Topamax-losing weight rapidly...

cathymcgarrity

What dosage are you taking?

LoriLou67

Is that to me? I cannot remember what it was. Another physician I have seen recently just shook her head, and said it is an awfully powerful medication to be used for off-label reasons.

liquidleaves

Wow reading all these posts are really scary. My neuro just prescribed me this drug at 25 mg. I told her I wasn't into taking pills, but I have complex migraine problems so she said this would help. Now after reading this I am terrified of even taking it. The script is still sitting at the pharmacy. Now I don't know what to do...

Shaunapie32

Well I was prescribed Topamax on Monday and today I took my first pill.. I read all of the things everyone had to say with there experience and I'm terrified to say the least. :embarassed: I'm on a 100 mg (50mg twice a day) so I'm really going to pay attention to my body for ANY reaction I may have. As soon as I see something or feel something I don't like I'm taking Thumper back to my doctor or I'll find a way to dispose of them properly.

BrittaniNSt

I was taking topamax for migraines. It didn't get rid of my headaches, or any weight. I stopped taking it after a few months. I had a strange side effect where I couldn't taste the carbonation in soda. It was the weirdest thing!! Everything tasted like cold flat soda.

BrittaniNSt

I started taking a beta blocker a couple months ago. I still get the occasional migraine, but nothing like before. Have you tried those before? (propranolol is the one that I am on)

sunshine5512

I have been on 100mg of Topamax for several years now. At least 4. In the very beginning, I had all the symptoms mentioned. Tingling, dizzy, forgetfulness. I kept on it because it was helping my migraines. I did loose weight, about 20 lbs and have successfully kept that weight off. I came off of it once because I had terrible pressure behind my eyes that I could only attribute to the drug. I quit cold turkey and I dont remember having any real bad side effects. About 4 months off of it, I decided to give it another try and got back up to 100mg. I have been on it again for a couple years straight and I just took myself off of it again about 1 1/2 -2 weeks ago. I again was having horrible pressure, and extremely dry mouth (and dry in other areas too!) My eyes feel like they are going to pop any minute still. I keep thinking that I am having sinus headaches but they are not going away. I have had almost a slight blur in my right eye when I look up but Im not sure if that is caused by the side effects. I am not nor have I ever been real anxious, but lately I find it difficult to talk to people or look them in the eye. Thats strange for me because I talk to everyone.
I dont want to be taking a drug every day and I wish I never got back on these pills. I just want to feel normal again.

jayrudq

Topomax is frequently prescribed by psychiatrists for a host of reasons - including weight loss Many of the psychotropic medications folks have to use cause rapid weight gain and metabolic resistance. Sadly folks gain lots of weight rapidly and many I know have even developed type II diabetes.

I think the risk profile for side effects is very individual and it sounds as if you have migraines, you wouldn't want to take this medication. Many find it tolerable and effective.

appygirl84

I wouldn't say common practice. It's always a risk prescribing something for offlabel use. I don't do it. I also do not work in psychiatry, so perhaps it is more common there. If the OP is under the care of a psychiatrist, then fine. I would be worried about a primary care provider attempting to treat something like bipolar disorder especially with using off label meds.

I know palliative medicine has more leeway with using off label meds, so perhaps psych does too, if that is what your research suggests. Personally, I'm not willing to take the risk.

I think it is fairly common to use anti sezuire drugs for bipolar disorder.

Alliwan

I wouldn't say common practice. It's always a risk prescribing something for offlabel use. I don't do it. I also do not work in psychiatry, so perhaps it is more common there. If the OP is under the care of a psychiatrist, then fine. I would be worried about a primary care provider attempting to treat something like bipolar disorder especially with using off label meds.

I know palliative medicine has more leeway with using off label meds, so perhaps psych does too, if that is what your research suggests. Personally, I'm not willing to take the risk.

They put me on lamictal for bipolar disorder... I guess anti-seizure drugs are popular when medicating people that other treatments haven't worked for.

anti-seizure drugs are popular when medicating people for bipolar period. Lithium is extremely damaging to you kidneys and depakote can cause massive weight gain, like 10-15lbs a week. So triliptal, lamictal, tegrotol, and topomax are all used in bipolar, quite well most of the time. Bipolars rarely take only one med, some take geodon or seroquel or rispiridal or trazadone for sleep or other issues they might have, all of those are often prescribed off label for bipolar symptoms.

Kendra0730

It will go away. I was on it when I was in high school for seizures and they actually diagnosed me with a learning disability because it made me so out of it. I lost a TON of weight and just kept losing so they finally had to take me off after losing 60 lbs in 3 months. Luckily I had the weight to lose. Anyway, after they took me off it, it took a few months, but eventually I returned to my normal self and didn't have any permanent cognitive difficulties.

Concedo

Hate this drug. Was on it for a few months to try and help with the weight gain courtesy of Depakote. I lost no weight, my body overheated and had a hard time cooling itself. Almost no sweat during workouts. Scary. I was so tired and lethargic climbing stairs. Did not have any of these issues prior to being put on it. Managed to have migraines as well. Once I tapered off of it, I felt so much better.

ToFatT0B3S1ck

Lost a pound a day on Celexa for the first month. I started Lamictal on Monday and lost 3 pounds since then. Also Bipolar.

EdwardNortonFan43

Are you having any other side effects?

Topamax does commonly cause weight loss, but it is also not prescribed for bipolar disorder. It can be, but is off label. Are you sure that is what you are taking? If you don't mind my asking, are you type 1 or 2 bipolar? A mood stabilizer like lithium or valproate in combo with an antidepressant if necessary is usually standard of care. It worries me you taking topiramate (which is a seizure drug) and already having a reaction to it. Are you seeing a psychiatrist or is your primary care provider giving you that?

Sorry for all the questions, but I would keep an eye out for any other reactions as well as your bipolar symptoms and make sure to tell your doc. Since topiramate is off label, it has not been extensively studied in bipolar disorder.

My friends doctor has her on an anti seizure med (not sure which one) for depression. Also research into depression and bipolar treatment for my novel has shown that it's common practice to perscribe meds for their side effects.

I also have bipolar disorder and have been taking an antiseizure drug for several years for it. Lamictal. I have been the most stable I've ever been while on this drug.

sweet_blasphemy

I must say Topamax was the worst thing I've ever taken, with Prozac and Tegretol close behind. I barely made it to a full week on any of these before kicking them because of the zombifying side effects. I couldn't function at work (or at all) and I didn't feel safe to drive while on any of them.

I definitely could see Topamax contributing to huge, fast, and possibly unhealthy weight loss. It's an ingredient in a new weight loss drug called Qsymia along with Phentermine (that combo must be a living hell). It's not so much that it killed my appetite, I could still tell when I was hungry, but NOTHING was appetizing, not even junk food. I could barely force 800cal down my gullet the days I took it. Then I heard about the hair loss side effect, for which I scoured the web for info (since my pdoc acted like he'd never heard of it) and it seems inconclusive whether the hair loss is caused from the long term malnutrition or whether it was a direct metabolite of the drug itself.

I know everyone's different, but my bipolar/MDNOS has seemed to be in remission since starting Wellbutrin last year. Unfortunately It sputtered out as far as an AD goes about 6 months ago and my doc still seems to think I need a mood stabilizer, to which I'm limited to anticonvulsants Rxed off-label because I hate SSRIs and SNRIs, but I haven't found one yet that doesn't knock me out all day or turn me into a depressed, moody, lazy, drooling buffoon. Apparently I have a very fickle temporal lobe.

I think I'll just suck it up and deal with the dysthymia and hang out with my good friends Klonopin and Trazodone when I'm anxious and can't sleep...

Concedo

I wouldn't say common practice. It's always a risk prescribing something for offlabel use. I don't do it. I also do not work in psychiatry, so perhaps it is more common there. If the OP is under the care of a psychiatrist, then fine. I would be worried about a primary care provider attempting to treat something like bipolar disorder especially with using off label meds.

I know palliative medicine has more leeway with using off label meds, so perhaps psych does too, if that is what your research suggests. Personally, I'm not willing to take the risk.

They put me on lamictal for bipolar disorder... I guess anti-seizure drugs are popular when medicating people that other treatments haven't worked for.

anti-seizure drugs are popular when medicating people for bipolar period. Lithium is extremely damaging to you kidneys and depakote can cause massive weight gain, like 10-15lbs a week. So triliptal, lamictal, tegrotol, and topomax are all used in bipolar, quite well most of the time. Bipolars rarely take only one med, some take geodon or seroquel or rispiridal or trazadone for sleep or other issues they might have, all of those are often prescribed off label for bipolar symptoms.

This is a gross exaggeration. I am on both Lithium and Depakote, both great lifesaving drugs.

Kidney damage can come from a negligent Dr. I have my lithium levels checked every 6 months and my kidney function, creatinine clearance checked every 3 months. You better believe we would catch something quickly. Any problems come from long, long term use and not staying on top of your labs to see how your kidneys are functioning.

Though I put on weight with Depakote, I know of no one that put on 15lbs. a WEEK. This means they would have had to consume 52,500 EXTRA calories a week in addition to their maintenance/regular calories. I put on 10-15lbs within a 3 month period ( around 5 lbs. a month and have leveled out.

Depakote is considered an anticonvulsant, just like Lamictal, Tegretol, Topamax, etc. Topamax is not considered first line for the treatment of Bipolar Disorder. Lamictal is considered first line treatment and approved for BPII depression

rdugirl

DANGER!!! One of the side effects of Topomax, rare but very dangerous is angle closure glaucoma which is a sudden build up of fluid behind the eye causing pressure, if not relieved it can cause blindness. Please see an eye doctor ASAP!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1771669/

Nolangi

I have been on Topamax for migraines and headaches for almost 5 months and it really worked well for the first few months.

However, the side effects can build up, the longer you are on it, as it is really strong. I lost my appetite immediately and although it gradually came back, I kept losing weight, losing 2 stone over a 4 month period, making me slightly underweight. This might sound like a dream come true, but when you are lacking nutrition its not so good. When I first went on the medication, I was finding it difficult to concentrate and my thoughts were very slow but I was back to normal in a couple of weeks. I also got pins and needles in my hands and feet, and some numbness in my toes which did not go away, and I got very tired at times. I also developed B12 and folic acid deficiency. The reason I am coming off the medication is that I am now losing my hair, which only happened over a period of a few weeks and is now about a third thinner than normal. If this had not happened, I would have remained delighted with Topamax, despite the side effects, which had all far outweighed the pain I was in before.

jayrudq

I wouldn't say common practice. It's always a risk prescribing something for offlabel use. I don't do it. I also do not work in psychiatry, so perhaps it is more common there. If the OP is under the care of a psychiatrist, then fine. I would be worried about a primary care provider attempting to treat something like bipolar disorder especially with using off label meds.

I do work in psychiatry and yes, off label is use is VERY common practice. So is the use of Topomax and it has been for years. I know many of my clients have been prescribed it and most tolerate it well. It does work for weight loss.
People's response to medication is very individual. You need to decide for YOURSELF if it working for you. Not what happened to others who took it.

Good luck.

mumblemagic

I thought topamax was an epilepsy drug..... Then again, I'm on lamotrigine for seizures, which I notice the label says can also be prescribed for bipolar disorder. I haven't experienced any weight changes due to the drugs (which is one of the wonders of lamotrigine and why my neurologist wanted me on it )