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 length of time drug was taken longest to shortest. 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 | loss of appetite, irritability, mild tremors, occasional eye twitching | I started with 50mg per day for migraines and recently was moved up to 100mg per day since the migraines got a bit worse. The side effects are so mild, I'll take them any day over the head splitting migraines that were causing me to pop imitrex like candy. | M | 34 | 2 years 100mg 1X day | 7/25/2012 | 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 | for the first 6-8 months - inability to formulate sentences at times, word loss, confusion (big time) and major studdering! tingling fingers and weight loss which was great - about a total of 40 pounds in 2 years. | I had had migraines for years with no relief until Topamax. Which is the only reason I stuck through the side effects as long as I did, and I am so glad I did. I had to take Relpax for breakthrough migraines for almost a year. I now take 100 mgs at night before bed and no longer have any breakthoughs. This med has been great! | F | 29 | 2 years | 10/12/2005 | 5 | This is a great med.... it works great for migraines and you do lose weight.. you just have to get past the tingiling in your toes and fingers...give up anything with carbonation, and forget trying to concentrate ;) lost 45 lbs on this went from 145 lbs too 100 | F | 26 | 2 years 50 mg 2X day | 11/10/2011 | 5 | severe migraines 2+ years | Tingling in hands, feet, scalp, face. Initially much worse, has lessened dramatically with time. | This medication has made my life so much better! Yes, it has caused some daze, and fog. There are times when I do feel like I am at a loss for words, but they are few and far between. I am working full time, a full time mother and doing very well. I know with out this medication I would be completely homebound. For me, the benefits FAR OUTWEIGH the side effects!!! | F | 42 | 2 years 150 MG 2X day | 7/27/2011 | 5 | I have read all of your side effects from weight loss to numbness and tingling. yes I had them all. I went on and off this drug 3x but the headaches were so bad that I decided to try it one more time and for some reason this time it was a go. I did taper up slowly to 100mg a day 50 in am and 50 in pm. seems to work for me. still taste difference but it keeps my life going with 3 kids! good luck too all those with headaches and chiari..also helps with my back pain! | F | 40 | 2 years 50mg 2X day | 1/17/2011 | 5 | Migraines | It took some adjusting to at first (or if I'd miss pills the side effects would come back) and that lasted maybe a month or two? I can't remember now. But when I first went on it I remember being SOOO exhausted that I felt like something was seriously wrong with me. The tingling in my arms and legs was slightly annoying and parts of my body that had never "fallen asleep" before (like my knees) would tingle. That was annoying but not terrible to deal with. Carbonated beverages tasted weird at first but I drank them anyway and just got used to it that eventually they no longer tasted weird. Lost a TON of weight! But that was a plus. When I was adjusting to it my memory was shot all the time and every once in a while I'd have difficulty remembering something big, oh, like one time I couldn't remember one of my friends' last names! Ridiculous. But like the other side effects, I think my body adjusted to that as well. | When I went on it I started with 25mg, then 50 mg, then 75 mg, then settled at 100mg. It is a drug you need to taper on and off of. It also takes some adjusting to the side effects but overall, this was the ONLY drug of any other drug (and I tried many, many) that did anything for my migraines. Was so worth it! But, be warned. Without insurance it is SUPER PRICY. Was paying something like $160/month for it when I had to pay out of pocket. | F | 23 | 2 years 100 mg 1X day | 7/23/2010 | 5 | Severe Headaches/Migraines | Numbness of toes & fingers, (pins & needles) feeling cold, Mild hair shedding/loss, weight loss, feeling full, no appetite, feeling tired, being thirsty all the time, weight loss, twitching under eyes | When i first started this medication, i was a bit sceptical as ive suffered with chronic headaches/migraines since the age of 18 im now 34. I have tried alot of preventative medications, & painkillers which i became highly addicted to. It took about 3 months for the Topamax to really take "effect" i refused to give up the headaches were still happening in the first month or so after about the 6 week mark i started to notice that i got fewer & fewer headaches they were coming every second day then every third then fourth then twice a week, then once a week, then a few times a month & then they just stopped coming all together!! This was after about 6 months or so, i still got the odd headache here or there, but certainly NO migraines. I eventually worked my way up to the dose of 200mg per day which but i did this very slowly that is the only way with this drug SLOWLY! I have been on it for 2 years now & it has changed my quality of life. I have noticed lately more frequent headaches creeping back so i will be slowly increasing the dose again up to 250mg or to what i can tolerate. | F | 34 | 2 years 200mg 1X day | 3/30/2010 | 4 | Headaches | Loss of memory, vision problems, depression, leg pain, lack of concentration. However, I have tred other medcations and Topamax is the ony medication that ca keep my headace at bay. It does not take it away, but it makes it at least bareable. The doctors cannot find a reason for my headaches and cannot give me a diagnosis so this is the only solution for nw. | F | 35 | 2 years 175 2X day | 4/19/2010 | 4 | migraines | difficulty with words, spelling, tingling in feet, hands, generally feel stupid at times. When I went to 150 mg a day, became very irritable and emotional and anxious and had to go back down to 100 mg. | I have had migraines with aura since I was 11. I am 44 now. I have tried every drug in the book and only Topamax has reduce the frequency and severity of the migraines. I would have 14 migraines a month without, and am down to 2-4 with the Topamax. I don't like the side effect of feeling stupid at times, but if I go off, I go right back to having tons of migraines, so I'm just going to wait it out until they finish developing the drug specifically for migraine sufferers that is in the works. Topamax has also reduced the pain, but has done nothing to get rid of my auras. | F | 44 | 2 years 50 mg 2X day | 4/5/2010 | 4 | Migraines | Immediate effects that went away after a few weeks: tingly hands and face, and sleepiness Others that persisted through treatment: Loss of appetite, weight loss, memory loss, confusion, a euphoric feeling (I always felt super happy, even when bad things happened), anxiety, and hyperness Effects after stopping: weight gain and continued anxiety and memory loss | My migraines were exercise induced & the neuro put me on Topamax. The migraines stopped! I always read people talking about being depressed on it, but mine was opposite. I was always SUPER chipper. Tragedies like death, heartache, hating my job & other things I would normally be upset about didn’t even phase me. It felt really good! I tolerated the other side effects until I started college. That’s when I noticed that I couldn’t concentrate or remember anything. I used to be a phenomenal speller & a great student, A's & B's. Not anymore... I was so hyper that I couldn't sit to study. If I managed to, then I couldn't remember what I read & had to re-read everything, but still couldn't remember. I failed 2 classes... I weened myself off Topamax & have been off it for 6 months, but still have anxiety & memory issues. I have a terrible time thinking of words & how to spell. Feels like my brain can't process anything. I just want my intelligence back! | F | 25 | 2 years 100 1X day | 11/1/2010 | 4 | Migraines | tingling in hands and feet, hair loss, weight loss, loss of appetite | I have been dealing with migraines since I was 16 years old. When the doctor started me on this medicine, we had to keep increasing my dosage because it didn't seem to be helping. I am taking this along with Imitrex. since taking the higher dose, it has minimized the amount of migraines I get a month. Instead of getting the 2 a week I used to, I now get maybe 2 a month. So it definitely works, the only downfall is the side effects, which aren't too bad...I have experienced weight loss, I have lost 30lbs since being on it..people comment all the time and think I don't eat. I am loosing hair, not to the point of baldness, but loosing more than normal. I sweep up hair off my bathroom floor everyday. I get tingling in my hands and feet, not everyday, but every once in a while. But I will take the side effects if it gets rid of or reduces my migraines! | F | 25 | 2 years 100 MG 2X day | 8/23/2010 | 4 | Bipolar II / mood stabilizer | Intermittent nausea, decreased appetite, weight loss, sense of taste altered (particularly in carbonated beverages), trouble coming up with correct words, increased effects of alcohol | The intermittent minor nausea for several weeks + decreased appetite = weight loss (50 lbs in 8 months) - more than welcome since getting off antidepressants which had kept me blown up for years; soda tastes flat; drinking liquor is a risk as I totally do not remember what I do or say if I over-indulge; beer is much "safer". Most troublesome: coming up with / delay in coming up with correct words in a conversation; decreased memory, constantly having to correct spelling and fill in missed words when typing; saying the opposite of what I mean or totally jumbling what I am trying to say, more difficulty in absorbing certain reading material. In other words: it has dumbed me down a bit. My psych warned me about this. But - it works great; it allowed me to ditch my weight-gain-causing antidepressants that had kept me so fat for so long (with the exception of one depressive setback to where I started a low dose of Wellbutrin - but it did not cause weight gain). I take it with Lamictal. This is the only cocktail since my diagnosis a dozen years ago that has remained effective for longer than a year. | F | 43 | 2 years 50mg 1X day | 4/2/2011 | 4 | Grand Mal Seizures | Depression, drowsiness, inability to form logical train of thought, kidney stones. | After reading others' comments, I agree that my social inhibition almost entirely disappeared since I started taking this drug. I also suffer from a drastic change in personality during the day. After a good night's sleep I feel and behave like my normal self. As I get more tired and towards the end of the day, I am told that I am more disagreeable than I used to be before I started on this drug. (The difference is that I have no control on this behaviour). My libido has also been enhanced, which could be a side effect of this drug. | M | 45 | 2 years 100 mg 3X day | 4/3/2011 | 4 | Migraine | Tingling in Hands and Feet (first two months), Forgetting words (still suffer that effect sometimes), Feel the heat more intensely in summer | As a menstrual migraineur who was bedridden twice each month with the most shocking migraines imagineable, I did not think anything was going to help me. Topamax has quite literally given me my life back. I think the side effects of this drug are exaggerated by many people and once you get over the first month, it's quite easy to tolerate. Every other migraine drug did absolutely nothing for my migraines, but Topamax makes them like a mild headache and I can fully function throughout them. | F | 45 | 2 years 50 2X day | 7/31/2011 | 4 | Migraine prophylaxis | Mild concentration problems, severe tingling in fingers/toes, sexual side effects (libido/performance). I went from 50 mg to 200 over 2 years to try to control intractable migraines. | Doctor prescribed potassium for tingling, which helps some. B-vitamins allegedly help, too, but they didn't help me. Topamax helped more than Depakote or Keppra, both of which had horrible mood-altering side effects on me. Migraines are better, but not completely controlled. | M | 44 | 2 years | 3/25/2007 | 4 | Seizures | Tingling/numbness in fingertips, occasional insonimia at night, significant cognitive blocks and incoherency, inability to stay on task and concentrate, extreme weight loss (over 100 lbs), nausea,dizziness, food often tastes strange, also I have eye pressure. In addition, I do have occassional depression, however, I do have an additional terrible illness. Therefore it is difficult to separate and blame one pill's side effects from another. | Topamax has stopped the Generalized Seizures and this is outstanding and served the main purpose. I will tolerate the "minor side effects" which are from the pill. Topamax is a far better drug than others my body has had to endure for seizures. I am a teacher and I had seizures in front of the students and it was such an unfortunate ordeal for them to suffer through. I absolutely do not like being incoherent and at a loss of words. As a professional, standing in front of a group of people, staring at them and not having a word come to "mind" is a complete nightmare. Alas, I am now retired. It would be a pleasure to hear from others via email. | F | 55 | 2 years | 2/5/2006 | 4 | panic disorder | In the beginning-neuropathy in toes and fingers-went away after a few months. Was taking 200 mgs for a year or more but could not deal with the inability to formulate sentences-"loss for words" but after decreasing to 100 mgs-feel great! | This drug has been a miracle cure for me as I have wanted to steer away from benzos for so long for panic-could not function without Topamax! | M | 40 | 2 years | 9/22/2005 | 4 | Migraines | Occasional loss of appetite, pins and needles in feet and hands, fatigue, rapid heart rate (over 100 beats per/min), when inceasing my dose it would make me feel sick. | It did help with my migraines, I used to have a migraine like every day and now I'm down to 2 to none a month. As for the side effects I take like four other medications so you never know what side effect is from what exactly, I just started getting those side effects when I started this medication. | F | 18 | 2 years 125 1X day | 5/2/2012 | 4 | migraines | I have a hard time focusing sometimes, and my fingers tingle. I just heard an increase of vitamin C will help this so I will try this. I'm most concerned with my hip pain. I know this is not a listed side effect, but it started happening after I began taking Topamax. | It has given me a quality of life back. I can function again. | F | 37 | 2 years | 11/2/2005 |