not use it just for that. I took it for about 5 years for chronic migraines and while I did lose weight, it wasn't in a good way. I would forget to eat pretty much all day and end up just eating 1/2 of a 6" sub from subway and then being beyond full. The side effects were horrible. I couldn't talk correctly (my mouth wouldn't say what my brain was thinking), I felt drunk all the time and couldn't walk straight for hours after I took it, I would get horrible, really sharp pins and needles feelings in the weirdest places, like my middle toe or a random circle in the middle of my foot that would wake me up and keep me up in the middle of the night because it hurt so much. There were other crappy side effects too, just can't remember all of them right now.
Some of the effects still haven't gone away either. The talking thing hasn't gotten any better in the 4+ years that I haven't taken it. I'll be having a conversation with anyone (my husband points it out the most) and apparently what I'm saying makes no sense because I'm saying the wrong words but I don't even notice because my mouth is not saying what my brain told it to say, which is a really weird and scary feeling.

And, of course, as soon as I stopped taking it for my migraines, any weight I lost came right back (and then some).

From what I've read, it also only works for weight loss the 1st time you take it. So if you take it now and stop and then decide in the future to use it again (to probably lose the weight you gained from stopping it in the first place), it won't work.

As hard as it is to do, calorie counting and exercise are much, much, much better ways to lose weight.

kbrunner2

I took topamax for headaches for a short time and had to stop because of the awful side effects. I believe that the topamax really messed with my memory. When taking it I could not do anything. Just like verapamil said, it is definitely NOT worth it to me.

Just be careful with it....the effects are long term. I still have some problems from taking it years ago.

breasonable

I have only been on it for a few days and as of yet I have no side effects to report. Same with the Adipex . The only side effect I have I have from that is dry mouth... If I do get any side effect then I will stop the drug .....

StartingOver_4RealzThisTime

Is that the same thing as phentermine? My doctor has been talking to me about trying this RX. What are you experienceing with this medication? Does it really curb appetite?

jess7386

I had a Dr. prescribe me topamax as well. Horrendous side effects, memory loss, etc.

Another thing my doctor failed to tell me: TOPAMAX MAY INTERFERE WITH YOUR BIRTH CONTROL!!! Luckily I was fine and did not get pregnant, but it's important to use another method if you don't want to possibly end up pregnant!

I think you should only take medications for what they are actually prescribed for. Topamax is a seizure/severe headache medication. If you want to lose weight, you won't find it in a pill - and even if you do, the risks are highly likely to outweigh the benefits. Give it some serious thought. Best of luck to you.

Cyncham

25 lbs lost in 1 month?!?! Holy Cow! Did you eat?

jess7386

I took Topamax for seizures, it is also prescribed for migraines. Topamax has some pretty rare side effects that are awfully gnarley. But ... The most common side effect of it is weight loss.

I dropped 14 pound during pregnancy on that RX.

Good luck to you!

I'd also highly recommend against this. Topamax has been known to cause birth defects in humans & animals when taken during pregnancy.

http://epilepsy.emedtv.com/topamax/topamax-and-pregnancy.html

jak2315

I took Topamax for migraines a few years back. I had terrible side affects, I'd rather have the migraines.

NJSunshine13

My daughter is on Topamax for her migraines. Hmmm, I work for a drug company. Maybe I should do a little research on this drug.

mhouston2011

My daughter is on Topamax for her migraines. Hmmm, I work for a drug company. Maybe I should do a little research on this drug.

Holy moly! yes you should...how old is your daughter and why in the world have you not looked into side effects before her starting this drug, especially with you working for a drug company?????

carlynn13

I took topamax for headaches for a short time and had to stop because of the awful side effects. I believe that the topamax really messed with my memory. When taking it I could not do anything. Just like verapamil said, it is definitely NOT worth it to me.

Just be careful with it....the effects are long term. I still have some problems from taking it years ago.

This was my experience as well.

bella24xo

I much like many of u took Topomax for headaches....i skipped it one day by accident and i remembered just what that stuff was doing to me....i was tried and wanted to sleep constantly and literally had no appetite....that stuff was beyond terrible and i chose to live with my headaches that have now gone away then to take that....i dont care how much weight u lose on it.. it is TOTALLY not worth it.

valerievalg

Topamax is not for everyone I myself used it a while back it is commonly used for seziures but just like alot of meds they can be used for other things the reason topamax is used in weight loss is because that is the drugs most common side effect. I myself had no side effect from this but I know 2 other people who heard voices so they were taking off.

Valm0n

You shouldn't play with your health like that... Topamax's first purpose is not the weight loss. This is only a side-effect. The others effects can be really dangerous if you don't need this drug.

There have been some cases of death with other drugs which side-effects were weight loss

for example : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/14/mediator-weight-loss-pill-diabetes_n_1514832.html

breasonable

I have been on it now for 5 days and have had no side effects at all.. Topamax and Adipex is what the new weight loss drug qsymia is made up of. My dr said that it's just not y available all over yet.

Fit_Vixen

I've taken Topamax (migraines & anxiety) but never noticed weight loss. I don't like that it makes your feet & hands feel all spidery, like when they fall asleep.

jcm529

I've been on topamax for migraines for years. The side effects in the beginning are insane. Memory loss (I would forget my passwords to log in on work computers I used all the time) and numb hands and feet. Now it isn't so bad. But I never saw and still don't see weightloss from it. Weird to use an anti-seizure drug for weightloss.

carter1092

I've been taking Topiramate (Topamax) since April of this year for migraines and I've had just about "6" side effects that happened over a period a time, and I still have them (except the first one I'm about to say). The first one happened within the first day, "drowsiness". Then came the one where I can't taste soda the way I want to.

I also have:

Diarrhea (one of the unpleasant side effects. To this day I have it every-single-day. No cramps though, just the stool :I )

Pins-and-needles sensation throughout my body on occasion (I got this side effect about three months later)

This weird "ghost trace" of every object I pass by/move, only when I take my night dose and a few hours pass. (idk how to explain it right, but this side effect scared me the most since it's not a written one. I told my doctor who said it must be a side effect).

Loss of appetite and weight loss (this just occurred last month where I lost seven pounds).



I really hope I don't encounter more side effects with this medication. I can manage the side effects I have now, although, I think eating may be a problem. Yesterday I forgot to eat until 3 in the afternoon! Topamax really does suppress your appetite, so be careful. I don't want to pass-out knowing I forgot to eat

EDIT: I forgot one more side effect that I have, short-term memory loss (occasionally). SO that's seven side effects.

emih29

I take topomax for migraines and have for 2 years. I have lost and gained weight while on topomax. Me losing and gaining weight had nothing to do with the drug. It's been a life saver for my migraines but it does cause numbness in my hands and I had a really hard time remembering things for the first 6-8 months as I went up on dosage. It also causes my eyes to become severely dry. I have to wear daily disposable contacts because anything longer than that just falls out of my eye.

I still don't see why anyone would take this drug unless they needed it for seizures or migraines.

Alex_is_Hawks

I take Topamax for my migraines (and Maxalt) haven't noticed a lot of difference in my weight because of it...

but it can work for some people with the right reaction to the meds.

saverys_gal

Another vote against Topamax here. They call it dopamax for a reason. I was on it for about 3 years as a preventative for my migraines. I started out at the lowest dose and had bad side effects but it helped the constant headaches and migraines. Then it stopped working. I up my dose and the same thing happens. I do another round and same issues. I only got up to 75mg but by that point I'd had enough. I couldn't remember conversations I was having, my motor skills went to hell, I'd go to say something and the words in my sentence would come out *kitten* backwards. Initially I had the issue of decreased appetite but I don't believe it ever assisted my weight loss.

Read up on drugs like that before you willingly go on them. They can have some serious issues both short and long term. I've been off of it for over a year and I still can't taste anything with carbonation in it.

Bentley2718

I think you should only take medications for what they are actually prescribed for. Topamax is a seizure/severe headache medication. If you want to lose weight, you won't find it in a pill - and even if you do, the risks are highly likely to outweigh the benefits. Give it some serious thought. Best of luck to you.

If a doctor prescribes a medication for condition X then that is what the medication is "actually prescribed for." Off-label use is quite common, and I know that I have benefited from it at times. If the OP's doctor believes that the potential benefits of this medication outweigh the risks, then no one here is in a position to say otherwise because we do not know the OP's medical history, situation, etc.. If the OP has questions about the risks and benefits of a particular medication, and how they apply to her situation, she should talk to her doctor.

LiveLaffLoseLove

My Doc put me on Adipex years ago when I was first diagnosed with my thyroid issues... I gained so much weight so fast... I went from 105 pounds to over 160 in like 3 months. Doc put me on it for 3 months to jump start my weight loss.... it worked too. Wish the Doc would give it to me again!!! hehehe..... Don't know anything about Topamax, except it has been used for migraines.

Fox_n_sox

I was given a perscription for Topamax while I was pregnant with my daughter for HORRIBLE Migraines ( experiencing one right now) but I just had a bad feeling about it and really didn't want to take anything while I was pregnant. Thank goodness I did not take it or even have it filled because after I had my daughter they came out with a class action law suit due to the horrible birth defects that babies were born with. I'd rather deal with the migraines or work out than take something with those side effects.

tlsegar

I took topamax for nearly a year for migraines. Over the course of the year I lost almost 30 pounds simply because I had absolutely no appetite. I also suffered some pretty awful side effects - stomach and digestion problems and pain, weird sensory sensations like my depth perception was off and my head was full of helium, speech and concentration problems. There would be times I would sit in my office and just stare or zone out for extended periods of time. Problems recalling simple words. Changes in mood - I could go from zero to *itch in about two seconds and depression. I was convinced that I was dying from one thing or another. It was horrible. And DON'T EVER miss a dose. I made that mistake only once. I just couldn't handle it any more and weaned myself off without even talking to my doctor. It was that bad! Just be careful and carefully monitor any side effects. Funny smooth, I had less migraines after I stopped taking the stuff.

jcm529

I had a Dr. prescribe me topamax as well. Horrendous side effects, memory loss, etc.

Another thing my doctor failed to tell me: TOPAMAX MAY INTERFERE WITH YOUR BIRTH CONTROL!!! Luckily I was fine and did not get pregnant, but it's important to use another method if you don't want to possibly end up pregnant!

I think you should only take medications for what they are actually prescribed for. Topamax is a seizure/severe headache medication. If you want to lose weight, you won't find it in a pill - and even if you do, the risks are highly likely to outweigh the benefits. Give it some serious thought. Best of luck to you.

This too!! I have had to be really careful about what birth control I take. It interacts with the estrogen so I am on progesterone only bc... currently the implanon implant.