Topamax?

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swole_elsa
swole_elsa Posts: 247 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey y'all. I wouldn't consider myself a n00b to the whole diet and fitness business by any means, but when it comes to meds and my mental state I have zero idea what I'm doing.

I currently am fighting a losing battle with my BED, depression, and anxiety. While most days I do well with my stress relief techniques and actively work on preventing triggers, I still have been having problems. My BED has been slowly slipping into bulimia territory and it's terrifying me. Yes, I am getting help, but I feel like therapy is just not helping me anymore. I'm just.. At a loss, you guys. I know you guys aren't doctors (well, most of you) but it would be nice to get some feedback.

I've heard about Topamax a few times and I do not take the decision to get on medication lightly. I've read both sides of the story, the pros and cons of taking this medication. I'm still somewhat on the border about it. I've never taken any medication of this kind so it's completely uncharted territory for me. Does anyone have any experience with it? Good or bad, I'd like to hear it all. Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • swole_elsa
    swole_elsa Posts: 247 Member
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    Shameless bump
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    I can't help with your question but if you don't get any answers soon you'd probably be better off bumping it again in a few hours when more people are on the forums! For most of America it's the small hours of the morning at the moment and since most people here are American it's much quieter at this sort of time.

    You could try reading through some of the threads a search throws up in the meantime!
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    Page down. There have been at least two other threads on Topomax in the last couple of days.

    Is a doctor recommending this for you?
  • DragonLadyLiz
    DragonLadyLiz Posts: 7 Member
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    Have you thought of asking someone well versed about a natural alternative for Topamax? Check with someone who is a well versed apothecary and see if you can use something more "natural" than the medication.
  • danidaggers13
    danidaggers13 Posts: 22
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    Hi,
    I was on Topamax for a few months. I'm unsure as to why you would be put on it as it's a anticonvulsant drug. That's why I was put on it, to try and treat my Epilepsy. I've never heard of it being used to treat the conditions that you have.
    I have Depression, Anxiety & Body Dismorphia too, along with a number of other conditions. I'm taking meds for my Depression and Anxiety.
    I don't know if I am able to help but feel free to add me so we could talk.
  • swole_elsa
    swole_elsa Posts: 247 Member
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    In my history my doctors/therapists have never mentioned medication for any of my illnesses which I find interesting considering the majority of my friends that also struggle have been put on medications.

    @danidaggers13‌ - I've read from many forums, medical sites, and others struggling with similar eating disorders that it is not only used for epilepsy but bulimia and as a mood stabilizer. I've been having huge mood swings recently as well and it's driving me up the wall! I'll add you for sure.

    Also thank you for telling me to look at the forums. I don't know why this didn't occur to me before, lol. I'll go see what the other topics have to say.
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I took Topamax for epilepsy for awhile.

    I lost the ability to sweat. Since I like to work out, hard, that kind of sucked because of how easily I overheated.

    More of a problem were the cognitive difficulties. You know the joke about "I can't math today"? Yeah, I couldn't math any day. I mean basic addition, making change, dividing recipes in half. I had trouble processing other languages. (This is relevant to my job.) It has the nickname "Dopamax" for a reason...

    I did not lose appetite or weight.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    swole_elsa wrote: »
    Hey y'all. I wouldn't consider myself a n00b to the whole diet and fitness business by any means, but when it comes to meds and my mental state I have zero idea what I'm doing.

    I currently am fighting a losing battle with my BED, depression, and anxiety. While most days I do well with my stress relief techniques and actively work on preventing triggers, I still have been having problems. My BED has been slowly slipping into bulimia territory and it's terrifying me. Yes, I am getting help, but I feel like therapy is just not helping me anymore. I'm just.. At a loss, you guys. I know you guys aren't doctors (well, most of you) but it would be nice to get some feedback.

    I've heard about Topamax a few times and I do not take the decision to get on medication lightly. I've read both sides of the story, the pros and cons of taking this medication. I'm still somewhat on the border about it. I've never taken any medication of this kind so it's completely uncharted territory for me. Does anyone have any experience with it? Good or bad, I'd like to hear it all. Thanks in advance!

    Topamax can be a mood stabilizer (it is an "old school" use of the drug) but I did not see how it would help for BED. It can have really bad side effects as well (seizures, short term memory loss). If you are looking into it because it has the side effect of losing weight, do yourself a favor and toss that idea out. The risk of side effects are just not worth it.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    DragonLadyLiz wrote: »
    Have you thought of asking someone well versed about a natural alternative for Topamax? Check with someone who is a well versed apothecary and see if you can use something more "natural" than the medication.

    No! Please do not suggest "natural" remedies for those who need medication for psychiatric disorders. It can be really dangerous.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I took Topamax for a while. It is sometimes used as a mood stabilizer in bipolar disorder when traditional MS aren't working. I couldn't handle the side effects - it mucked up my vision (I started seeing double, so I couldn't drive, cook/food prep with knives because I cut myself, etc), and it made me SO groggy and sleepy. And then there was the ridiculous utter STUPIDITY I became blessed with. It isn't nicknamed Dopamax for nothing! I really needed it to work so I stuck it out for 6 weeks but the SE never dissipated for me - AND it did nothing to stabilize mood - so my doc had me discontinue it. What scared me maybe most was that my vision didn't return to normal for about 2 and a half weeks after I tapered off - I was petrified that it was a permanent thing!

    Obviously you need to weigh risks/benefits for yourself and your situation, but I always recommend research and much caution with this drug in particular due to my own experience with it.
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
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    Topamax is not a first line tx for mood stabilization. It is a decent drug for many things (epilepsy, migraine), but there are better things out there for mood.

    Aspirin is a good drug for many things. But that does not make it appropriate for all conditions. Same with topamax.

    Start with your doctors. Tell them where you are at this point and see what they suggest. That would be a decent place to start.
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    edited February 2015
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    swole_elsa wrote: »
    Yes, I am getting help, but I feel like therapy is just not helping me anymore. I'm just.. At a loss, you guys. I know you guys aren't doctors (well, most of you) but it would be nice to get some feedback.

    So...not BED, but this is something I know a little about. I am *horrible* at therapy. Therapists of MFP, I am your nightmare. And on purpose, too--I sabotage the sessions because deep down something in me doesn't want to get better. Here's what helps:

    -There are different types of therapy. CBT, traditional psychotherapy, psychodrama, DBT, dynamic, blends of styles, psychoanalysis, and so forth. I really like CBT in particular because it focuses on actually changing destructive thought patterns=>behaviors, rather than being squishy and "tell me about your feelings." A lot of people are the opposite. Maybe it's time for a change.

    -I need (NEED) a therapist who is as ballsy, pushy, loud, and stubborn as I am. Someone who will swear right back at me and get me back on track for our session. My best friend, on the other hand, could not be more different in what she needs out of someone. Maybe you would work better with a different type of therapist.

    -At the same time, I need to understand the what and the why of therapy and advice. It's easy to say "accept this," but I need to know what it *means* to accept something in order to do it. There are a lot of therapeutic code words that aren't so obvious. Maybe this is something to hack at.

    Therapy that WORKS is brutal and slow and filled with more stumbling and setbacks than a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. When I was working through compulsive exercising issues, I ragequit about once a month.

    And always went back. Because in the end, it's worth it.

    ETA because mornings are almost as hard on my spelling as Topamax
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I've been on Topamax for almost 2 years for migraines. I will say that the "dopamax" effect wears off after time if that's one of your concerns.
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
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    cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »
    swole_elsa wrote: »
    Yes, I am getting help, but I feel like therapy is just not helping me anymore. I'm just.. At a loss, you guys. I know you guys aren't doctors (well, most of you) but it would be nice to get some feedback.

    So...not BED, but this is something I know a little about. I am *horrible* at therapy. Therapists of MFP, I am your nightmare. And on purpose, too--I sabotage the sessions because deep down something in me doesn't want to get better. Here's what helps:

    -There are different types of therapy. CBT, traditional psychotherapy, psychodrama, DBT, dynamic, blends of styles, psychoanalysis, and so forth. I really like CBT in particular because it focuses on actually changing destructive thought patterns=>behaviors, rather than being squishy and "tell me about your feelings." A lot of people are the opposite. Maybe it's time for a change.

    -I need (NEED) a therapist who is as ballsy, pushy, loud, and stubborn as I am. Someone who will swear right back at me and get me back on track for our session. My best friend, on the other hand, could not be more different in what she needs out of someone. Maybe you would work better with a different type of therapist.

    -At the same time, I need to understand the what and the why of therapy and advice. It's easy to say "accept this," but I need to know what it *means* to accept something in order to do it. There are a lot of therapeutic code words that aren't so obvious. Maybe this is something to hack at.

    Therapy that WORKS is brutal and slow and filled with more stumbling and setbacks than a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. When I was working through compulsive exercising issues, I ragequit about once a month.

    And always went back. Because in the end, it's worth it.

    ETA because mornings are almost as hard on my spelling as Topamax

    And biofeedback! Biofeedback works particularly well in ED patients who do not respond well to therapy.
  • emmooney235
    emmooney235 Posts: 85 Member
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    I responded to one of the other recent Topmax threads, but I have more time today to dive into it.

    I was put on Topamax 10 years ago as a migraine control. I was recovering from blood clots in my brain and all the fun problems that causes. I didn't have much of an appetite to begin with. I had a severe migraine for a week before I ended up in the hospital for 2 weeks. I didn't eat solid food for those 3 weeks so my appetite was all messed up.

    Due to my appetite being messed up anyway, I have no idea if it affected that or my taste buds. I was on quite the pile of pills. I was super dopey, I have no idea if it was the Topamax, the inflamation in my brain, or both. My family would sit me down with my Grandfather who had suffered several strokes, and we were at the same level. I still have some problems with my words, again not exactly sure what combo caused that.

    Topamax did 100% cause my fingers and toes to go numb, and they still do. It happens more often in the winter cold, but I've learned how to keep that at bay, most of the time.

    I wish I had called my doctor when the first 'odd' symptoms started up. It started with not being able to digest anything oily or greasy. I ate 1 slice of pepperoni pizza and thought I was going to die. The pain I experienced is so indescribable. Then a dull ache would kick in around mid waist on the right side. I learned not to eat anything with oil or grease very fast. What I didn't know was that there was some serious damage going on.

    I woke up one morning completely jaundiced. Like my eyes were the color of the bright yellow highlighters and my skin was yellow. I couldn't look in the mirror. It turned out that the Topamax had been destroying my liver since the first pill.

    I was on it for 3 months. It left me with a liver that has "Dalmatian-like spots of cirrhosis". I was 22 whan this happened.

    Talk to your doctors, therapist, nurses. See if there are other therapies/drugs you could try. To me, Topamax isn't worth the risk. In fact it's cold enough right now tjat my fingers are starting to numb a bit, makes typing interesting.
  • lisa0913
    lisa0913 Posts: 22
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    I was on it a few years back for daily preventation of migraines. This was an extremely small dose. Nothing compared to what other people take. I took it for all of about 2 weeks. I had to take it at bedtime as it would make me extremely sleepy and stupid. Sometimes couldn't get a straight thought through my head. It made my fingers numb. I had no appetite and nothing tasted like it should.

    I would highly suggest looking for something different to take. It's not worth all the harmful side effects.
  • swole_elsa
    swole_elsa Posts: 247 Member
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    cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »
    swole_elsa wrote: »
    Yes, I am getting help, but I feel like therapy is just not helping me anymore. I'm just.. At a loss, you guys. I know you guys aren't doctors (well, most of you) but it would be nice to get some feedback.

    So...not BED, but this is something I know a little about. I am *horrible* at therapy. Therapists of MFP, I am your nightmare. And on purpose, too--I sabotage the sessions because deep down something in me doesn't want to get better. Here's what helps:

    -There are different types of therapy. CBT, traditional psychotherapy, psychodrama, DBT, dynamic, blends of styles, psychoanalysis, and so forth. I really like CBT in particular because it focuses on actually changing destructive thought patterns=>behaviors, rather than being squishy and "tell me about your feelings." A lot of people are the opposite. Maybe it's time for a change.

    -I need (NEED) a therapist who is as ballsy, pushy, loud, and stubborn as I am. Someone who will swear right back at me and get me back on track for our session. My best friend, on the other hand, could not be more different in what she needs out of someone. Maybe you would work better with a different type of therapist.

    -At the same time, I need to understand the what and the why of therapy and advice. It's easy to say "accept this," but I need to know what it *means* to accept something in order to do it. There are a lot of therapeutic code words that aren't so obvious. Maybe this is something to hack at.

    Therapy that WORKS is brutal and slow and filled with more stumbling and setbacks than a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. When I was working through compulsive exercising issues, I ragequit about once a month.

    And always went back. Because in the end, it's worth it.

    ETA because mornings are almost as hard on my spelling as Topamax

    I think you are me, lol. Every therapist I've been to is a squishy touchy feely kind of therapist. No one has had the balls to tell me like it is/yell back at me. I'm not sure how to go about finding a therapist like this, however. I guess I'll ask my GP for a referral with those specifications while I'm there, lol.

    And to the person telling me not to go on it looking for weight loss.. I'm not. Like I said, I don't take medication lightly and I wouldn't consider going on meds just for funsies. I have a serious problem and I'm just willing to try different paths to see what might get me to recovery other than traditional routes. Just like most things in life, there's no one size fits all for recovery.
  • savanahtcat
    savanahtcat Posts: 1
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    I took topimax a few months back. I had 2 seizures from it, and had memory loss when I was on it and for about a week or so after I stopped taking the medication. I would eat dinner, get up from the dinner table and ask when dinner was. It was like I had Alzheimer's too. I also had this twitch while I was on it and for a week or so afterwards. It was a terrible experience and I would not recommend it to anyone after what happened to me.
  • FloriBamaGirl
    FloriBamaGirl Posts: 10 Member
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    I was put on Topamax after a car accident that left me with vertigo and very bad headaches. I ended up losing my job and couldn't get another job until I got off the medicine. Stupimax is another nickname for it. If you don't have to function then the medicine has its place.
  • kramrn77
    kramrn77 Posts: 375 Member
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    As a nurse and as a psych nurse who has given Topamax- I would *highly* recommend you talk to your doctor and therapist rather then taking medical advice from random people on an app. At the end of the day, Topamax (or any medication) may or may not work well for you. Because it did or did not work well on someone else has absolutely NO bearing on how the medication will work for you- the variability of an individual's biochemistry is just too great.

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