OT: Does anyone here take Topamax?

Lobster1987

What kind of side effects have you noticed?

Thanks!

Lobster1987

bumppppp

lisamariepickering

Two years ago when I was first diagnosed with bipolar, topamax was the first med they put me on. Not only did it do nothing for my moods (it actually made my moods worse) I got the following side effects: hair loss, brittle nails, loss of short term memory, loss of word recall, violent tremors and suicidal thoughts. I felt stupid all the time. And my hair was coming out in clumps. The only "positive" side effect is that I lost weight, due to the med being an appetite suppressant. But even that was dangerous, because I doubt I was getting even 1000 calories a day. The first time I was hospitalized the first thing the psychiatrist did was to take me off it. He (and subsequent psychiatrists) thought it was a dangerous drug and did nothing for bipolar. Having said all that, everyone reacts differently to psych meds because every brain is different. You may have tremendous success and no side effects. I recommend you definitely talk to your doctor to decide if the benefits outweigh the risks. I'm on a cocktail right now that has some side effects, but I've just decided to live with them because they really control my moods. If you decide to take it (or any other med), make sure you pay attention to your body and report ANY side effects to your doctor as soon as possible.

eillamarie

Have been prescribed for migraines, curious to see what ppl say. I haven't filled out the Rx cuz I saw one of those 'if your child was born with.....' adds and got spooked. Can't be a mild drug that's for sure.

TanyaRochelle

I was on this for a few weeks for headaches... I had loss of short term memory, loss of word recall and I called my doc to tell her I was going to quit taking it when I drove through a stop sign and nearly had a horrific accident with my young daughters in the car... My friends still tease me about having a "dope-a-max" moment when I forget something. I am glad we can laugh back on it now.

FitGirl329

I take 100mg a day for migraines...a lesser dose than is given for seizures or other brain issues.

Any side effect I had was temporary. When I first got on it, I had some pins and needles sensations in my fingertips and toes, I was tired, caffeinated beverages tasted flat and I lost about three pounds. I think that's it. I know a couple of people who got the "dopamax" effect where they forgot simple everyday words in their sentences. It happens. The important thing to note is to go slowly with it, start with 25mg once a day at night for a week. Then add another 25mg in the morning for a week. Then up the pm dose to 50 for a week. Then the morning to 50 and so on, eventually I combined my doses into one nighttime dose. My side effects all went away. Some have them worse than others. But two of my friends told me that if you can get through them, they only last a couple of months and then they go away. That was true for me. I will say that if I miss a dose and then double up or think I missed a dose and accidentally take another, I'll sometimes feel the pins and needles in my fingers.

It was all worth it. I went from having a five day migraine every couple of months to having maybe one short one once a year. Actually I think it's been two years now since I've had one! My abortive headache meds keep expiring on me because I don't need them!

Maryt1961

I wouldn't call any medication, prescribed or over the counter, as mild.....it's the kind of thing of determining if the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks...ie...if you had absolute debilitating migraines that shut you out life, and couldn't determine the reason for the migraine, you might decide the topomax benefit as being worth the risk

madworld1

I have not taken topamax. However, I have taken it's sister drug (zonegran). I lost a ton of weight. But, I was so stupid, irritable, and paranoid on it. I finally got off of it right before I started college bc I knew I would never pass anything.

catintheshell

i was on Topamax for a couple of years. it was one of the most beneficial meds i had been on for my bipolar disorder with the lovely add-on of helping me with my migraines. anywho, side effects i experienced were foggy thinking, face and hands/feet going numb/tingling at times, and my hair started thinning. OH and carbonated drinks tasted really bad for the first six months.

Peachy_T

Not anymore! Like several others, I had short-term memory loss and trouble remembering simple, basic words. If you do a search for Topamax on here, you will find tons of comments regarding it.

SquidVonBob

My best friend was taking it for migraines, but got off of it because she was having trouble remembering basic words while speaking.

Melancholic

Oh, god.... *shudder*

For me, being on Topamax was the equivalent of having one grating, brilliantly violent panic attack from the time that it entered my blood stream to the time that it left. I remember walking through Wal*Mart for groceries and feeling as though I was going to fall flat onto the floor, randomly and with little grace. I was just going to smack into it. I was seething with chest pain throughout the day, and my moods bounced around shocks of what I thought was mania and complete despondency.

I will never, ever take Topamax again. If it is the last mood stabilizer on the planet, I'll take my bets with being suicidally depressed.

Note (edit): As far as appetite suppression, it excelled because there was no way in hell that I could eat under the circumstances. I have an eating disorder and food is constantly on my mind (binging in particular), so that is, admittedly, a tremendous feat for any drug.

RunIntheMud

I suffered from daily migraines for 10 years and had just learned to "deal with it". After a visit with my doctor, she recommended trying Topomax and I'm so glad I did.

I started at 50 mg twice per day, however dropped weight quickly, was tired, and had tingling in my arms. My doctor recommended trying to stick with just once per day based on my weight. We did that and my side effects went away. I'll get a break through migraine about once every other month, but this is so much better than having a migraine every day for 1-6 hours.

amydee714

I take Topamax daily for chronic debilitating migraines. I was stepped up to 200 mg a day. The first 2-3 weeks it caused a decrease in my appetite, but after that the only side affect that I suffer from is that all carbonated beverages taste like vinegar and dirt. No big deal there - I just have to live without soda :sad: I have never had any of the other terrible side effects that I read here (how horrible for you all. :frown: ) My migraines have improved dramatically while on Topamax and for that I am eternally grateful.

Until this post I have never heard of it being prescribed for bi-polar. I know that in higher doses it is prescribed to epileptics for seizures and that some doctors (here in Vegas at least) will prescribe it to patients in low doses for weight loss, which I think is dumb (since I find all weight loss pills dumb - lol)

Lobster1987

Its such a bummer that there's so many side effects. It is not a mood stabilizer, it is an anti seizure medication that can be used as a mood stabilizer. My doc wants to try it for my binge eating disorder because its so severe. Therapy and other meds aren't helping

Also, does anyone know why it says that you should not eat an Atkins type diet with this med? I read somewhere that you shouldn't do the atkins diet while on it....and I'm starting atkins tomorrow...:-/

madworld1

Its such a bummer that there's so many side effects. It is not a mood stabilizer, it is an anti seizure medication that can be used as a mood stabilizer. My doc wants to try it for my binge eating disorder because its so severe. Therapy and other meds aren't helping

Also, does anyone know why it says that you should not eat an Atkins type diet with this med? I read somewhere that you shouldn't do the atkins diet while on it....and I'm starting atkins tomorrow...:-/

I wanted to try it as an adjunct to my other meds. My binge eating is really bad. But, my doc is against it bc of my history with ED. I'm not sure about the atkins thing, but I would def ask my doc.

MelodieRSA

I was put on Topamax for migraines. I tried it for all of 5 days and had horrible side effects! Insomnia, depression, memory loss etc. Have since read that working out 4 times a week is as effective at reducing migraines as Topamax.

FitGirl329

That's horribly person specific. I worked out 4-6 days a week and was in fantastic shape and was still a migraine sufferer...until Topamax.

Again, I stress starting slowly with only 25mg.

As far as Topamax and Atkins, I know Topamax can increase the acid in the blood. You should watch for symptoms like confusion, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, lethargy, rapid breathing, etc. People have done Atkins on Topamax under doctor supervision.

amydee714

Its such a bummer that there's so many side effects. It is not a mood stabilizer, it is an anti seizure medication that can be used as a mood stabilizer. My doc wants to try it for my binge eating disorder because its so severe. Therapy and other meds aren't helping

Also, does anyone know why it says that you should not eat an Atkins type diet with this med? I read somewhere that you shouldn't do the atkins diet while on it....and I'm starting atkins tomorrow...:-/

I have been on Topamax for 3 years and eating low carb for 2... have had no issues except for the soda thing I mentioned before.

cfilipi74

I have had seizures for 16 years and was on Topamax for probably 12 years. I had the same side effects as most; loss of short term memory, etc. I agree the only thing good about it was for the weight loss. But the reason I stopped taking it was because I ended up having kidney stones about 4 years ago. That was absolutly horrible for me and I didn't want to go thru that again. My doctor said that was a major side effect for me because of the length of years I was taking it.

Lobster1987

thanks guys!