Topamax-losing weight rapidly...

Hi everyone I was just put on topamax for nerve damage/pain tonmy neck/right arm. I am honestly terrified. All of these horror stories out there about this medicine but its my last resort. The pain I am in 24/7 is horrible and I need something to try to help. I started taking the pills December 23, 2014 50mg a day not even a week has gone by and ive lost 4lbs already do to the fact I dont feel hungry at all. I have this horrible taste in my mouth even when drinking water but I am forcing myself to drink. I have set alarms on my phone to remind myself to eat. My doctor wants me to up my does by 50mg each week until im at 150mg daily. Right now 50mg isnt doing much at all for the pain but making me itch like crazy. My biggest fear is the hair loss my hair isnt thick at all as it is. I am gonna give it another week maybe 2 and week what happens. If by the time I see my doctor January 14th the pain is still just asbad I will ask to quit the meds.

I've been taking 50mg of Topamax for migraines for the past 3 months. I haven't experienced any side effects. My neurologist stressed the importance of drinking lots of water, which I drink around 120 oz per day.

As for weight loss, I can't say for sure I lost the weight due to Topamax as I've just completed P90x and immediately started T25..and I've been eating fairly clean and true to my daily calorie limit.

Branded vs Generics is actually quite important. Although the active drugs are the same, the coating and stabilisers etc. that are necessary can be different, and cause different levels of absorption of the active ingredient into the blood.

For example, if Generic A has a coating which makes 80% of the drug be absorbed into the blood, but Generic B is only 75% absorbed, then a 50 mg tablet of A will produce higher levels in the blood than B. This means you need slightly different doses of A than B to get the same theraputic effect. There can also be differences in side effects.

The reason I mention this is that there was a campaign a couple of years ago in the UK regarding the prescribing of generics to people with epilepsy - if you don't get the same brand or same generic each month the levels in your blood change and you cannot stabilise your dose level. This meant that people had control over their seizures one month and not the next, side effects one month and not the next, and were also feeling the effects of the changing levels of the active ingredient in the blood stream. The campaign also included other people on long term medications e.g. with heart conditions and some psychiatric conditions.

That's not to say that generics are bad and branded are good, just that if you are on Generic A you need to stay on it for consistent effects. Or if you are on Generic A and experiencing side effects, it may be worthwhile discussing with your doctor or pharmacist whether switching to the branded version or Generic B may improve those side effects.

With some tablets, e.g. short term antibiotics for a cold, this isn't really a problem, but it can be for long-term medication.

Yes but Topiramate does not require therapeutic drug monitoring via serum blood concentration
We have the Orange book as a reference for A/B bio equivalence issues here in the states
A minor 5% difference in bioavailability is acceptable

Aaah ok. Interesting! They probably have them at the GPs too. As a patient, though, I don't have access to that information. I just requested my GP prescribe brand only so the pharmacist dispenses the same thing each time. Sorted!

Just had to put in my 2c since happening across this Topomax/Topiramate blog.
I have been using MFP for a couple of years, struggling to lose weight which MFP has helped with, but slowly. Because of some serious family issues beginning with my father's sudden death, started to see a shrink - not for migraines or bipolar disorder, but anger management issues and inability to sleep. I was very worried about an anti-depressant that would cause weight gain (because why was I using MFP in the first place???) so the shrink prescribed Lamictal/Lamotrigine just to calm me down which worked well enough. When a few months later I said I needed something to also stop my compulsive late night eating - I wasn't hungry but would pop out of bed just to nosh, he prescribed Topomax/Topiramate, first at 25mg, going up to 50 mg, which is where I am now.
I have now been on Topiramate since last January. I have had none of the side effects everyone else has referred to. I have stopped the compulsive late night eating. I have diligently been able to watch my calories and closely eaten healthily all year (not realizing that Topomax had a weight loss side effect). I started eating more protein, salads for dinner, and cut out sweets, breads, pasta and cheese.
I am happy to report that in 2013, I lost 45 lbs, (from 195 to 150) and so far this year have already lost another 2-3. Plan to lose another 15 to get me back to where I was at 40 (almost 20 years ago). I lost about 4-5 pounds/month or about 1.2 pounds/week. I don't think that is a rapid weight loss and I didn't think it was due to the drug, but closely watching my calories and using MFP and FitBit. I've had none of the side effects.
If Topomax helped me along, I'm glad it did. I'm also a lot calmer and not as angry as when I first went to the shrink, so that off label use certainly worked for me too.
I think if used correctly and in an appropriate dosage (I've read some of the people here were at 250 mg!!!), it should work as intended without the extreme side effects.

It DOES cause weight loss! I've lost over 50 pounds.Haven't changed a thing! I lose a pound daily! I'm on 50 mg daily. I love it!!

Hey everyone! Can I ask for those of you that have said you experience weight loss and those that didn't, which pill "shape" did you take? I didn't realize there were different ones but apparently there is a round topiramate and an oval one? I have taken both but with the round one have experienced all of the side effects except weight loss. With the oval pill I lost weight within days, with the round pill I haven't had any loss of appetite or weight loss at all and I'm going on week 3. This is frustrating. If I'm going to suffer all of these side effects again I better at least enjoy the ONE pleasant side effect from it. This is my 3rd time on this and each time before I was on the oval pill and had loss of appetite and weight loss along with all the other side effects. Now on the round pill I have all of them BUT weight loss/loss of appetite. What the heck?

Hi all-I was on topamax for just a few weeks but the pins and needles in my hands and especially my feet were horrible and I had trouble sleeping. I also felt like I had trouble breathing-wheezing like asthma. I did lose weight but when I read the side effects I was horrified. Kidney stones, glaucoma...just taking phentermine now and that seems to be working maybe not as fast but at least no side effects

I been on Topamax for over a year honesty I have had no side effects and no weight loss. I wish I have had weight loss but I have experienced no feelings of lack of appetite. I have tried many different diets and nothing for me seems to work to lose weight I currently only eat 2 smoothies a day and lean cuisine meals for a intake of less then 1500 calories a day but I still dont lose weight. It is depressing I have talked to my doctor about it but they say it just takes work I been working I work out 3-5 times a week 40 mins a day cardio then 30 min cool down weights and no weight loss or inches lost. I dont know what to do.

I am currently taking topamax for weight loss and nighttime binging. I take 25mg in the morning and 25mg before bed. Though I am not as hungry during the day, I am still binging at night. Has anyone taken their night time dose earlier in the evening and has this helped?

Weight loss is very common. I had no appetitie for the first month of Topomax, although it didn't equate to weight loss.

Be careful as it has a lot of nasty side effects. I became really itchy everytime I took a shower. We installed water filters, changed shampoos and soaps, nothing happened. It wasn't until I stopped taking it and the itchiness went away that I realized it was from the drug.

I also have near-bald spots because of the drug. Everytime I showered and my scalp would itch, a bunch of hair would fall out too. I've been off T for about 2 years now and still trying to get my hair back.

It did work great for the migraines though.

And as a previous poster said, be very aware of memory loss. It's not your typical, "I don't remember what I did yesterday." It's a more horrifying, "Why am I in this car? Do I live around here? What am I doing here?"

I think Topamax is is common for bi-polar treatment.

I have been taking Topamax for migraines for 3 months. I maybe lost 2 pounds but then, depending on what day I weigh myself it is back. I did experience extreme drowsiness for the first month and a half (so per doctor's order I took the pills at bedtime). That was very difficult but like most medications, even that side-effect was not permanent. After I adjusted the fatigue went away and whatever diminished appetitie I may have had is gone and I don't believe I have lingering side effects and whatever I did have did not effect the quality of my life in such a negative way that it was worth "flushing" the medication and giving up. Although my migraines are not gone, they are greatly reduced and - truthfully I don't care about rapid weightloss as my weight is fine - I am happy with topomax (at least until I get a kidney stone - then I will re-post). Anyway, rapid weightloss - I guess it depends on the person. I was not in it for the weightloss and did not have any... But I am here to sugges that since, like other posters here taking topomax for other reasons did not experience any weight lose then perhaps it also functions as a placebo for those wanting to loose weight? I found the accountablility of a food diary the best method for real and permanent weight loose (and you can do that without altering your brain chemistry).

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.

I took this at a high dose for over 5 years as a bipolar treatment. It is often used as an antipsychotic at high doses (hence the nick name dopamax) I have been off of it since 2012 and the migraines have returned. Did you know they also use it to treat migraines? I'm starting back now going up to 100 mg daily. I took 200-500 as an antipsychotic drug. I was BP type 2 btw.
I also want to say that I came off the bipolar meds and only take anxiety and depression meds now after losing weight, that was my main reason for being so depressed. (I also dropped weight quickly taking it before)