| Key to ratings for topamax: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
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| 1 | bipolar 2 | Worsened my depression considerably. Increased irritability, angry outbursts, negative obsessive thoughts. | It took less than 2 weeks for my symptoms to get really awful. I tried to stick it out for 2 more, and only made it 1 before I threw the bottle away. | F | 32 | 3 weeks | 11/19/2009 | 5 | Chronic Daily Headaches | Weight Loss, limb tingling, loss of short term memory, felt stupid, "phantom bladder infections", achy legs | Topamax worked great for my daily headaches 100mg a day, I lost 20 pounds which was also great! BUT the side effects made me give it up. I could handle the tingling and the aching. But the stupidiness was unbeleivable, I would forget the simpilest things and at the worst time. And then the phantom bladder infections started after 3 months, symptoms would last 2 - 3 days and then go away, this would happen 2 -3 times a month. This was the final straw for me even though my doctor could not say it was because of the topamax, I knew it was. Sure enough I weaned off the topamax and have not had a "bladder" infection since.It has been 8 months. | F | 44 | 6 months | 11/18/2009 | 1 | Update from my 9/30/2009 post | Update from 9/30/2009 post about my daughter. | When I posted on 9/30/2009 my daughter was being weaned from Topamax- she has been completely off of it for three weeks now.What a difference!! It took 6 days at 1/2 the dose for us to begin to see a change from there it continued to get better and better. Her happy fun personality is back. You can reason with her. She is not a stressed out mess.She is not quick to anger. She is starting to have some realization of how she behaved while on Topamax- and that weighs extremely heavy on her mind and heart. I daily berate my self for not contacting professional help earlier. I look forward to the day when I turn on the TV and this poision has been removed from the market. If you take any thing away from this, let it be this; research any and all medications your family and friends are prescribed- research before they take it and research everytime a prescription is filled. The good news is it was finally figured out she is off of Topamax and she is moving on with her life......her husband well thank goodness he stuck around too! | F | 41 | 3 years | 11/15/2009 | 5 | Seizures | Cognitive Effects | I don't have seizures, but if I miss a couple doses, I will have seizures. So, I have to make sure I take it as prescribed. The cognitive effects don't seem as bad anymore, or maybe I'm just used to them...I have been taking it for a long time. That's kind of scary, though, if I'm just used to the cognitive effects. I haven't had a migraine for a long time and I noticed that this medication is used for migraine prevention. That might explain my lack of migraines, which means it's effective (for me at least) in preventing migraines. That's a nice plus. | F | 37 | 8 years | 11/8/2009 | 1 | sciatica/nerve pain | i was on this drug for about 6 mos.I lost word finding skills,was so dizzy I walked with a cane,or was helped by my children.I lost 30lbs,still have hair loss! I have been off it for a month and a half,and still have difficulty finding words,and some dizziness remains.While on it,I couldn't eat..would gag or throw up when I tried!My blood pressure dropped very low also,and I had eye pain and vision problems.I am seeing a retina specialist this month,I pray it didn't do any permanent damage.My Dr. only told me about the weight loss..NO other s/e's! I think this drug should be taken off the market! I now see why others call it dopomax! I was stupid all the time I was taking it!It leaves you in a fog...Thank God I'm now off it! I no longer see the neuro that prescribed it,it was my family Dr. that caught it!My advice to any who think of taking it...RESEARCH IT FIRST! | It may be good for some...but do your research! | F | 66 | 6 months | 11/8/2009 | 5 | Migraines | Tingling, Weight loss, Memory loss, Fatigue, Slurred speech, Hair loss | I started Topapax 6 weeks ago after I was taking Imitrex almost daily and experiencing rebound migraines. I started at 25 mg. and moved up to 100 mg. over 4 weeks. Immediately I noticed my appetite was gone and I was in a fog. My weight dropped 7lbs. in a week which was a good thing. I'm a Director for a major corporation so I researched the side effects for a few months prior to taking the medicine on the advice from my neurologist. The fact was either I was going to miss work for migraines or deal with short term side effects and not suffer from the migraines. The hair loss was short term, over the first four weeks and it seemed to stop.At the six week point my appetite is back more, not completely but I do get hungry more than I did initially. I am still losing weight, my fatigue is gone and my memory is completely back to normal. My doctor told me there is a "hump" to get over with the side effects and I feel great. I had one migraine in the past six weeks when I went from 75 mg up to 100mg and one Excedrin migraine took care of it. I assumed it was a side effect of moving up in milligrams. Normally I would have 3 per week without Topamax. Good luck to everyone and stick with it.I plan on continuing with the Topamax, I can't take the pain of having migraines multiple times per week and Imitrex would spike my blood pressure which is normally low. Scary. | F | 30 | 6 weeks | 11/7/2009 | 1 | daily migraines | weight loss, memory loss, mood swings, agitation, insomnia, "moving" lights | I was put on topomax when i was a sophmore in high school and was on it only for a few months before my neurologist decided to try a different medication. during this time i lost my appetite and lost weight, and i already only weighed about 95 lbs. my memory loss was so bad that i couldnt remember the simplest things, making every day frustrating and making school nearly impossible to do well in. my mood swings and easily agitated personality caused my friendships to struggle, as they thought that i was using the medicine as an excuse to get out of things if i said that i couldnt/didnt remember about it. i had problems sleeping every night and often didnt get to sleep until 2-4am, had problems staying asleep, then had to get up at 6am to get ready for school all over again. i stopped opening my eyes at night due to the swirling lights that i saw whenever i looked at a window that had a light on inside, a stop light, a street light, a reflection of some sort of light on something... they lights felt like i was hallucinating and they caused dizziness. i am now a freshman in college and i'm still having memory problems, from what i believe is a long term side effect of the topamax. in addition to all of this, the topamax only slightly helped my migraines. | F | 18 | 7 months | 11/4/2009 | 5 | Hormonal Migraines | Tingling (Potassium Fluctuation), "Topamax Moments" (knowing I want to say a word, but not being able to pull it out of the file of my brain), and at higher levels - trails of light periodically along with a loss of appetite. | This medicine works. It's been a God-send for me in terms of controlling the length of time my body will entertain a migraine, along with the severity. I have been using it for over five years. Each person is different and each drug has side effects. What I can say, is I've been at 400 Mg and 50 Mg - back and forth - and 100Mg seems to be the perfect place for me. I can keep my appetite. When I'm having a "Topamax Moment", and muddle a word - I know why and I openly share it with whomever I'm amusing. It sure beats four days of not being able to converse at all. If you are coming here looking to see if you should give this drug a shot, I personally recommend having a heart to heart with your MD about it. The way I see it is - if you take this daily and allow yourself a good 14 weeks to let it settle in, you may be able to get on with your life in a way that's not possible when you are migraining. | F | 33 | 5 years | 11/3/2009 | 4 | Migraines | Nausea, acne, prolonged mentrual cycle, tingling sometimes in my fingers, cannot taste carbonated drinks, some taste flat while others taste tangy, in the beginning i definitely had the metallic taste in my mouth but that went away pretty quickly, hair loss, memory loss, floaty/spacey feeling, very irritable. | i have to say, this drug really has grown on me, only because i went from 3 to 4 migraines a week to about 1 every 2 weeks now. the doctors goal was to bring them down to about 1 or 2 a month hopefully less. i started out at 50mg, in the beginning it really messed up my menstrual cycle it was like i constantly had my period for at least a month and a half. ive been extremely irritable and moody, which you definitely need to watch out for because it really comes and goes but it can be pretty intense. in the beginning i had the metallic taste in my mouth bad that went away pretty quickly, and over the first few weeks was really hard because thats when you are starting to get used to the spacey feeling. it can be extremely frustrating, especially depending on what you do for a living, it can be a nuissance. the main thing that has really been hard for me but ive been trying hard to deal with is the nausea. most days are ok but for the most part i constantly feel sick to my stomach and its really hard for me to eat, or i forget to eat just because i feel sick. i guess id rather feel this way instead of the excruciating migraines but its a give or take relationship with the topamax. obviously this s/e is what is leading to the weight loss for me. started out at 150, im down to 134 after 2 mos and its mainly bc i cant eat w/o feeling sick to my stomach, i never vomit, though. the other thing is the hair loss, i can deal bc i had a lot of hair but it really does start to | F | 25 | 3 months | 11/3/2009 | 2 | Migraines | full body numbness, tingling in hands/feet, light sensitivity, loss of appetite, ringing in ears, moodiness, memory loss, feeling like an idiot all the time | 50 mg. It's probably not directly responsible for the moodiness; that may merely be a result of feeling like an idiot all the time, which is caused by the memory loss. I struggle to remember the most basic words, dropping off in the middle of a conversation and sounding like a complete moron when I can't remember my own phone number. There are random days when I almost feel like I'm stoned, really out of it and completely confused by everything. I can no longer drive/open my eyes at night, as the contrast of bright lights with darkness completely blinds me; there also seem to be rippling lines coming off lights, completely blurring my vision. I weigh 100 pounds at 5'7", no longer require numbing medication at the dentist, and can barely hear conversations over the ringing in my ears. Drinking alcohol makes all of this ten times worse... and to top it off, my head still hurts. Thanks, topamax. | F | 17 | 6 months | 11/1/2009 | 4 | Migraines | Weight Loss, Slight memory loss, especially in terms of vocabulary, Mood swings | I was suffering from multiple daily migraines, and was prescribed this by a neurologist, as well as imitrex. After the first couple of weeks I immediately noticed the memory loss as well as the weight loss, though that was a small price to pay for living a pain free life. The pain was beyond description, so it comes down to how bad you want relief. Im very grateful to have been prescribed this, even if I do sound rather uneducated at times when I blank out during a conversation. Another thing i noticed was the first couple of weeks i started taking this, I would have mood swings where i would be depressed for no reason. I know it was a side effect of the medication because im not an emotional person, and its unlike me to be depressed like that. It went away though. Good luck. | M | 24 | 6 months | 10/26/2009 | 3 | daily chronic migraines | vision is messed up, brain is scrambled, i weigh 110 lbs,eye twitches,still have migraines although not "as bad".words are hard to find,feet tingle(thats SOOOO annoying!!!)i think maybe i should carry a picture book with me so when i forget things i have pix(it can be funny at times..you really have to laugh at yourself). | I started taking this about 8 or 9 years ago at the time when they were just starting to discover that it worked for migraines(before they used it as a fad diet pill). I went from 100 mg to what i am now at 400mg a day.I would have thought that i wouldn't be getting any side effects now having been on it for so long, but in reading everyones comments here i can see that maybe that is not true! For the last 1 1/2 yrs, my left eye has been twitching and i could never figure out why(dr blew it off). I have had migraines ever since i was 9 after my bike and i had a run in with the back end of a sports car head first.I still eat imitrex to help "tone' it down.It kept the migs at a point i could tolerate and when they were past that the imitrex took over. Would i rec? Prob not. | F | 49 | 9 years | 10/23/2009 | 5 | Seizures | I have been on this medication for so long now I barely notice the side effects anymore. The main side effects I had were not being able to come up with words I was thinking of and being distracted. I've gotten used to that by now though. I switched from Depakote to Topamax and lost about 50 lbs in a very short amount of time. I had gained a lot from Depakote,but foods def taste different on topamax. | I am very happy with this medication. I have been seizure free for almost 10 years and will continue on this until my dr feels ok taking me off. | F | 27 | 8 years | 10/21/2009 | 4 | Daily Migraine Headaches | So far,not many side effects, starting out very slowly. I am up to 50mgs and have experienced tingling in feet at night. Noticed a little bit of agitation when I first increased, so I went back down for a couple more days. This helped. I think increasing slowly is key!! | I have already noticed a decrease in the intensity of my headaches. It is odd, I will get that first initial stab of pain and then all of sudden it lessens when before it would be time for bed. I am holding out hope for this drug. After reading all of these poor reviews, I did not want to go on it, I fought it, but I also know after trying almost everything else, I had no choice. If your headaches are controlling your life like mine are, sometimes you have no choice. If already I am seeing a difference on 50 mgs I am hopefull I will not have to increase too much. I will post again after more time. Everyone is different. You may handle this medicine just fine and you may not. | F | 36 | 4 weeks | 10/9/2009 | 1 | Mood stabilizer/depression | metallic taste. I felt like a zombie and was totally disassociated from the world. I was on it for 2 years which are actually lost to me because I can't really remember them. | It did help stabilize my mood if being a zombie and being totally unaffected by anything is what you are going for as a result of a prescribed medication. The withdrawal symptoms when I quit taking it were unbelievable I felt like a heroin addict. Sweating, shaking, dizziness. I could have curled up into a ball and died. | F | 40 | 2 years | 10/8/2009 | 3 | Migraines | I was on Topamax on and off for a span of ten years. In the last bout of it, I noticed that I was losing my short term memory. I couldn't remember to do the simple daily things in life, i.e. shutting off my car before I got out.. losing my keys, ect. Since then, I have been prescribed ZONEGRAN in place of Topamax. It has been a life saver. There have been NO side effects whatsoever. | While Topamax did the job- there was a price to pay. Extreme tingling in the arms and legs, memory loss, slurring of the words, terrible word retrieval. | F | 24 | 10 years | 10/7/2009 | 1 | Chronic daily migraine | Extreme insomnia, lack of appetite despite intense hunger, some manic symptoms, increased sex drive. | I could not wait to get off of this drug. It ruined my sleep, which was good before (while taking Depakote). I have been off it for two weeks but still need sleeping pills to sleep even 5 hours (even after switching to taking it during the day). I lost 5 lbs., but only weighed 100 to begin with. It only helped somewhat for headaches. I was up to 75 mg., went down to 50 but had same symptoms. My pharmacist said it has a five-day half-life, so give yourself time when you quit. It will still be in your system for a week or two. | F | 56 | 2 months | 10/5/2009 | 5 | Reflex sympathetic dystrophy | memory loss, hair loss, weight loss, attention span loss I seem to slur @ a high dosage, not be able to find what I want to say or be able to find the right word. | This medicine was not a cured but does manage my pain during the winter months. The highest dosage I've ever been on was 1600mg and I weighed in @ 150 lbs and droped to 98lbs. I use it during the fall, winter and spring and come off it during about the end of April and go back on it @ a low dosage starting in September and go up to 200 mg twice a day. If I have a flair up the dosage increases! I come off of it because my mind needs a rest and my hair seems to get week. | F | 22 | 6 years | 10/4/2009 | 1 | migraine prevention | Severe mood swings, agiation, mental impairment | My now 20 year old daughter began taking Topamax a little over 3 years ago. She would take 50mg 2x a day- In June of this year-with her migraines coming more frequently and more painful she was put on 100mg 2x a day. Her moods became uncontrolable.She was married on July 18,2009-her husband was telling us that she would flip her switch-we blamed the stress of -college-job-newlywed-until we finally noticed how bad it had gotten and thought maybe she had some kind of mental issue-maybe a bipolar disorder-I called our insurance Health advocate-I did not know where to begin to get help-one of his first questions was what medications she was on-When I said Topamax- he said that is a mood elevator-lets start with that-me and her father were stunned-we look back and over the past 3 years and had failed to notice the gradual change in our daughter blaming many other things-highschool-boyfriends-adolesence, but were forced to when she started taking 200mg a day. Our daughter is 5'3'' and 104lbs-she was being overdosed. If we would have read the pamphlet and least one time- we would have seen the warnings right on the pamphlet/Mood Swings/Mental Impairment/Agitation/Possible Suicide..Suicide- Thank-God suicide did not happen. She is being weaned from it right now. It will be a 2 week weaning process and I don't know how long before this poision is out of her system. We look forward to seeing our daughter and her old self return. | F | 41 | 3 days | 9/30/2009 | 3 | Migraines | Tingly in my arms and legs. Twitching in right eye. SEVERE joint and muscle PAIN. | In the beginning it did help the headache. But then I too have felt "Stupid" as some call it. Can't remember simple things or names or words to finish a sentence. And for two years I have had muscle and joint pain, had x-rays and tests, they say go home your fine and now read that one of the side effects is joint and musce pain. Called my Neurologist today and he said no one has told him that before!?!? I am now going off the drug and unless your life is unbearable due to the headache I would not recommend this drug. Please email if you like I know more of you have had the same symtoms. So I did give the drug time after 5 years but now can't deal with it anymore. The PAIN is to great. | F | 53 | 5 years | 9/29/2009 | 2 | chronic migraines | confusion, trouble with word usage, weight loss, metalic taste in mouth, diarrhea, twitching in eye & cheek, hair loss, memory loss, fatigue, problems with comprehension & attention | I was prescribed 50 mg of Topamax 2x daily with the goal of increasing to 100 mg, 2x daily. I have suffered from migraines since the age of 6, and was placed on Topamax as a "last resort" since my migraines had increased in frequency (daily migraines.) The Topamax DID stop the migraines. That part was wonderful. The weight loss was also nice. However, I experienced almost every possible side effect of the drug. I am a college professor and found that I could not recall words during lectures, could not respond to students' questions (they had to repeat their questions 2 or 3 times before I comprehended), and essentially felt like a zombie walking through life. I also experienced extreme fatigue, twitching in my left eye and cheek, hair loss, diarrhea, and of course memory loss. I am a big soda drinker, but found all sodas (and other liquids in general) to taste like metal. I had no interest in food, and found all foods to be tasteless. It was rather scary to be in a confused "cloud" at all times, so I decided to stop taking Topamax and treat the migraines daily instead. I have taken many, many drugs over the years to treat my migraines, and have found Relpax to be the most helpful. (I take 40-80mg. when a migraine sets in.) Although Topamax worked beautifully to control my migraines, I simply could not function in my life or profession without my full cognitive abilities. It was worth the try! | F | 32 | 3 weeks | 9/27/2009 | 2 | Migraines | Nervousness, Anxiety, Abdominal Pain, Weight Loss, Insomnia | Did not work for me | F | 24 | 6 months | 9/26/2009 | 3 | Hemiplegic Migraines - severe | Speech difficulties (wrong words), confusion, weight loss, tingling in hands/feet, visual "tracers", inability to taste or smell, hair loss, spasms in my chest that affect breathing, sleep disorders. | I started taking Topamax (75 mg) six months ago after being diagnosed with complex migraine disorder (hemiplegic migraines with one-sided facial numbness/paralysis and cluster headaches).If you absolutely HAVE to take medication for a migraine disorder like I do, this is the best I have found. My neuro helped me to address some of them with the following tips...Take the medication at night with VITAMINS to minimize the hair loss and nutritional issues. I stopped the vitamins and I can tell you that the side effects came back full force. Multi-vit, folic acid and potassium were suggested by my neuro and pharmacist. Try taking the medication in the pm versus the am. If your side effects are more severe right after taking the meds (like mine are) you will sleep through the worst of it and preserve your job/friends/family life. I started to sleep walk/talk, slur my speech, etc. That doesn't work well at the office. If your hands/feet tingle don't mow the lawn. Don't drink Diet Coke, eat apples or purple jelly beans. Trust me on this. They are the only things that I can taste at all and they taste horrific now. About the weight loss? Tremendous. I shop in the teen section now - at the age of 40 (I'm at a size 2 and dropping). I eat, but it's difficult when everything tastes like...nothing. Maybe the cat and I will share a can of her Purina Pro Plan. Maybe not. | F | 40 | 6 months | 9/24/2009 | 5 | Migraines | right now not many | Here is my WARNING! I have been on Topamax for 2 years when I first started I had the normal tingles but i had those before soem memory lose but I had those with the Migraines, blurry vision had that to with the headaches BUT! in 2/09 I filled my script and when I got it home my pills looked wrong I called the pharmacy and was told that they filled it with a genric, which never told them to but it was cheaper I was told same formula big deal... the doctor had changed my dosage so when I started to have issue's I thought it was because of that. it was not everytime I took this generic drug I was in fact making myself sick. I had intense pain,stomach spasms, severe blurry vision, migraines got worse,my heart would race to the point I thought it was going to jump out of my chest, my hands started to swell, the last straw came when i passed out and had to have 6 stitches in my knee. I talked to my doctor again and this time I told him I was not taking topamax anymore unless he wrote me another prescrition and made sure that it was not filled with generic.. I happened to be in that small percentage of people that can not take generic drugs. Generic drugs are not all the same. so please before you give up on Topamax look at it and make sure it is not generic. | F | 42 | 2 years | 9/23/2009 | 5 | Tingling in my fingers for first few weeks. Loss of Weight. Eye Twitching. Diarrhoea. | Was on 150mg and migraines began to come back so increased to 175mg which I stayed on for about 6 months till the migraines appeared agan so I went to 200mg but this was when I began to experience severe eye twitching and diarrhoea. As soon as I lowered the doseage back to 175mg, the eye twitching stopped and so did the eye twitching and my migraines are very few and far between. I think it is important therefore that a Doctor makes sure to prescribe this according to the weight of the patient as obviously 200mg was enough for a person much heavier than I was. Although I have experienced side affects, I would not stop taking Topamax as it has changed my life. I used to get Migraines at least once a week and swallow numerous pain killers and now I might get a migraine about once every 9 months. | F | 3 years | 9/18/2009 | 3 | Migraines | tingling,numbness in fingers, visual disturbances, bizarre spelling issues, weight loss (10 pounds) | The tingling was weird but tolerable. The visual disturbances were troublesome at night (I no longer could tolerate any glare while driving). Didn't mind the weight loss. Didn't tell doc this bizzarre thing, cause I thought she'd think I was nuts, but was always double typing/writing words in emails, or letters. In other words I would would write this! I thought I was nuts, but swear its from the med, once I stopped, it went away. It did help with my migraines though, suffered for many years with them. Was up to 100mg daily. | F | 33 | 2 years | 9/16/2009 | 3 | Migraines | ....... | Im taking topamax right now and have been for about over 5 months maybe more i cant even remember. They previously upped my dosage to about 100mg and want me to go up to 150...if im comfortable there. Because my migraines werent going away...& they findout that apparantly it was working because i had accidently forgot to get the topamax from my mothers and missed taking it for 2 days and ended up with a 3 day migraine. NOTHING helped.Which apparently that meant my migraine needed the medicine from what she told me. Idk. I dont like blaming things but lately i have been Depressed, I dont have friends anymore, i havent had a normal bowel function (constipation),Major mood swings,and im always angry, Ive always been smart but now my class is getting harder for me, ive fallen behind. I probably wouldnt take this medicine without researching it and knowing EVERYTHING. If only my doctor mentioned all this...all she had to mention was weight loss which didnt happen till i was upped to 100mg and ive lost 10 pounds. Im thinking about gettin off this medicine...and yes i feel stupid.So RESEARCH first! | F | 18 | 5 months | 9/14/2009 | 3 | frequent migraines | short term memory loss, loss of sex drive, stuttering, weight loss | Although Topamax was wonderful for getting rid of my daily headaches and migraines I could not handle the side effects. I experienced short term memory loss, complete lack of a sex drive and I stuttered...quite a price to pay! The lack of headaches was very new for me. I have had headaches for weeks at a time since I was a small child. It was amazing to go without them for a while but I could not comprehend anything and had a difficult time speaking. I hope others are able to use it successfully! | F | 31 | 2 years | 9/7/2009 | 2 | Seizure disorder | Appetite loss and severe cognitive side effects including memory loss, inability to focus, find words, complete sentences, etc. | My neurologist suggested the switch from Depakote to Topomax for its appetite side effects. (I had gained lots of weight during my years on Depakote.) Unfortunately, I couldn't wait for the pounds to drop off because the stupidity set in so fast. After a week on Topamax, I had become so ineffective at my consulting job, I had to take a week off during my transition back to Depakote. I'll take overweight and sharp-minded any day. The good Topamax news: I didn't have a seizure during my two-week switch. | M | 50 | 2 weeks | 9/7/2009 | 3 | Bad Migraines | Loss of appetite, Anxiety attacks, lack of motivation and depression. | Initially Topamax helped stop the migraines which was a blessing in itself. However, I did have to cut down on the dosage that I was taking and even now I don't take it every night. Even though I haven't had a bad migraine in several months, I feel like I've lost nearly a year out of my life from all the side effects I've been experiencing. You take the medicine to help you have a better life per se.....not to withdraw into a shell and shut the world out. But again - Topamax did (does) prevent my migraines. | F | 37 | 1 years | 9/1/2009 | 1 | migraine prevention | STUPIDITY... couldn't speak right, couldn't find the right words, couldn't remember anything. And, it didn't go away when I stopped taking it! | I wouldn't take this drug again if someone paid me. I've been off of it for 3 years now and I never regained my cognitive losses. It was bad enough having frequent migraines. At least I used to be articulate and intelligent. Now I have frequent migraines and can hardly put a sentence together. | F | 44 | 2 months | 8/24/2009 | 5 | migraines | initial 2 weeks only-dizzy, nausea,...; after 5 yrs, noticing memory issues that isn't "cute" and way too young to be part of the aging process. | It's been awesome! Lost weight at first, but you can't depend on it as a diet drug; no side effects and used to have 1 migraine/wk to none; but recently noticed memory problems that isn't normal and realized it has to be the topamax; not sure what to do? | F | 41 | 5 years | 8/23/2009 | 1 | alcohol and cutting cravings | CHRONIC MUSCLE WEAKNESS (as in deconditioned muscles...) Terrible skin problems!! Palpitations and irregular heartbeat causing extreme anxiety and fatigue | This pill is evil. Coming off it is like something out of a horror movie -migraine lasted for 5 days; nausea; fever; lack of energy; dizziness and passing out; high pitched buzzing in ears... It's been two weeks off the pill and I'm still in bed. Feeling alot better, and happier though. Muscle weakness has improved, I can walk short distances without extreme pain; fever and migraine still comes and goes; still occasional dizziness with spot in front of eyes | F | 20 | 4 months | 8/20/2009 | 4 | depression/mood stabilization | severe tingling in feet, especially heels, when driving, sitting, and/or sleeping; decreased appetite; weight loss; difficulty retrieving names or previously known information (this is particularly devastating, as I am a teacher). | Despite the side effects, which have affected my quality of life, this drug lifted me out of my hopelessness and brought be back to feeling stable and able and eager to function in my life. | F | 24 | 3 weeks | 8/19/2009 | 1 | bi polar | my side effects were VERY severe. MAJOR tingling all over, felt really dizzy and nausea. had no taste for any food. I LOVE asian food and I could not eat anything but fruit because I felt sick if I had carbs. Strange. | I started taking because of bi polar. I ONLY took this for 2 days and i experienced major side effects. I am very active and I work out everyday. The second day I took topamax i had trouble breathing. I felt like i was going to die. Also, I stopped taking the day and having tingling sensations all over my body. It is constant and is not worth it. DO NOT take this drug if you get side effects easy!!!!! | F | 19 | 2 days | 8/18/2009 | 3 | Migraines | Mental stroke like symptoms; focus/concentration problems; fatigue; tiredness; speech problems | It helped my migraines go away but made me not be able to talk properly. I knew what I wanted to say but the words would not come out. The focus/concentration was off if there was more than one thing going on. I was tired all the time. I did sleep better at night though. I could not work. | F | 28 | 7 days | 8/17/2009 | 1 | seizure | aggressive/hostile behavior suicidal forgetfullness trouble finding words, word substitution leg cramps hair became course and curly/frizzy joint and muscle pain non-convulsive seizure with bizarre behavior(different type of seizure than what I was taking this for.) Fear and panic attacks | I stopped taking it 15 months ago, and some of the effects are still with me. I can't think like I used to; I'm not as sharp. I forget what I'm doing or what I'm saying. I can't find the right word. I will substitute words that have some of the same letters. I get disorganized. I can't remember things that people told me, or remember directions. I can't concentrate like I used to, and I have trouble following what people are saying- it doesn't seem to register for a few minutes. However, the following side effects have stopped: suicidal thoughts, aggressiveness, hair turned course and semi-curly, tingling pain in hands and feet, leg cramps, joint and muscle pain | F | 43 | 5 years | 8/16/2009 | 1 | Migrane | personality change | My wife was put on topamax about 3 onthes ago she completely changed in personallity selfish, mean, wanted me to support her while she runs awhile. she has cheated on me and requested a divorce. she refuse to get off medicine saying her migranes r now gone. my self, her mother and my kids hardly can see herself. i am not sure if it this drug but i would like to her to at least consider it. | M | 45 | 90 days | 8/16/2009 | 4 | migraines | Tingling of fingers and feet (mainly heels), weight loss, "word dropping", taste changes | After first trying Depakote and gaining 40 pounds my OB GYN was very worried and really wanted my neurologist to at least have me try the Topamax. I have been on it for 4 mos now and have lost 20 pounds (yay!) but I am a much pickier eater - but for the better. I do get tingling in my fingers and feet - it's worse when I go from cold to hot & my heels will sometimes bother me in the middle of the night & wake me up. I read that flax seed oil can help. I do sometimes forget things, like today in a cinversation I was having I couldn't remember the name of a band - but it always comes back to me. I used to get migraines every day and now I am not.I am so glad that I am not suffering the severe side effects that some people suffer with Topamax because the alternative migraine prevention medication, Depakote, almost always causes major weight gain and that isn't fun either. | F | 43 | 4 months | 8/9/2009 | 1 | migraines | almost constant headache, body aches, not feeling well,ringing in ears, hard to concentrate, not talking right | my migraines have been getting worse and I dislike taking so much excedrin and imitrex so I thought I would try this (at my Dr's suggestion). I started at 25mg a day for 7 days then 2 times a day for 7 days with a plan to go to 100mg a day. Day 11 my head still hurts, my body hurts. I already had a problem with my ears ringing and it is twice as bad. I could not concentrate at work and I could not talk straight. This is not a help it is just more problems. I had already decided to wean myself off this medicine and this web site just reinforces my suspicions of the medication and my reasons for not taking it. | F | 53 | 11 days | 8/9/2009 | 1 | Epilepsy (GrandMal) | Severe side effects across the board. Euphoria with inability to control myself. Panic attacks. Speed like feelings. Strange changes to taste. | On my first, and lowest possible dose, I flipped right out into a panic attack after 18 hours. The attack lasted for 6 hours and put me in the hospital. They call this one Dopamax for a reason, but despite feeling heavily doped, I also felt the other extreme... Speedy rushes and triggered flight responses. The panic attack was preceeded by my feeling urges to rush into the hallway and pace in my room despite having been trying to calm myself down and watching TV. Very unpleasant and frightening. A shame as I also have Migraines. Would have had two birds with one stone if I could have tolerated this drug. | M | 30 | 1 days | 8/7/2009 | 1 | Epilepsy | Major weight loss, loss of the ability to pretty much function at anything, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue. | This drug is just plain ridiculous and should not be prescribed to anyone. I lost 50 pounds in 3 months, I was overwieght so this wasn't a horrible side effect in my eyes but the weight loss was initially the reason I had to go off of it. I was never hungry so I would go a day or two without eating or eating very little and dropped down to 105 lbs and I am 5'8". I also loss the ability to function cognitively, I was an honors student in middle school with a 3.8 GPA and after about 6 months of being on the medication they referred me to a learning specialist because I was doing so poorly in school, my IQ tested at 70 which by definition is mental retardation. They took me off the medicine and I eventually regained my cognitive abilities and managed to make it through college with a 3.6 GPA. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG. | F | 24 | 2 years | 8/5/2009 | 5 | Fibromyalga | Weight Loss (30 lbs in 2 months) - Hair falling out (mine is very thick so I am good on that one) - Unable to focus on specific tasks | I started out with a low dose of Topamax 2 years ago and now take 100 mg in the AM and 100 at night. I feel much better. The weight loss is great, although the loss of appetite can be dangerous because I forget to eat all day long sometimes. I am currently taking Klopnopin at night for sleep/ RLS , but my Dr just changed me to Amitriptyline which I decided I am not going to take after reading the stuff on here. I am starting my masters this month so i will probably get something to help with the focus issues if it continues. | F | 23 | 2 years | 8/3/2009 | 1 | Headaches/seizures | Nerve damage, eye damage, weakness,liver problems,toxic to my body would not recommend this drug to anyone! | F | 48 | 1 months | 8/2/2009 | 3 | Stress, weather/hormone-related | None yet | I haven't started taking Topamax yet, I have a doctor's appointment next Thursday and plan on asking for an RX for it, I'm doing my homework first to decide if it would even be worth it. I suffered from severe hormonal migraines when I was a pre-teen/teenager. In recent years I've begun getting SEVERE weather-related migraines(to the point I get tunneled vision and nausea),in one recent instance I even blacked-out briefly. I've also noticed a trend towards increased frequency of headaches/migraines during high stress periods. I admit, some of the side effects sound scary enough to the point I'm thinking of just "sucking it up" and living with the problem. However, Topamax has seemed to help an exordinate amount of people, and the weight loss is the most alluring plus about it (as I've gained 50lbs since going on birth control). Here are my questions: How bad is the cognitive dysfunction? I'm in the Veterinary Medicine field, incorrect spelling isn't much of an issue but not being able to calculate drug doses will be problematic. Do the mental side effects wane over time as the body becomes adjusted to the medication? Is the "flightiness" concentrated only on forgetfullness? I also have ADHD, so I'm already somewhat incapacitated with my attention span. How expensive is Topamax? I am uninsured,so I will be paying out-of-pocket. Thanks for y'alls time reading this ;-D | F | 29 | 0 times | 7/31/2009 | 1 | Migraines | forgetfullness, dopey feeling, MAJOR joint pain. | This only dropped my migraines to once a week, I was still not able to work, so the joint pain was just not worth it alone. I was literally UNABLE to get out of bed because it hurt my joints so bad! I forgot everything - what day it was, was I supposed to be picking up the kids for carpool, etc. | F | 41 | 4 months | 7/29/2009 | 3 | Migraines | Just started, nothing to report yet | M | 28 | 60 days | 7/28/2009 | 4 | frequent migraines / bipolar type 2 | weight loss, really bad short-term memory, trouble concentrating, diarrhea, bad balance, lightheadedness, irregular heart rate, fatigue, etc. | overall, it helped my headaches very well. but i found myself not being able to have a conversation without struggling for words. i went from 140 to 105 pounds. i'd forget to eat and not be able to find anythiing that appealed to me. i'd almost pass out upon standing. i don't know. it has it's pros and cons. | F | 18 | 1 years | 7/22/2009 | 1 | epilepsy | tingling in hands and feet to the point I could no longer feel my toes or fingertips, extreme anger and mood swings, complete loss of ability to concentrate, no longer able to drive (I would forget I was driving and start looking out the side window), reading was almost impossible (It would take me about 30 minutes per page to get a general idea of what I was reading), had trouble holding a conversation with anyone because I would forget what I was saying, or forget I was being spoken to and wander away (This one really annoyed my husband) | I was being switched off a med that worked well because my Dr. insisted the new ones were better. My husband almost immediately started telling me he thought I was having problems on this med and I would get mad at him about it. I kept insisting that he was the one having a problem. I was in college at the time and began failing ALL of my classes. My GPA was 3.8, so this was abnormal. That was when I recognized there was a problem. I tried to contact my doctor, but he was on a month long vacation. His partner told me to stay on topamax until my regular doctor was back, but add another med. I went back to dilantin against his orders. Side effects faded and I managed to pass all my classes. If I hadn't been so angry on the med I'd have probably gone off of it sooner, but I got really mad and stubbornly argued thet I was doing fine. However the day I nearly drove off the side of the highway because I forgot I was driving was the last day I drove while taking this, my husband drove me to my classes. Quality of life on this med was very low. When he got back my doctor wanted me to try it again, I found a new doctor. | F | 33 | 6 months | 7/22/2009 | 2 | Migraine Prevention | Soda tasted flat at first, tingling sensation(hands, feet, legs, & arms), changes in my menstrual cycle, off and on constipation, loss of appetite (Didn't mind this one. I lost about 10lbs), abdominal pain, and wierd body odor. | I have been on Topamax for about 3 months. I am currently on 125 mg a day(50mg in the morning and 75mg at bedtime). I was put on this medicine as a preventive med because I have Basilar Artery Migraines which causes me to go blind. I have no warning as to when this is going to happen so I feel the need to be on a preventive med. The medicine I was on before didn't seem to be working as well so I decided to try this one. Since being on it I have had more migraines then I can remember. I have also experienced quite a few of the listed side effects as well as others that are not listed on the web site. For some people this drug might be the only option and it might have worked very well for them, but for me I am getting off of it. I have decided the side effects are to severe for me. While I do like the weight loss it is not worth the constant migraines and I am still getting the vision changes. I have decided to go back on my old medicine which actually (now looking back)worked extremely well for my migraines. The medicine was CYPROHEPTADINE. It is a very old med that many doctors don't use anymore, but worked very well for migraines. Hopefully this will help someone out. Think twice before starting this medicine. | F | 21 | 3 months | 7/21/2009 | 3 | Migraines | Topamax is a miracle drug for migraine avoidance, but not worth the side effects. The funny tasting carbonation effect went away, but the memory loss and inability to focus and process information increased. I quit taking it a few weeks ago and hope that I regain some intelligence soon. | M | 33 | 3 years | 7/20/2009 | 1 | Migraines | HAIR LOSS! If your doctor is telling you that it is just stress, diet or age and you are taking Topamax get ready to lose your hair. | I've had migraines since age 7. Maxalt used upon the beginning of a migraine would make the headache go away and within an hour sometimes two I was feeling much better. My doctor suggested Topamax which is finally available as a generic. Amazingly the number of people who are reporting hair loss is incredible! A migraine lasts a few hours, your hair loss may last forever. Luckily I had a lot of hair, it has thinned considerably and I just hope that now that I am no longer taking the medication that this horrible side effect reverses. | F | 37 | 4 months | 7/18/2009 | 4 | cerebellar tremor and paresthesias | fatigue, aggressive and hostile behavior, loss of words, generalized malaise (just not feeling well), i am getting headaches when i wake up and in the evening, not migraine, is it related to the topamax? | I started on 12.5 mg at night and the effect on the paresthesias was amazing. I had been unable to sleep at for almost two weeks because of the intense burning pain and muscle cramps in my legs from loss of nerve innervation. The first night on 12.5 mg I could sleep and the next day my tremor was significantly reduced to the point that i could perform surgery. For me it was a miracle. | F | 55 | 14 days | 7/16/2009 | 4 | excruciating and frequent migraines | memory loss, confusion, loss of balance, loss of words when speaking, words don't come to me as quickly as they used to | Drug is a lifesaver if you can put up with the dopey side effects, being an elementary school teacher, it is hard sounding "stupid" in front of students for a while. But, it sure beat missing school for days due to debilitating migraines. I haven't had a migraine in three years when I would sometimes get them three times a week at one point. They were ruining my life. I had to plan my life around the possibility of getting a migraine. Having two kids and a job--that was difficult to do. This medicine was a Godsend and I am willing to sound stupid in turn for the fact that I know I should be free of migraines. I know it makes you dumber than a box of rocks, but I would rather than be dumb than in pain constantly and nauseous. I couldn't function or have a life before taking Topamax. Topamax may either make you lose weight or keep your weight stable if you weren't overweight to begin with. | F | 37 | 3 years | 7/15/2009 | 5 | Migraine | weight loss (forgetting to eat), tingling in fingers, fatigue then mild less need for sleep | Started at 25 mg once a day with severe fatigue, no real change in migraines. Upped dosage to 50 mg once a day and migraines have decreased from approximately 4 to 5 every week to 1 to 2 every month. Will take the side effects, as they are less debilitating than the migraines. As a side note, I am on the generic topiramate. | F | 39 | 2 months | 7/14/2009 | 1 | Bipolar I | Cognitive slowness and rapid mood cycling. | It did not even cause weight loss and had no therapeutic effect on my bipolar. Some psychiatrist refer to it as "Dopamax." I used it for one year in 2002. | F | 41 | 1 years | 7/3/2009 | 4 | migraine | memory loss, depression, ringing in my ears, lack of focus | I've been headache free but was just tested have have found that I have significant hearing loss in my right ear. The hum and ringing in my ears began about four months ago and seems to be getting worse and louder. I don't think I can live with this. I will be seeing an ENT specialist soon and see what he says, if there is no other reason for the hearing loss I may ask to reduce my Topamax or maybe try getting off of it and see what happens. Also, the memory and focus problems are becoming a problem at work... | F | 52 | 7 months | 7/1/2009 | 1 | Bipolar II | I had tingling in fingers and feet and face, decreased taste and lost my ability to type. All of this was tolerable however it made my moods worse. | I went straight into a mianic episode, and crashed into a depression. Even though I had been more depressed before in my life, Topamax caused me to have suicidal ideation and action and my P-doc told me to stop taking it. The thoughts were still there after stopping the drug so I ended up spending a week in the psych ward of the local hospital so that I could be monitored on a new medication. I also have to continue with partial hospitalization for 5 to 10 days. This drug did not work for me. Don't put up with severe side effects like this, they could be deadly. Talk to your doctor. There are many other drugs out there that can be just as effective. I am so far doing much better on my new medication. | F | 35 | 10 days | 7/1/2009 | 4 | Migraines/benign brain tumor | Tingling in hands and feet; social aggressiveness/lack of inhibition; feelings of regret, remorse over stupid comments/behavior; loss of visual "map" for driving--errors in driving regular routes. | I began taking Topamax after being diagnosed for a benign brain tumor. Already I had experienced years of headache patterns following a serious car accident. Topamax worked--actually works--miraculously for me in SOME ways. I have relief from headaches that have plagued me for twenty years, specifically headache pain at the base of my skull, tension headaches, and occasional migraines that had recently come back at me after years of abatement. Topamax relieved these within one week. Initially I took 25mg morning and night but had to increase within 2 weeks to 25mg morning and 50 mg at night when the lower dosage would not hold back head pain. I have been on this drug for 5 months and am committed to taking it--however, the side effects are daunting. I am a professor and I am now STUPID. This is a professional liablility, no doubt. I have some difficulty keeping my place in conversation. Additionally, what others say about spelling is true--esp difficult for teachers who write on the board. Worse than that, I am already an extrovert, and Topamax takes away some social inhibition. I have said some things in social situations that astound me and later, keep me up nights in fits of shame and remorse. I am struggling now to keep my mouth shut-- a near impossibility. Driving: at times I lose my visual "map". But I'll tell you this--I will try to stay on Topamax; I panic when I think about going back to the head pain that I lived with. TIPS FOR RELIEF: Add Z | F | 47 | 5 months | 6/24/2009 | 3 | Headaches | Numbness and tingling of hands and arms, memory and concentration loss, weight loss, kidney stones, loss of sweating, dilusions, paranoia, and fatigue | I have been on Topamax for about 2 years now. Like everyone else the hardest side effect to deal with is the stupidity I suffer from. Even carrying on the simplest of conversations is very difficult. Over time I began to suffer from some of the more extreme side effects that could become life threatening. To me it is worth it though. My doctors (primary and neurologist) tried many different meds to help elliminate my headaches with no success. I felt like I was dying. For years I suffered from migraine type headaches due to a in-operable brain cyst. The headaches would last weeks and most of the time only a few days in between episodes. That was if I got that much time between them. Sometimes it would only be a day in between them. Then my neurologist suggested Topamax. He explained the side effects very clearly to me and said that they could be very extreme. I was willing to give it a try. I could no longer bear the pain of the headaches any more. So here I am two years later I have only had 7 headaches since being put on the meds. Which is wonderful! To me the side effects no matter how severe are clearly worth it to me. If anyone suffered the kind of headaches I have, then you would agree that the side effects are a small price to pay. However if you are taking the drug for another reason then I can understand that the side effects may not be worth your risk. You have to weight your own personal benefits verses the reasons for taking the medication. As for me every side ef | F | 37 | 2 years | 6/22/2009 | 4 | migraines | memory loss, confusion, tingling, appetite loss, numbness, occasional ringing in ears | I started on 12.5 mg and could barely handle the cognitive side effects, but have gradually worked my way up to 50 mg and it's been a bit of a miracle worker. I admit that while it's strange dealing with full-body numbness and I dislike looking like a twig (went from 135 to 120 at 5'8"), it's nice to finally get rid of the headaches that have been plaguing me for months. The memory loss, confusion, and tingling were only present during the first 2-3 weeks of taking the medicine. | F | 17 | 2 months | 6/16/2009 | 1 | Chronic headaches/migraines | memory loss, lack of concentration/focus, loss of words, 'confusion' | I am a female in my mid-to-late 30's. I was on Topamax for about a year. The memory, vocabulary, concentration, focus, loss of words and 'confusion' got so bad it became a real problem at work and the rest of my life. When I started forgetting how to get home, the neuro doc took me off of it. Those problems decreased a bit, but never entirely disappeared. After weening off the medicine, the full-blown headaches/migraines returned (Topamax only moderately relieved pain). So now in addition to the pain in my head, I have the lingering sides-effects to deal with. It cost me my job. I've been off Topamax for over a year and still have not regained control of my own thought processes. Among other things, it's embarrassing because I feel stupid. I no longer understand about half of what I read, have trouble following (and remembering) conversations, habitually forget what I'm supposed to do/have done/am doing. Forget being able to follow a series of directions. I am afraid Topamax has caused permanent damage to my cognative brain functions and I have no idea what to do about it. Has anyone else experianced this problem? | F | 37 | 1 years | 6/15/2009 | 1 | BiPolar II | Mental lapses, weakness, off balance, diarhhea, weight loss, vision disturbance, severe headaches | ACIDOSIS! If you are experiencing any of these symptoms in a severe or long term manner you need to discuss them with your Dr as they can be a sign of an irreversable and potentially life threatening illness called Acidosis. Google it. God Bless those this medication has helped. | F | 48 | 6 months | 6/13/2009 | 3 | prevent migraines | tingling, minor weight loss, hair loss, cognitive issues, ringing in ears | Dr. added 25mg Topamax daily to my regular 500mg daily of Depakote ER (which was later reduced to 250mg daily). I experienced tingling, minor weight loss, hair loss, lots of cognitive issues (losing train of thought in mid-sentence, can't think of words). After the incessant ringing in the ears was driving me crazy, I asked Dr. to consider something else. Dr. changed me to 250mg daily of Keppra; didn't help ringing. I still suffer from the cognitive issues and the ringing ears! Now on 250mg daily of Depakote ER and 7.5 mg daily of Deplin (for high blood levels of homocysteine). Migraines have subsided, but probably mostly due to onset of menopause. | F | 55 | 2 years | 6/10/2009 | 3 | migraine headache | tingling in the arms, feet, and face especially upper lip area. | So far the only thing that bothers me is the tingling all the time. It's annoying. I really like the curbing of the appetite. It's been about 2.5 weeks since I am on topamax and I am sleeping better at night. | F | 46 | 2.5 weeks | 6/10/2009 | 3 | Mood Stabilizer | Tingling in hands, feet and face. Funny taste in mouth. Fatigue. Soda tastes flat. Fast Heart rate at night. Headaches. Severe Depression which leads to anger. | I can not say I am really satisfied with taking this yet I have only been on it for about 2 1/2 weeks, with all of the side effects that im experiencing its more of a project to take the topamax than anything. But im trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. My dr. says that it will really help with my moods. So far I feel it has made my mood worse. But if after a month of taking it and I do not see a change I am going to get off of it, because I won't be able to deal with the side effects anymore. My dr. has reassured me that the side effects will ease and I will see a great difference in my moods. So we'll see. | F | 22 | 3 weeks | 6/8/2009 | 5 | mood stabilizer | parastesia, difficulty word finding, poor spelling, cocky attitude if that is a side effect. | This stuff is a double edge sword. It destroyed inhibition. Crushed my ability to spell. My hands tingle. I lost abot 20 pounds a plus for me. Umm there is no magic pill but despite the negitives this stuff has been an absolute wonder drug for me. Im a drunk and beer absolutly tastes like shit and the euphoric effects are minimized. I have always let people walk all over me and now I have the courage to confront them and express myself in a correct way rather than letting things build then exploding in rage. I've tried many other meds and this has been the best thing i have been on. I will deal with poor grammer to continue to grow and experience new things and hobbies I wound have attempted before out of fear and poor self esteem. i GIVE IT 2 THUMBS UP. | M | 31 | 1 years | 6/7/2009 | 2 | Migraines | I have been on Topamax now for nine months. Yes, it stopped the headaches, but I cannot handle the side effects. The short-term memory loss is severe. It happened gradually, but now I am realizing I have a severe problem at age 52 (I was a smart lady, retired CPA, Realtor). I literally cannot remember events as short as 30 minutes ago, this is scary and I am getting off this drug. I also have fibromyalgia and the only other medication I take is Cymbalta. | F | 52 | 9 months | 6/6/2009 | 4 | Migraines | I had persistent migraines of every type, cluster, blackouts, disabilitating. They would last for days. I was on FMLA loosing time off work. I am on a blood pressure med, beta blocker, Zomig, Topomax, Pamelor and Naproxyn. ( A couple of these meds are new) I have experienced several side effects. Numb extremeties, hands arms fingers legs feet and toes. Weight loss of 55 pounds ( I am 4'11" I got to a point I had to watch myself) I have confusion and dizzines, sever ear pressure / hearing loss, neck pain and stiffness, plus a loss for words and thoughts. Feel very disoriented at times. Struggling at my job, to perform adequately. Though through all these side effects, since starting the Topomax and increasing my dose to 100mg 2x daily, I am finally not suffering any migraines. I think I have had only one in the last 18 months. Though I have been seeking out medical help for the side effects, not even considering they could have been from Topomax until logging into this site. | F | 46 | 9 years | 6/3/2009 | 2 | loss of memory, cognitive impairment, word finding issues, mood swings would cry easy and some angry outbursts, numbness in lower legs and pain is starting in my L eye. | I was started on Topamax 12/06 at 50mg twice a day. I started to complaint about memory loss, word finding issues and cognitive impairment by 3/07. But since I suffered with migraines since I have been 12 yrs old the doctor said the side effects were worth the issues I was experiencing. As the dosage increased the side effects increased. I didn't notice them all at once but my work suffered and I tried harder and I did not get the resutls I expected. At 62 and will be 63 in August my job in on the line and I am facing going out on a disablity to see if my doctor can regulate my meds to see if Topamax and other drugs can save my mind but still control my migraines. As of today I have been on a reduced dose of Topamax for 1 week and I have had 4 migraines and I headache. Has anyone else experienced balancing Topamax with other drugs with success? Or has anyone gone out on disability because of this drug? | F | 62 | 3 years | 6/3/2009 | 2 | migraines/headaches | ANXIETY ATTACKS & CRYING ALLOT never felt like this before.. | The most diffecult side effect is the crazy anxiety feelings like im losing my mind and i need to crawl out of my own skin and run but there is noplace to get away from the feelings so ya and im a crying mess and im only on 25mg lol gota get off this stuff! asap! im only 20 yet this med makes me feel like im ganna die soon so freakn wierd! i just want my life back.. didnt work for me but it does work for some everyone is different! goodluck | F | 20 | 3 weeks | 6/1/2009 | 3 | Migraines | Tingling in fingers and feet; insomnia; shortness of breath; inability to focus; low sex drive | I have just finished my 3rd wk of 50mg and started my 2nd day of 100mgs. Just when I thought my side effects were starting to ease up, they restarted when the dosage increased. My headaches are not as freqeuent however, my hormonal migraines are not lessened. Using Maxalt for the breakthrough migraines. Have lost 10lbs so far, but still waiting for all of the magical weightloss that is promised. Was one of the side effects I was really looking forward to. Have been batteling my weight my entire life. How long does it take?? | F | 28 | 4 weeks | 5/31/2009 | 4 | Migraines | Loss appetite, carbinated drinks taste awful, change in menstrual cycle, and insomnia | Currently taking generic version of Topamax and doing a great job on relieving my migraines. I went from 9 a month to less then 1 a week. Started at 25 mg and worked up to 200 mg, once I reached 200 mg I no longer could sleep as well. Usually get about 4 hours of sleep a night. Melatonin is helping a little. Other side effects mentioned: tingling, sinus, etc went away after a few days with each increase dose. I did have to split the dose to 100 mg 2 times a day. I am thinking of changing the dose down to 150 mg and see if this still controls the migraines and allows me to sleep better. Wish me luck :) | F | 38 | 60 days | 5/30/2009 | 5 | bilateral vision loss migraine | initially: extreme tightness back of neck; considerable numbness/tingling fingertips; unbelievable mental confusion e.g. inability to retrieve words, recall affected, occassional 'disorientation', dizziness, nervousness; rapid weight loss of about 25 lbs, slight hair thinning. Now (18 mos later) have barely noticeable numbness in fingertips, and weight loss has maintained at 20 lbs, however I feel and am healthy. I still have mild problems with memory and word retrieval, recall, etc., but it's nothing like in the beginning. | At this point I consider topamax a life saver....just a bit frustrating when I "can't find that perfect word" during a conversation! If this is a trade off to my migraines, and the frightening experience of total vision loss, I am more than willing to do my best to tolerate these side effects. Every rose has its thorn as they say! | F | 61 | 18 months | 5/28/2009 | 5 | seizures | none on the Brand Topamax for nearly a year... then switched to the generic and I had immediate problems within 9 days...rapid heart beat, panic attacks, seizures and depression...have no idea why..but am going back on the brand name asap. | I tolerated this med( brand name) well....didn't have any weight loss ( darn). But also, no memory problems that I couldn't blame on age anyway..=) | F | 63 | 11 months | 5/27/2009 | 1 | Seizures | I would not recommend the generic form of Topamax (Topiramate) to anyone. I started the generic form a couple of days ago and recently started feeling shaky and like I am going to have a seizure. | I called my doctor and she called a prescription in to my pharmacy and indicated "Brand Necessary" | F | 33 | 2 days | 5/19/2009 | 4 | migrane | hairloss!!! has is anyone trying the generic form of topamax? topiramite?? I have noticed an increased in appetite? am I the exception to the rule here? everyone is talking about losing weight | F | 36 | 2 days | 5/14/2009 | 1 | GAD, depression | loss of appetite, auditory hallucinations, blurred vision, enhanced sense of smell, shaking, anxiety, depression, the spins, insomnia, night terrors | My psych prescribed this in combination with Pamelor. I had been on Klonopin and Xanax for several years, and was beginning to have depression along with my anxiety. It turns out, the depression was caused by too much Klonopin. Anyway, I had been taking the Pamelor for a few months before starting the Topamax, so these side effects are definitely from the latter. I tried to ride out the side effects, but after a week, I tapered off. It took 2 more weeks until the side effects completely subsided. Awful stuff! | F | 34 | 7 days | 5/10/2009 | 5 | Pain | When I began taking my Topamax and Tramadol mix I felt dizzy and light headed. I felt like I was watching someone else’s life happening. Very tingly hands, feet and face. Also very thirsty. No appetite at all. | I was prescribed Topamax (100 mg) and Tramadol (50 mg) after having three epidurals in my spine for pain. I have to say that after about 6 weeks I started to relax and the combination of the two drugs had done the trick. It was a rocky start. I have lost about 40 pounds in the last 8 months. I have also stopped the Tramadol as I do not need that any longer but still take the Topamax. Still occasionally have the tingly hands, feet and face. The new generic Topiramate causes very weird dreams so I may go back to Topamax and pay the higher fee myself. Not sure yet. | F | 52 | 8 months | 5/8/2009 | 1 | Nerve Pain & Migraines | Bad pins and needles in feet and hands,sickness,awful mood swings, tearful,depression,anxiety,fatigue, lethargy, unable to think straight and spell!, HAIRLOSS! | At first i started on 25mg and increased over a month to 100mg, i took topamax for neuropathic pain in my legs and also migraines. It helped considerably with the migraines only had 1 whilst on the meds although it never helped with the aches in my legs. Would not recommend this med at all, as soon as it kicked in which was a couple of days i felt very sick, dizzy, confused and generally unwell and constantly like i was having an out of body experience 24/7! I have been on this med for 6 weeks now and am dwindling of it i am now down to 50mg a day, i decided to come off it for a number of reasons but mainly because of the severe depression i have gone into, i am now on 20mg of prozac a day and feel that this med has had alot to do with my downward spiral! Also the other main reason is the constant Hairloss, its so scary...after a shower and have washed my hair, the amount of strands that fall out is unreal, after blow drying i am left with atleast 35 hairs on the bed, they are on my pillow in the morning, on my clothes through out the day and even on my plate at meal times!! This is so worrying as you can imagine, luckily i have long thick hair so its not really noticeable....YET!,but its nowhere near in the same glossy shiny condition as it was 6 weeks prior to taking Topamax. My advice would be to try other medications first before trying this, the side effects of weight loss all sounds nice in the beginning but hence to say i have only lost 3 pounds since being on it!!! | F | 30 | 6 weeks | 5/6/2009 | 3 | Migraines | Nausea, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, coke and pepsi taste flat, my spelling could be better,severe gastrointestinal issues, almost to the point where I thought I would be better of dead. | My neurologist started me off at 25 mg and built me up to 250 mg BID, I have spent the past three weeks in bed, unable to move, unable to leave the house. | M | 46 | 6 months | 5/2/2009 | 4 | Migraine | Decreased appetite, weight loss, tingling in feet, cognitive side effects | Has anyone noticed a difference with the generic? I just started taking it and notice that it doesn't decrease my appetite as much. | F | 31 | 60 days | 4/30/2009 | 4 | migraines | tingling in hands and feet, awful taste if I try to drink soda, tongue feels like I burnt on hot coffee all the time, aggressive, weight loss | started at 25 mg and built up to 100mg. After 1st week headaches were gone. It was pretty amazing. Lost 13 lbs first 2 weeks. Some of the side effects are really frustrating but to go from constant, severe headaches to none for 3 weeks I can live with the side effects so far | F | 36 | 30 days | 4/30/2009 | 2 | Migraine with Aura | Initially depression, followed by Blurred Vision, Polyopia, tracers and trails in vision, constant lump in throat and gagging. | Started at 25 milligrams a day, and was increased in 25 mil increments until I reached 100. The depressed subsided at 75 milligrams - but when I reach 100 I developed severe polyopia (multiple vision) which is really prominent at night and upon awakening. It is very scary. I have tracers and trails in my vision, and I am unable to go out or drive at night. I also have developed a constant lump in my throat and have started to gag almost all day long. The side effects are terrible. My doc side the Topomax shouldn't be causing this, but I know it is. I have asked her to decrease my dosage to 75, but the side effects have not decreased. I want to wean off of it all together. And by the way, I have lost only 3 pounds, but didn't have a weight issue anyway. | F | 40 | 5 weeks | 4/25/2009 | 4 | Mood Stabilizer/Impulse Control | Hands but mostly severe feet tingling in the beginning, went away after a few weeks, even after the dosage was ^. Silly, mush brain in the beginning was worse, and still have it occasionally; like will drive pass my street, forget simple words etc. Wanted desperately for the WEIGHT LOSS s/e, but no such luck, infact, I've gained weight, but can't necessarily atttribute to Topamax. Never knew about the funny tasting diet soda, and luckily never experienced that! Never had a problem with the fatigue either, but sleep can be on and off at times. | I take 200mg BID, and I feel like I function really well. Nice and even keeled. I don't have severe mania or depression..my thing is impulse control. My psych did just add Abilify which I'm not too happy about, but we'll see. I just wish I could lose some weight!! | F | 46 | 7 months | 4/23/2009 | 5 | OCD | slight tingling in feet/hands that disappeared over time. I might get it on occassion but I don't think its often enough for me to notice it bothering me | It has helped me VERY much. I originally took it for migraines, but I noticed that I didn't have the OCD issues anymore. At first it took away my appetite, but I quickly adjusted and that wasn't a side effect,unfortunately. I think its been wonderful for me. Recently my RX plan had me switch to generic and I had to switch back even though it cost me more because I was not getting the proper effects from the generic drug. | M | 53 | 2 years | 4/22/2009 | 4 | migraines | Forgetfulness, angry outbursts, fatigue, loss of desire to get out and do anything, spelling problems, loss for words | After suffering for ten years with migraines of at least once a week and all kinds of meds to treat symptoms that didn't work, this is the first med that has given me ANY relief whatsoever, so I'm willing to try to deal with the side effects and hope I can work through them; maybe after time they'll dissapate. However, my job as administrator is suffering somewhat in two ways: I HAVE to be able to think on my feet quickly, this drug definitely hinders that ability. In addition, the out of nowhere, angry outburst can be a real problem......not very professional, so be careful and aware of this. Learn to see the signs of an onset, lest you make a complete fool of yourself in front of your coworkers like I have a couple of times. Additionally, I cussed out my best friend in front of someone else over a Tupperware dish, which really hurt our relationship (and strangely enough, I barely remember the conversation). I'm working hard to mend the damage that was done there but don't know if it's repairable yet. The first couple of weeks were the worst as far as forgetfulness is concerned........got lost for a short time on the way home for work twice, which was really scary. Don't know if I can hang on to Topomax but will try for a little longer because of relief of horrible migraines. Feel free to email me if you have questions, I'd be happy to discuss. | F | 48 | 7 weeks | 4/20/2009 | 1 | Intercranial Hypertension Headaches | Terrible pins and needles,made my moods very bad,felt like harming my loved ones!Turned me in a zombie,sickness and stomache pains. | Was put on these after taking Diamox for IIH,Diamox is a bad drug as well but had got rid of the tingles ages ago,after 3 days my hands and feet felt like I could shoot electric out of them,I was like a zombie and I felt angry all the time,added to that I couldn`t eat anything as I`d eat and then throw up within a few hours.It did help my daily headaches down from a 8 to about 4 but the side effects are not worth it,I thought Diamox was a bad drug until my neuro tried me on these,oh and I can`t spell or talk properly thanks to these,they should be banned! | M | 42 | 5 months | 4/20/2009 | 4 | Migraines | Tingling in fingers, feet and face. Lethargic for a few days when I first increase my dosage. | I have always had tension type headaches and headaches in general and have dealt with them with OTC meds, however, I have never had migraines until about three months ago and I am 42 years old. They struck me with a vengence and were occurring every 2-3 days and incapacatating me and I am normally a very upbeat and active person. Treximet helped some when I got them, but made me look and act like I was in la-la land. I then switched to Maxalt which also helps an active one some, but does not space me out. However, I was still continuing to get them frequently and was having to leave work, miss my daughter's soccer games and was just not able to be me. My regular doc didnt have a clue, so I asked to be referred to a neurologist and he did so. I saw a PA at a local neurologist and she was awesome and spent time with me asking about triggers and etc. She is the one who started me on Topamax and I thank God for that! I have only been on it for two weeks, but in those two weeks I have not had one single migrraine. Yes, soft drinks taste a lil flat and I have some tingling in my extremities, but compared to a migraine that made me curl up in a fetal position and literall wish I was dead...does seem like much of a trade off to me! It stinks that it did not work for some people, but as for me, it was a lifesaver! | F | 42 | 1 months | 4/17/2009 | 1 | Migraines | taste change with soft drinks, dizziness, tingling in hands and forearms, SHORTNESS OF BREATH | I was only on Topamax for 7 days and had to stop because of the breathless feeling. It's been 6 days since my last dose and I'm still struggling to fill my lungs with air. Does anyone know how long side effects persist after treatment has ended? | F | 38 | 7 days | 4/16/2009 | 2 | Hand and feet tingling all the time. Instant total joint and muscle pain over entire body. I thought I was going to die. Eye twitching. | I went on Tomamax 50 mg 10 days ago for Migraine and tension headaches. Within two days, my entire body hurt with muscle and joint pain. I could barely walk. Having painted for 21 hours the weekend before, I thought it was leftover pain from painting. I finally realized it was the topamax and stopped taking it 2 nights ago. The headache got worse immediately the next morning and I am still in terrible pain but I believe it is getting better. The side effects are far worse than the migrains that are 3 times a week and the tension headache that is constant. | F | 46 | 10 days | 4/15/2009 | 4 | bipolar II | UPDATE: Previously reported prolonged bleeding during period; retracting this. Still experiencing word-dropping/misspellings, soda still tastes flat; no more cramps & diarrhea or dry mouth; appetite still quashed: LOST A SOLID 14 POUNDS!! Accidentally skipped one dose, moderate flu-like body aches occurred 12 hours later, but I cannot honestly attribute this to the Topamax. | Couldn't be happier about the weight loss! If this trend keeps up, my 60lb weight loss goal will be realistically reached very early next year, if not a bit sooner. No longer on antidepressants due to horrifying experience with overlapping of getting off Cymbalta and getting on Wellbutrin (Cymbalta more than likely the culprit). Currently sticking with my long time love Lamictal and low dose Topamax (50mg). Keeping my fingers crossed that I do not slide into a deep depression - so I can keep losing weight! | F | 40 | 56 days | 4/14/2009 | 4 | Migraines | Fatigue, Memory loss, Tingling in hands and feet, flat tastes in sodas, dry mouth, upset stomach, loss of appetite | Had about 3 migraines a week and now down to about 2-3 a month. I will continue dealing with the side effects over the migraines. Started out with 25mg now currently taking 100 mg. | F | 34 | 1 months | 4/13/2009 | 4 | Migraines | Tingling in the hands and feet, memory loss, change in taste buds | I've been on Topamax for over a year now and I've gone from having 5 migraines a week down to 1-2 a month. I went from 100 mg down to 75 to try and lower the side effects and I'm back to drinking Coke and it tastes fine now. I had been sleeping better than I have in years but this last week or so they came out with the generic and I wonder if it is causing strange dreams and paranoia. I have to say I feel different than I did previously. My dreams have been crazy since switching. I'll give it a few more days but if it doesn't get better, I won't be taking the generic anymore. | F | 38 | 1 years | 4/11/2009 | 5 | Bipolar II - Weight loss | Weight loss, severe tingling toes, loss for words, fatigue in begining, carbonated beverages taste flat | I am taking 200 mg a day and I am taking it since February 2008. My doctor prefered trying on me Topamax over Lithium since I was already overweight and had a binge eating problem. At first, I was only taking Topamax and experienced a mild depression period. Since then, I am taking Wellbutrin with it and it is working great ! Now, every side effects have are gone (be patient and don't worry, the fatigue and the memory loss won't be permanent) but I am keeping the weight that I have loss (50 pound in 1 year) and no more binge eating ! As for the tingling... the solution is to take a supplement of potassium and I garantee that you will be free of it ! | F | 36 | 13 months | 4/8/2009 | 5 | Migraines | Weight loss, tingling, cognative functioning diminished at first, loss of appetite | TAKE VITAMIN B SUPPLEMENTS. Specifically FOLIC ACID. Topamirate depletes folic acid, & if you look up symptoms of low folic acid they are nearly identical to Topamax - fatigue, tingling, congative problems. But the weight loss is still a side effect even if you take B. Once I upped my folic acid intake, I eliminated most of the negative side effects. I went from 3 migraignes a week to at most 3 a month. Love it. | F | 27 | 3 years | 4/8/2009 | 3 | Migraines | Numb and Tingling fingers | I've just begun taking Topamax & find that I have numb and tingly fingers, my temper seems to be raging and I have to control it, it's really strange. I did notice that I started to get a migraine, but it never became full blown today, it actually went away before it became full blown which I was thankful for. I have noticed some nausea and not a great appetite..which is fine, I have lost about 5 lbs in 7 days, which I am also not complaining about. I hope it works for my headaches, but the tingly fingers are really annoying. | F | 41 | 7 days | 4/7/2009 | 3 | migraines | eye twitching, pins and needles/numbness in extremities, minor weight loss, weird vision things | i have been on and off of topamax for the last few years. i truly suffer from terrible migraines and am at a loss for what to do. i am giving it one more shot. in the past i've had similar side effects, but more weight loss and never the eye twitching issue before. has anyone had migraine success with topamax? has anything helped the side effects? potassium supplements used to help with the tingling, so i'm hoping it helps again with the twitching. please contact me art2ucc@gmail.com if you have any insight. | F | 25 | 30 days | 4/2/2009 | 5 | tension headaches, migraines | tingles, weight loss, some loss of train of thought in begining, fatigue in begining | Has really helped with my headaches. The weight loss was a nice side effect, but could be bad if too thin. I need to keep an eye on it. Currently at 200mgs. If you experience hair loss you need to take a GOOD multi vitamin with selenium and zinc! You can even add those onto you multi! Add omega 3's in as well! Hair loss on this drug is due to selenium and zinc deficiency. | F | 32 | 8 months | 3/28/2009 | 4 | seizure | at first i was extremely tired, all i wanted to do was sleep, weightloss(9lbs), loss of appetite, foods taste mildly different, and i actually think my hair feels thicker | i'm on a switch from a large dose of depakote, which i have been on for a long time and my body just isn't responding to effectively any longer... i have been on seizure medication most of my life, i have tried topomax previously but it was at a time when they found other more "effective" drugs for me, i am very happy with the weightloss so far i hope i lose more depakote has put alot of weight on me through the yrs. currently i am only on a small dose of topomax 100mg/day i am very happy so far but i am always afraid when i switch medicine, i have read about many ppl having more energy, i say "give it to me!", as far as weightloss goes, "i can afford to lose another 60lbs.", as far as distaste for carbonated beverages, "i dont like them anyway" wanting healthier foods, "artichokes and spinach are my 2 favorite foods!" so i think if those are the problems that people have with topomax gimme the problem!, and if i have a dopey moment oh well i know how to laugh at myself! i have been on disability for my seizures for about 10yrs now, i am tired of it, i want to be able to get out and do what i want in life! and if topomax gives me the energy then i say i am glad i am switching to topomax! i still have 1 more month until i am at my dose amount of 200mg at which time i will decrease my depakote, and stay on my dilantin with my topomax. | F | 35 | 1 months | 3/26/2009 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
