TOPAMAX Reviews (TOPIRAMATE)Average Rating: 3.0 (1824 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare TOPAMAX with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Gender with females listed first (reviews with no gender reported listed before females). Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 |
More on TOPAMAX: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR TOPAMAX | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | Migraines | "Stupemax" -- significant problems with concentration and memory, lasted about 6 weeks and then went away; tingling/prickly pain in feet occurs sporadically, lasts a few minutes; can't drink soda anymore, it tastes flat. | I was started on 50 mg, then increased to 100 mg. I used to have about 2-3 migraines a month. I had one before increasing to 100 mg and one since. The most surprising part for me has been that, not only has it stopped my migraines, I now also rarely get the tension headaches I have gotten almost daily since the age of 9. This medication has completely changed the quality of my life. I was very hesitant to try it, for a long time, because of the side effects I'd read about, but it's been an amazing treatment for me. I wish I would have tried it years ago. | F | 35 | 3 months | 2/4/2007 | 5 | Severe Migraines | None so far - other than excessive crying - not sure if this is a side effect! | Life pre topomax was categorized as "time between headaches". I rarely went for more that 48 hours without a severe migraine. After years on Fiorinal the rebounds were killing me. Tried everything else, from acupuncture and TENS to Imitrex, nothing helped. 30 years of this was enough. My Neurologist took me off Fiorinal - 3 weeks of total hell, and put me on Topomax. 12.5mg to 25 now on 50 after 3 weeks, with goal of 100mg. Headaches are wayyyyyy improved (except for the one I have right now due to that lovely glass of red wine I gave in to last night)BUT I have noticed that over the last 3 days, since I've gone up to 50mg, I AM CRYING AT THE DROP OF A HAT! I mean sobbing - TV commercials, thoughts of my daughter going to college, Grey's Anatomy, you name it, I'm crying. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS SIDE EFFECT??? Or should I talk to my shrink :)?? | F | 44 | 3 weeks | 1/28/2007 | 5 | Epilepsy | Soda tastes funny, kan't spell | This is a wonder drug for me. After trying almost every other drug out there and feeling half dead from the side effects I feel alive. Tons of energy. No seizures. The side effects are minimal compared to past AEDs. Oh, and the tingly hands stops if you take it with oj. :-) I thank the Lord for this drug. It's like a door has opened and I have my life back. | F | 40 | 23 days | 1/30/2007 | 5 | Cervical Dystonia; Bipolar II | tingling of extremities; soda tastes "odd", but I am still drinking it out of habit; agitated; loss of appetite(hoping to magically melt off 30+ pounds, but it probably won't happen); agitation; decrease in sweating (this is a good thing for me); actual ability to concentrate more; a happier outlook on life in general; regular stools | I cannot write a full essay so will be as brief as possible. I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease back in 2003. I started out at my Chiropractor who could not help. I saw an Upper Back Specialist and we began physical therapy. He referred me to a Pain & Spinal Diagnostics Doctor who did trigger injections, nerve blocks, epidurals and radiofrequeny. I then went to a Neurologist who suggested the Botox. We have beeen doing this every 3 months. I take 8 Norco 10/325 tabs daily. I also am taking 2 40mg Oxycotin per day. This all to control my neck pain. My Neurologist suggested Topamax almost two months ago and I am just reaching a dose of 200mg where he plans to keep me at. This has been a blessing for me in so many ways. I've been in constant pain for the past 3 years and it has effected all aspects of my life. I am now 90% pain free and do not dread getting out of bed in the mornings. I basically had a constant pressure of pain in the back of my head that nev | F | 37 | 2 months | 10/31/2006 | 5 | Partial Seizures, severe migraines | Extreme tingling in feet and calves, weight loss of 25 lbs, initial nausea and sickness while upping mg, soda tastes like sewer waste, decreased appetite, apathy. | I have been on many different seizure medications since 1989 and Topamax is by far the best and works the best. The soda pop tasting horrible starting immediatly first tasting flat then horrible within two days. Decrease of appetite was also combined with disinterest in food. Appetite suppression has lasted for the four months I have taken Topamax. Most weight loss occured in first month. First month was roughest with no energy and being sick a great deal from upping the medication. Apathy- at first I thought it might be depression but it felt different. I was depressed I just didn't really care about food or have an opinion about anything. That did pass. Food sensitivity also prevelant could not eat any strong smelling foods such as BBQ. Also have not had a desire for alcholic drinks. I stopped driving due to dizziness it felt like I had two drinks under my belt when I drove my friends to the airport like I couldn't focus completely. Still don't feel completely comfortable. | F | 37 | 4 months | 11/20/2006 | 5 | PGTC Seizures | extreme weight loss to point of hospital- now stabilized at below average but healthy, got the 'stupids, painful tingles, 'light chasers', irritable, increased want for sex, sad more than usual, stopped sweating, soda taste yechy, food taste different and sounds gross, hyper. Potassium dropped to dangerous- hospitalized twice. hairloss. break out on face and chest. (zits not rash). Dose= 250mg twice a day. total = 500mg | Topamax took away my gran mals/tonic clonic seizures for the first time in 10 years. WOW. wonder drug! I was amazed. AND after figuring out that I needed potassium supplements, lots of water, B comlex vitamens in high doses, selenium and bioten - the side effects started to dissapear. Now I no longer get any of the side effects listed above, including the soda taste that everyone on topamax gets. My brain is clearer (although not as clear as before topamax), memory improved, weight a little bit better, potassium back to normal, face cleared up 100%, hair back to shiny soft and full, I feel happy again- and the 'big' seizures are still gone. I am very happy with this drug. very very happy. I also take dilantin and lamictal for my partial seizures and tizanidine for my dystonia. I have a VNS in but am soon to get it removed due to it not working. (partials are still uncontrolled) I love topamax. I started topamax right after approval in 1996 | F | 28 | 10 years | 11/10/2006 | 5 | Severe Migraines | Minor tingling in hands,feet and tongue. Diarrhea and slight stomach pains. Rapid weight loss, altered taste, curved appetite. | This is my second time on Topamax. I was previously on Topamax for about a year and a half and lost approximately 65 lbs due to the curved appetite. In that time never experienced one migraine, instead had maybe one or two small tolerable headaches. I then went off due to pregnancy and breastfeeding. Once my daughter was weaned I immediately called my doctor and was put back on my Topamax. I am only in my first week this go around, but so far... NO MIGRAINES!! | F | 29 | 1 years | 11/10/2006 | 5 | alcohol addiction | slight tiredness in the first three weeks, but has gone away now. I have been on topamax for 8 weeks now. | Has been a miracle - has taken away from cravings for alcohol completely. I have even given up smoking | F | 61 days | 9/20/2005 | 5 | Migraines | Titration period (25 mg to 100 mg): AWFUL heartburn no matter what I ate and/ or diarrhea. Exhaustion. During and after: Still cannot taste carbonation. Short term memory is pretty bad; I write EVERYTHING down. I lose my words often, mostly nouns, worse when I am tired. Neuropathy in toes, occasionally fingers | All the side effects to say, I am still very happy with Topamax. No more worrying about the weather (ie. humidity, barometric pressure etc.)- which was my BIGGEST trigger. Some things still bother me, but not as bad (ie. smells, not enough sleep etc.) but if I catch it early enough I can actually stop it with OTC meds now. I still get the post-migraine "fuzzy" feeling but without the migraine, and I am ok with that. Occasionally I will have an awful period and have to take a Relpax and lie down for a couple hours, but that's only once a month maximum. I loathe the cognitive side effects, but I am learning to live with them and find ways to deal with and get around them. As my doctor told me when I complained of feeling "stupid", the Topamax stops migraines, which stops lesions from forming on your brain (like the lesions that Alzheimer's patients get!!!) so while you might feel stupid, it's actually stopping you from becoming "stupid". If you are thi | F | 34 | 6 months | 11/21/2006 | 5 | migraiines and headaches | muscle spasms to begin with, sodas tasted realy bad, carbonated mineral water somewhat bad, lack of apetite and weight loss(woohoo - 6 more pounds and I'm ideal), extremely dry skin especially face (from topomax or cooking for thanksgiving - definitely not from sun or outdoors???) | I was going through imitrex and codeine #4 like candy(no nsaids - I bleed). After logging in a month with only 8 days of no headaches & 3 4-day severe migraines (+3 demerol shots that month), I went on 50 mg 2ce a day topomax. I got severe muscle pains in my lower back under my waist on either side for 1st 5 days. Then various back pains (muscle spasms? - never center - sometimes 4 in below waist one or both sides, sometimes side of back 4 in above waist, sometimes, pains in foot or leg. After 21 days on this, I took a road trip, and I drink no sodas because of osteopenia (nearly reversed from hi ca and mg naturally carbonated mineral water and lifting weights), but I bought a coke. I got through only about 1/4 of it before tossing it. The taste was indescribable (bad)! I was red and hurting and sore and now am peeling around my eyes and nose and mouth. Is this from topomax (no sun for 3 weeks)? Pains are now low to gone. One mild headache in 26 days after 3 hrs sleep cookin | F | 60 | 26 days | 11/30/2006 | 5 | BIPOLAR 1- ultradian cycling | flat tasting soda, food in general tasted different, somnolence (after evening dose) MOTIVATION! MORE FOCUS! | DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION SOLELY FOR WEIGHT LOSS! If you do not have temporal lobe issues or problems with deja vu, jamais vu, INTENSE mania, ultra rapid/ultradian cycling due to bipolar disorder, migraines, or seizures, THIS MEDICATION IS NOT FOR YOU! you cant expect it to be a wonder drug and help to get rid of the 60lbs you gained from lithium or zyprexa or anything else you were taking before. it WILL make you dumber than a box of hammers. This medication has given me my life back. its given me my life back. finally able to work to my full potential. its mixed with lamictal (250mg) and i dont plan to stop anytime soon. my doctors can try to pry it from my cold, dead hands. | F | 25 | 6 months | 9/23/2005 | 5 | Migraine- severe!!! | loss of appetite, carbonated drinks taste flat, loss of libido, lost five lbs. in less than two weeks, tingling in digits, clumsiness in hands, forgetfulness,extreme sleepiness for the first week | I have had only 1 mild migraine in the last 1 1/2 months...I'm used to having 6 severe ones in that amount of time! The side effects are irritating, but considering I was losing my mind from the migraines, it's not a bad trade-off. The migraines were ruining my life.People who don't have them do not understand! I've tried so many things, but the side effects from those were even worse! I'm going to the Dr. this week to talk about maybe lowering my dosage from 100mg/day to maybe 75/day...maybe that will help the s/e a bit! The weight loss is kind of nice...but I really don't want to lose anymore, so maybe the dose change will stop that too- & I really need to get my libido back...my husband isn't very thrilled with that either!(my comeback is- at least I don't say I have a headache!!!) | F | 33 | 1 months | 10/18/2006 | 5 | migraines | loss of appetite, feeling goofy, feeling really silly and laughing and the most not funny things (anyone else have this happen??) and soda tastes GROSS | I love this stuff... no more headaches.. and laughing alot is kind of funny too! | F | 26 | 2 weeks | 11/13/2006 | 5 | Bipolar, Depression, Anxiety | Weight Loss,Hair Loss,Tingling hands/feet, memmory/word loss in the beginning which is now better clarity than ever! Dull sttomach ache. | This is a wonder drug for me. I gained 150 lbs while taking Depakote because I was constantly hungry. I have lost 81 lbs since taking Topomax and I feel mentally better with this drug that any other I have ever taken. I have been mentally ill for over 30 years and for the first time I feel "free" :) | F | 58 | 8 months | 5/18/2006 | 5 | Bipolar 1, migraines | Initially,tingling in hands and feet. Initially, SEVERE nausea. I lost my appetite when I started on this drug. I have to force myself to eat most of the time because my stomach is always full, and food just doesn't taste good. I lost twenty-four pounds 140 pounds - 118 pounds in three months on this drug. Now I'm back up to 125, but it takes effort. | Despite the weight loss problems, I am loyal to Topamax. It has saved my life. I've heard many Dr.'s slam this med, saying it has no use in the treatment of bipolar disorder, and that frankly, makes me very angry b/c they are the same dr's saying Lamictal works great (Lamictal didn't work for me). Perhaps that's why Topamax isn't FDA approved for Bipolar. I'm glad I'm not on Medicaid. Then it wouldn't be covered. I didn't respond well to most of the typical bipolar medications, but my response to Topamax was wonderful. It worked on both my depressions and my manias (mostly the manias). I'm on 300mg. My doc tried to reduce it to 250mg to help with the appetite, but I got hypomanic. I stopped getting migraines, which I've had since 18, when I reached 100mg, and I asked my Dr. if there was any correlation!! So I have an added benefit. | F | 27 | 2 years | 5/4/2006 | 5 | migraines | Petichiae in my feet, with a bluish purple hew. There are small lumps under my skin also. This is very strange. I find nothing in the brochures that say this is a SE of the Topamax. But it started when I first started the Topamax,and stopped for about one month and the spots went away. I then started back up again and it's gotten way worse since the summer. If you experienced anything like this with the Topamax please email me and let me know. Thanks so much!!! | I am taking 50 mgs and have now cut back to 25 to see if the symptoms will go away!!! | F | 45 | 1 years | 12/27/2006 | 5 | migraine | tired, moody, loss of sex drive, tingling in hands and feet, in middle of sentence lose my train of thought which is very aggrivating, bad taste in mouth constantly, weight loss, hair breakage and loss | Topamaz is a life saver....i can now take care of my 10month old son the way i need to. I was getting up to 15 migraines a month and eating relpax like it was candy.....i wish i had known about topamax years ago. I started slowly and was up to 75 mg. when the headaches came back. My dosage was raised to 100 mg. and I have been almost headache free (with the occasional headache) for about 3 1/2 months now! | F | 34 | | 12/27/2006 | 5 | Severe Migraines | Loss Of Memory (Dopey drug), smell more than used too, trouble remembering words, studdering, tingling hands/feet, weight loss 80lbs in the past year other than that nothing else really bothersome well I do haver trouble sleeping sometimes. | This is a MIRACLE drug in my opinion. I have been on lot of others and this to me is the best. Yes there are side effects but to me they are well worth it. I deal with the memory issues,wear more deoderant,eat high protein things,etc.. you learn to deal. If your like me and have lived with SEVERE migraines this IS a MIRACLE! | F | 31 | 1 years | 1/2/2007 | 5 | EDNOS/backpain/mood stabilizer | carbonated drinks all taste like alka seltzer, appetite is lowered and have lost weight (welcome side effect), gas (but could be unrelated to topamax), thirstier than normal, need to sleep with a humidifier on at night in order to avoid dehydrated feeling, slight "ebb and flow" to sexual desire, tingling in feet if i sit for too long, brain foggy BUT ONLY FOR FIRST THREE DAYS OF TAKING DRUG AND UPPING DOSAGE, did not mix well with antibiotic treatment (i got an ear infection and the antibiotics i usually take made me VERY sick to my stomach this time which NEVER happened before) | first thing to regulate my weird appetite and insatiable obsession with food. my sciatica is almost gone-i'd say it is 90% better after 3 years of EXCRUCIATING pain. no headaches for 2 months, except for one headache one day after 7 hours on the computer. quit smoking cold turkey after 3 days on meds and did not want another cigarette after that. (had smoked for almost 12 years). mood is better, not perfect; working with doctor on dosage. did not experience any "dopiness" after first few days; in fact, brain felt clearer and anxiety subsided, allowing me to think and react in a "normal" way. even noticed that i pass up impulse purchases at the store and am motivated to do things like clean the apartment and catch up on things that pile up when i get depressed. i miss diet sodas but honestly, feeling better is worth it. drink LOTS of water to avoid feeling dehydrated. | F | 27 | 2 months | 1/2/2007 | 5 | Epilepsy | Mood Swings is the only side effect I have experienced. My doctor presribed prozac for that so I have no more swings. | Topamax has controlled my seizures completely. I love it. I'm doing great on it. | F | 21 | 15 months | 4/1/2006 |