OT: Does anyone here take Topamax?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.