Topomax

janinab75
janinab75 Posts: 147 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Is anyone taking Topomax for Migraines (or seizures) and have you noticed it helping you weight loss?. I was just prescribed it 3 weeks ago, about 4 weeks into my weight loss journey, and it *seems* to be helping me along. I'm just wondering if it is the side effect of the drung (which it could be) or me wanting it to be a side effect of the drug, or just have sucess with my weight loss so far. Just wondering what other people's experience is with this drug is as well. I do know it is making me much more tired, which is another side effect, and I have heard that from other people who have taken it as well. Just curious...
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Replies

  • NeilATL
    NeilATL Posts: 38 Member
    Some physicians are prescribing Topomax therapy alongside Phentermine for an added boost to their weight loss. I have heard a few negative issues with Topomax involving side effects, some as you have described. But to answer your question, yes, Topomax has several side effects with one of those being weight loss.
  • Docpremie
    Docpremie Posts: 228 Member
    Yes, there is a known medical association. Topomax didn't work for my migraines. My neurologists asked me if I'd lost any weight while on the med. I told him no, & he said that's a known association. If you lose weight on Topomax, then it generally will work for migraine prevention. If you don't lose weight, then it most likely won't work for your migraine either.

    Topomax worked great for my sister's migraines, but she said it made things taste funny, especially soda (gave it a peppery taste). She also lost a significant amount of weight while on the med.
  • janinab75
    janinab75 Posts: 147 Member
    Yes, there is a known medical association. Topomax didn't work for my migraines. My neurologists asked me if I'd lost any weight while on the med. I told him no, & he said that's a known association. If you lose weight on Topomax, then it generally will work for migraine prevention. If you don't lose weight, then it most likely won't work for your migraine either.

    Topomax worked great for my sister's migraines, but she said it made things taste funny, especially soda (gave it a peppery taste). She also lost a significant amount of weight while on the med.

    Interesting! It is making a difference for my headaches, but is making me tired. I'm willing to tolerate the tiredness for the lack of headaches and the assistance with the weight loss though. The tiredness is bothersome, though tolerable. I have not noticed a difference with taste though. Although I have not picked up a soda in 75 days, since starting back on MFP. Did you sister stop taking Topomax? And if she did, did she put weight back on when she stopped taking it?
  • goldfishgoo
    goldfishgoo Posts: 67 Member
    Yes, it helps...temporarily. Then it stops. Ice taken it off and on for years. I say off and on because after a while I get very forgetful...my mind turns to mush! The soda thing is pretty accurate too. It tasted like metal for me. Fit a bit the rate was just "odd", then I just couldn't take it any more and ended up quitting my fave: Pepsi Max. That was probably the best thing for me anyway.
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    I took Topamax for about a week and my memory just deteriorated so much that I just threw the rest away. It didn't suppress my appetite at all.
  • goldfishgoo
    goldfishgoo Posts: 67 Member
    It is very expensive too! My doctor prescribed me three pills in the a.m. and two in the afternoon. I have severe migraine headaches. It did help with that. But after a while it stops. The soda taste was so horrible. And the forgetfulness was the worst thing. In some ways it is worth it because of the pain. But if it is being used "as a help" in weight loss I can think of a million better ways.
  • Docpremie
    Docpremie Posts: 228 Member
    I had trouble sleeping when I was on Topomax, so was always tired too. I was actually happy to quit taking it. The Topomax was started by my internist. I had terrible neck pain, associated with nonstop headaches for several years. When I saw the neurologist, he immediately stopped the Topomax and switched me to Cymbalta for treatment of the neck pain (occipital neuralgia). Cymbalta has been a miracle drug for me. I rarely have neck pain & have a headache, maybe twice a month. When I do get a headache, Relpax takes it away immediately. I'm so much happier headache free! :)

    My sister took Topomax for quite a long time, until it quit working for her. Her weight has really fluctuated over time, so I don't think I would necessarily blame her weight gain on stopping the Topomax. Her diet is terrible!!! LOL!
  • Docpremie
    Docpremie Posts: 228 Member
    It is very expensive too! My doctor prescribed me three pills in the a.m. and two in the afternoon. I have severe migraine headaches. It did help with that. But after a while it stops. The soda taste was so horrible. And the forgetfulness was the worst thing. In some ways it is worth it because of the pain. But if it is being used "as a help" in weight loss I can think of a million better ways.

    By the way, there is a generic form of Topomax available now.
  • mjkanaan
    mjkanaan Posts: 78 Member
    My doctor that prescribed it said it would help with weight loss, and I haven't noticed that at all. I've actually managed to gain weight while on it. Someone else I know lost quite a bit while on it. She said it made things like chocolate taste awful, and she constantly craved veggies. I, unfortunately, have not had that side effect. :grumble: It also hasn't had a huge effect on my migraines, except when combined with Inderal, which may be the reason for my weight gain.
  • princessputz
    princessputz Posts: 283 Member
    I take 100 mg a day for migraines due to barometric pressure changes (how gay!). Anyhow it hasn't really helped me, I didn't notice the weight fly off with it like some people claim. I still have to work my booty off at bootcamp and eat healthy. Soda tastes like a dirty copper penny, my nose, hands and feet are always numb. Other then that I'm great :). Just no miracle weightloss.
  • Lmns218
    Lmns218 Posts: 155
    I took it before. A small dose. It didn't help me to lose weight either. I was disappointed lol but I shouldn't have because I wasn't eating right either lol
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    I told my neurologist I refuse to take it for migraines. My sister took it and the side effects were awful. And if you do lose weight taking it (very common side effect)......yes, you will likely gain it back when you stop taking it. That will happen with any pill that causes weight loss.
  • Luv2h1k3
    Luv2h1k3 Posts: 66 Member
    I had terrible side effects with Topomax and little to no reduction in the frequency of my migraines. Major alteration in taste, mental fogginess, and numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. Weight loss was the only side effect I hoped for but didn't experience. :(
  • hzliiz
    hzliiz Posts: 166 Member
    I took it for a short time for migraines. Didn't lose weight but it made me stupid and made soda taste flat.
  • sstillwell
    sstillwell Posts: 20 Member
    There is a fairly recent FDA-approved weight-loss drug on the market now called Qsymia that is just a proprietary mix of Topamax (not Topomax) and Phentermine. The two both work as appetite suppressants - the Phentermine is basically quick-release, the Topamax longer-term (although it's a side effect in the case of Topamax, which is an anti-convulsant drug primarily). The two have been prescribed together off-label for quite a while in some circles.

    My doctor prescribed it (Qsymia, not the individual drugs) for me without me asking when my third BP medicine stopped being enough and they were going to have to look at adding a fourth. I met all the criteria for prescribing (BMI 30 or higher, or 27 or higher and one or more co-morbidity such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol)

    It is not a miracle pill. It's an appetite suppressant. You don't get as hungry. You have to stop putting *kitten* in your pie hole, plain and simple. You have to get up and move, end of story. I don't think there's a single insurance plan on earth that covers it. It's expensive. If you have a serious caffeine habit it can interact and make you REALLY wired in a not-good heart-is-coming-out-of-my-chest way.

    That being said...

    When I started taking it, whether it was because of the appetite suppression, the motivation due to the hit on my wallet, or something else, I stopped eating crap and started walking and started dropping weight. I've lost 42 pounds so far and have about 16 to go to hit my goal.

    Everybody's reactions are different, and your doctor is gonna be your best source of advice. The stuff isn't for playing around with, but it can be potentially useful.

    My $0.02 worth.
  • FixIngMe13
    FixIngMe13 Posts: 405 Member
    Well... My daughter is on it for her mood disorder which is being controlled by a mood stabilizer that has made her appetite uncontrollable. After telling the doctor I was going to take her completely off the meds if he didn't give her something to calm her appetite he prescribed topomax. My daughter was gaining rapidly and was considered obese the last time we went to the doctor. For her age and height, it was absolutely out of control. And I got SICK of being blamed for her eating all the time. Heck... she would sneak food while I was asleep! She NEVER did that until she started on the med Risperitol! So.... we are 2 weeks into the med and already there is good things coming out of her taking it. She goes to bed without arguing with me now... she actually SLEEPS and isn't tired when she wakes up. She isn't eating every hour, she is back to eating normally again.

    So far, the only side effect I can see if the decreased need to EAT every hour. She's eating... like she used to before she was on the Risperitol. And of course, with any med, it is going to affect people differently. Btw... he did say when he prescribed it to her, that it was very well known for its lack of appetite... so he warned me to watch her carefully, because he didn't want her to go in the other direction with her weight either.
  • FixIngMe13
    FixIngMe13 Posts: 405 Member
    And is Topamax*... I just kept spelling it wrong.
  • FixIngMe13
    FixIngMe13 Posts: 405 Member
    There is a fairly recent FDA-approved weight-loss drug on the market now called Qsymia that is just a proprietary mix of Topamax (not Topomax) and Phentermine. The two both work as appetite suppressants - the Phentermine is basically quick-release, the Topamax longer-term (although it's a side effect in the case of Topamax, which is an anti-convulsant drug primarily). The two have been prescribed together off-label for quite a while in some circles.

    My doctor prescribed it (Qsymia, not the individual drugs) for me without me asking when my third BP medicine stopped being enough and they were going to have to look at adding a fourth. I met all the criteria for prescribing (BMI 30 or higher, or 27 or higher and one or more co-morbidity such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol)

    It is not a miracle pill. It's an appetite suppressant. You don't get as hungry. You have to stop putting *kitten* in your pie hole, plain and simple. You have to get up and move, end of story. I don't think there's a single insurance plan on earth that covers it. It's expensive. If you have a serious caffeine habit it can interact and make you REALLY wired in a not-good heart-is-coming-out-of-my-chest way.

    That being said...

    When I started taking it, whether it was because of the appetite suppression, the motivation due to the hit on my wallet, or something else, I stopped eating crap and started walking and started dropping weight. I've lost 42 pounds so far and have about 16 to go to hit my goal.

    Everybody's reactions are different, and your doctor is gonna be your best source of advice. The stuff isn't for playing around with, but it can be potentially useful.

    My $0.02 worth.

    And in some cases (like my daughters) it has been prescribed along with Risperitol for her bi-polar (mood disorder) which I can see now why he did it.. .to counter act the raging appetite she began having on Risperitol.
  • peachypoohpooh
    peachypoohpooh Posts: 1
    I have been on it for a year now for headaches. In the beginning when I took 50 mg in AM AMD 50 mg in the PM, I did see positive side effects in helping me with weight loss goals but I was doing lots of other things as well like changing my diet - cut out sugars and carbs - and exercised regularly. I also experienced the bad side effects that several others mentioned. Memory loss and sluggish in the mornings to the point that I couldn't function at my job. I stopped taking my morning dose but continued to take 50 mg at night. The weight loss slowed down but I was able to function again. My neurologist wasn't happy with this but I have to be able to work. Just went back to him this week and since my headaches are coming back in the heat of the summer, I agreed to take a half dose of the 50mg in the morning. He also gave me a scrip for a tinz (spelling?) Unit and told me to use it on my neck or anywhere that I have tension that leads to my headaches.
    Last thing, BE VERY CAREFUL STOPPING this medicine suddenly since it is anti seizure
  • PatasDeGallina
    PatasDeGallina Posts: 155 Member
    I took Topamax in 2007 following a seizure. It gave me hallucinations in the sense that if I closed my eyes and sat still I could feel my body spinning slowly end over end until I could swear I was suspended in midair upside down. Also I would lay in bed and close my eyes and feel that my hands or my body were the size of the ceiling and that I was floating above the bed.

    I lost large chunks of long term memory with the seizure and most of my short term memory capacity, but I did not start regaining my short term memory function until I went off the medication and back to college.

    I did not notice any weightloss side effects. My migraines and subsequent seizure were caused by hormone imbalance, so even given the short length of time I took the medication, perhaps with my unbalanced hormone influence it still would not have resulted in weightloss. PCOS tends to slow down weightloss, or that is the general consensus. In practice I have not discovered issues directly related to that in comparison to other women my age who do not have PCOS.

    I hope topamax helps your migraines and does add a little weightloss boost on the side. That would be great. I found it a terrible medication to be on for myself. Best of luck to you.
  • sstillwell
    sstillwell Posts: 20 Member
    I have been on it for a year now for headaches. In the beginning when I took 50 mg in AM AMD 50 mg in the PM, I did see positive side effects in helping me with weight loss goals but I was doing lots of other things as well like changing my diet - cut out sugars and carbs - and exercised regularly. I also experienced the bad side effects that several others mentioned. Memory loss and sluggish in the mornings to the point that I couldn't function at my job. I stopped taking my morning dose but continued to take 50 mg at night. The weight loss slowed down but I was able to function again. My neurologist wasn't happy with this but I have to be able to work. Just went back to him this week and since my headaches are coming back in the heat of the summer, I agreed to take a half dose of the 50mg in the morning. He also gave me a scrip for a tinz (spelling?) Unit and told me to use it on my neck or anywhere that I have tension that leads to my headaches.
    Last thing, BE VERY CAREFUL STOPPING this medicine suddenly since it is anti seizure

    Absolutely - That is one of the things noted on the medicine - do NOT suddenly discontinue it; you must taper off, or risk inducing seizures.

    I think you're talking about a TENS unit - something that electrically stimulates the nerves and can disrupt muscle spasms.
  • janinab75
    janinab75 Posts: 147 Member
    I take 50 mg in the AM and 50 in the PM. The fatigue is tolerable and getting better. The tingling in the hands and feet if left in one position too long is annoying, but tolerable, I just have to remember to keep moving them around if sitting for too long. The weight loss is a perk. I began eating better when starting back on MFP before starting the Topamax so am continuing that. I just realized the change in taste the other day when drinking seltzer water, it tasted sweet, like it was flavored. It must have something to do with the carbonation. So interesting. I appreciate everyone's input. Everyone's tolerance to medication is so different, but it's good to hear what the reactions are and what to look for, what may be normal and may not. Thanks for all you input. I now know what questions to ask for follow up with my doc!
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
    Yes, there is a known medical association. Topomax didn't work for my migraines. My neurologists asked me if I'd lost any weight while on the med. I told him no, & he said that's a known association. If you lose weight on Topomax, then it generally will work for migraine prevention. If you don't lose weight, then it most likely won't work for your migraine either.

    Topomax worked great for my sister's migraines, but she said it made things taste funny, especially soda (gave it a peppery taste). She also lost a significant amount of weight while on the med.
    That's really interesting! I've never heard that, but it makes sense for me. It hasn't done anything for my migraines (nothing has), and it hasn't helped my weight loss at all. The tiny bit I've lost in the last few months is all from calorie counting and working out.
  • NanaWubbie
    NanaWubbie Posts: 248 Member
    Be cautious of receiving medical advice here.....DO communicate with your doc! Topamax is being used off-label for weight loss. If it is working for you, that is GREAT! Use it as a tool, and not a crutch. Use it to help get the weight off, and make lifestyle changes to keep the weight off. Best of luck to you on your journey.
  • elainemorris1982
    elainemorris1982 Posts: 104 Member
    I was prescribed it last summer for headaches also. It does suppress your appetite. I had to force myself to eat as I'd no appetite. It did help with the headaches but The side effects didn't agree with me. I only lasted 6 weeks on it
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    According to my doctor, it is supposed to help with weight loss. I remember it suppressed my appetite, but I wasn't on it long enough to see a noticeable difference (I couldn't handle the side effects).
  • Tann19
    Tann19 Posts: 94 Member
    My doctor prescribed it for migraines but I never took it, I don't have migraines frequently so why should have to start taking something on a daily basis?

    She did tell me it would help with my weight loss, but I decided in the end not to take because of the possible side effects such as seizures and I don't like taking meds.
  • appifanie
    appifanie Posts: 95 Member
    I took topamax for migraines and all it did was make me slow and confused. I'm on nortriptyline now.
  • MissFannyAnn
    MissFannyAnn Posts: 17
    I was on Topomax for Migraines. (I suffer from daily migraines(. For around 4 months The dosage was increased every week. Topamax is also better known as doppermax, lol. I found that my memory was shot and sometimes words would go completely out of my head.
    Also gave me bad pins and needles in my feet and hands. The worse of all i noticed my hair start to fall out but only small amount at a time.
    As others have said it didn't effect my weight one bit.

    I hope the drug works for you and reduces the amount of attacks. Good Luck!
  • GlutenFreeWench
    GlutenFreeWench Posts: 127
    I take topamax with inderal and nortiptyline atm (50mg bid with 60mg inderal slow release, 10 mg nortriptyline). I've been on depakote (bad results- I was COMPLETELY ZONKED) and several others for my migraines (my migraines actually mimic a seizure but aren't seizures. party time. lol).

    Here's my results: the first few months, I had GREAT weight loss! like, the weight flew off! I had a hard time EATING. Food held little to no interest for me. Then, boom. It was gone. it wore off. And the weight loss reversed. Times 10. I regained everything I lost and more, of course.

    So of the weight I had lost through hard work before (near 600 pounds start and was down nearly 300 of that...I lost about 50-75 through meds- and then I regained an additional 50ish pounds at that time on top of the meds. (and then i injured my back, and boom, another 50 pounds).

    But I do caution you that my neurologist advised me to let him know if I start feeling ANY of the numbness or tingling, the forgetfulness or the fogginess that comes with the topamax side effects. The tiredness we've tried countering with things such as nuvigil and massive amounts of caffeine. Still working that out! But make sure to keep him in the loop:)

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