Topamax...

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  • jenjones28
    jenjones28 Posts: 66 Member
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    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
    CowgirlKimi Posts: 107 Member
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    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
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    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
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    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
    Heptoxide Posts: 1
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    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
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    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
    redmagpie91 Posts: 77 Member
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    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
    tezz1wifey Posts: 9 Member
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    My 7 year old is on it for her migraines......what the hell is wrong with it?!?!?! :frown:
  • Debbiedebbiey
    Debbiedebbiey Posts: 824 Member
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    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
    Mrs16 Posts: 86
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    I've been using it for years..... No side effects and works great for me.
  • kayfrog
    kayfrog Posts: 109 Member
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    I was on it temporarily for migraines and my mom was on it for years for her severe migraines and she freaked out when I told her I was put on it.

    It made my hands and feet numb/tingly. It made my thinking ability dull, I was slow and just out of it all the time. Nothing tasted good to me and ended up loosing a lot of weight on it. And the biggest thing? I still had migraines and stopped taking it.

    Since I've started exercising and eating better I haven't had a migraine in 3 weeks (I used to have 1-2 a week)! I was afraid I had inherited my mom's condition... vertebrobasilar migraines.
  • naceto
    naceto Posts: 517 Member
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    I'm allergic to Imitrex as well, so when they gave me Topamax, I thought it was supposed to be the wonder drug... I had a terrible reaction to it. I became very "unstable" mentally, very quickly. I dropped it quick. I have heard great reviews from others, though I had no success.

    I have found, after years of suffering, that what I eat plays a HUGE role in whether or not I have migraines. One example is spicy food- I love it, but some spices in Asian or Mexican food can trigger a headache for me. It may sound weird, but I will smell a trigger food, and almost immediately start to get the woozy "pre-migraine" vision. Some chemical smells also trigger it for me, so the instant I feel it, I back away. I know a few folks that are sensitive to gluten, and find that they no longer had migraines, once they cut it out of their diet. Just some thoughts for you. Good luck to you!
  • redmagpie91
    redmagpie91 Posts: 77 Member
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    I'm allergic to Imitrex as well, so when they gave me Topamax, I thought it was supposed to be the wonder drug... I had a terrible reaction to it. I became very "unstable" mentally, very quickly. I dropped it quick. I have heard great reviews from others, though I had no success.

    I have found, after years of suffering, that what I eat plays a HUGE role in whether or not I have migraines. One example is spicy food- I love it, but some spices in Asian or Mexican food can trigger a headache for me. It may sound weird, but I will smell a trigger food, and almost immediately start to get the woozy "pre-migraine" vision. Some chemical smells also trigger it for me, so the instant I feel it, I back away. I know a few folks that are sensitive to gluten, and find that they no longer had migraines, once they cut it out of their diet. Just some thoughts for you. Good luck to you!

    One huge chemical that can induce migraines is aspartame! Seriously, I tell most people to avoid for this issue let alone all the other issues it can cause. This is a great reason why diet foods are a no! Chocolate and certain spices are also big triggers for a lot of people. I have been suffering from migraines since I was 5 and am learning good tools to control rather than medicate them. I would rather have a migraine than take Imitrex, Treximet or Topamax any day!
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    I wish I could print but there's just too much information and I suspect the scanner couldn't handle the itty bitty print. Remember though, not everyone has these effects. If she feels good on it (not dopy or any of the other stuff people here got) then I wouldn't worry. Basically, the key idea is to make sure it's working and look to see if there are effects. Hopefully, she's one of those lucky ones that can use it.

    I did find an article published by an air force doctor that has some interesting facts about Magnesium. You can read through the article for additional information. I know I take magnesium and it does seem to help with my migraines.
    Magnesium. A good-quality RCT of 81
    adults given 600 mg of magnesium or placebo
    showed that by weeks 9 to 12 frequency
    of attacks was reduced by 41.6% in the
    magnesium group and by 15.8% in the
    placebo group compared with the baseline
    (P<.05; NNT=3.9).

    https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/3508/WhatDietaryModificationsMigraines.pdf?sequence=1

    The one part I did find interesting is that he mentions some studies where they compared Carob to Chocolate and didn't find any sort of real difference between the two. I think the trigger is just something that's personal. I know some people eat two foods within a certain time period and that can trigger the migraine. The only way to know is to keep a diary of everything. Luckily, we do that here so looking for trends is pretty easy. Luckily, chocolate doesn't seem to trigger mine. I'm sorry that it does yours. That's sad. :cry:
  • thesarahsundae
    thesarahsundae Posts: 240 Member
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    I have been on and off Topamax for the past 9 years. I take it for my depression, anxiety and weight loss. When I’m on it, I love it. I am a gym rat, a health nut and feel fantastic mentally. When I’m not on it, I gain weight, feel terrible and get incredible depressed. I have never had any tingling or numbness when I take it, but I do tend to have moments of “forgetfulness” at times. I just laugh and tell everyone I’m having a “brain fart”.
  • divediva2
    divediva2 Posts: 297 Member
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    I am on it for migraines as well. It has cut the frequency of my migraines from 4-5 a week to 6-7 a month. That is a significant drop. I do have the side effects of tingling in my feet and hands, shortly after taking it, not consistently though. And the worst side effect for me is the word loss. It is effecting how I perform my job at times. Fortunately my coworkers are a pretty understanding group of people (I work in health care). I also take Magnesium supplements, magnesium citrate 500mg over the day.

    I highly recommend a book called The Migraine Brain. It has a wonderful amount of information and helpful hints on how to deal with the trials of living with migraines and headaches. I found it so helpful while I was waiting to see my neurologist/specialist.

    I am no longer able to take a triptan as "rescue" medication for my migraines, so I am now taking Ponstan 250mg 2 tablets, Magnesium 150mg and Topamax 25mg (part of my regular dosage for the day) when I get a migraine. Kind of a drug cocktail to combat the headache, it has been working about 50% of the time so far. I think my next visit to the specialist I will be pushing for something different. I need more than 50%!!!
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    That's great Mockingbirdgi! Some are very lucky and these medications work great for them. It's just helpful to know the side effects in case your one of those that find themselves trying to figure out if the medications are working for you. :) This has been a pretty nice thread. Everyone seems very informative and intelligent. :happy:
  • coohead
    coohead Posts: 1 Member
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    I suffered from migraines for 20 years. Topamax helped decrease the intensity but made my brain foggy. If you want to get rid of your migraines for good, get How to Heal Your Headache - the 123 Program by Dr David Buchholz and do what it says. I got a used copy at Amazon for $5 and have been migraine free for 10 months. Blessings!
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    I highly recommend a book called The Migraine Brain. It has a wonderful amount of information and helpful hints on how to deal with the trials of living with migraines and headaches. I found it so helpful while I was waiting to see my neurologist/specialist.

    Thanks. I'll look into that one. It sounds interesting.
    ...it has been working about 50% of the time so far. I think my next visit to the specialist I will be pushing for something different. I need more than 50%!!!

    I totally agree. That article I mentioned earlier said that Riboflavin might be helpful. They said the following:
    Riboflavin. A good-quality RCT compared
    riboflavin 400 mg/d with placebo
    for prophylaxis of migraines.9 Using intention-
    to-treat analysis, riboflavin was superior
    to placebo in reducing attack frequency

    Have you tried that supplement?
    (P=.005) and headache days (P=.012).
  • thesarahsundae
    thesarahsundae Posts: 240 Member
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    That's great Mockingbirdgi! Some are very lucky and these medications work great for them. It's just helpful to know the side effects in case your one of those that find themselves trying to figure out if the medications are working for you. :) This has been a pretty nice thread. Everyone seems very informative and intelligent. :happy:

    I was on other medications before Topamax and they did NOTHING for me. :sad: I go off once every couple years because I want to see if I can handle it without the medication and it's all good for a little while,. But...I guess I live and learn. :laugh:

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