TOPAMAX Reviews (TOPIRAMATE)Average Rating: 3.0 (1824 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare TOPAMAX with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
|
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 | Bipolar Disorder | Weight Loss, Tingling in Extremeties, Dehydration | F | 16 | 21 months | 1/23/2003 | 4 | Bipolar NOS | Short-term memory loss, weight loss, feeling very stupid, disorientation sometimes, flat emotions, difficulty finding words, lethargy, moving slowly, feeling of drifting or being in a fog (can be pleasant, but not if you have to work), not as alert when driving, often feeling detached/in my own world. | Topamax has really helped with my manic issues (extreme irritability). It's helped me maintain stability through some very rough times, where previously I would have been a complete mess. I've taken it at a very low dose because I'm really sensitive to medications. However, over time I've realized just how dopey I've been and that I need to reduce my dosage or stop taking the drug altogether in order to not be walking around like a zombie. | F | 42 | 21 months | 5/29/2008 | 1 | Migraine headaches | Hair loss (bad), tingling in fingertips, diarrhea, weight loss, fuzzy thinking. | Even though I took 100 mg Topamax for 21 months, it didn't lessen the number of migraines I got. I finally gave up hoping it would work and gradually went off it. Funny thing - 8 months after being off Topamax, diet coke tastes wonderful! I didn't notice it tasting bad before (maybe it happened gradually). | F | 56 | 21 months | 2/12/2008 | 1 | migraines | tingly in fingers, diarrhea, weight loss, hair loss | It didn't decrease the number of migraines I had | F | 55 | 21 months | 12/19/2007 | 5 | Bipolar, rap.cycl. | Pins needles, some weight loss while already underweight, but this stabelized. Some hair loss, stabelized as well. Much more focused. Finally able to do what I want, feel like I can be myself and enjoy life. I do no longer feel locked up. | Am a bit annoyed by all those people who speak so negatively about this drug. Yes, I mix up words too, but that is nothing compared to all the crap that has been keeping me from living a life for years and years. Topamax is the first drug that really makes a difference. I feel like all my creativity inside is no longer locked up. I can do something with it now, and that makes me so happy. My eating disorder and all the other things I needed to control my mood is now slowly leaving me. I do not need it anymore. After 1 pill I never purged Again. I felt stable, and no longer scared for switches. This is indeed a drug with many side effects, but it helps me so much, I feel like I can finally live and be the person I always wanted to be. | F | 33 | 20 months 150 1X day | 8/15/2014 | 5 | Trigeminal Neuraligia AND Migraine | Early--tingling hands and feet, fuzzy, severe depression first 8 weeks. Tired. Some hair loss and finger nails look strange, at times aphasia and confusion when spelling (generally if I am tired) I am generally very good at spelling and this has been the most odd symptom of all! | I went from 50 mg. twice a day to 200 mg twice a day. While some symptoms have been difficult it has been most effective in controlling very severe and disabling pain. I believed in time the depression would lift and indeed, it did, as hard as it was. Living without the horrendous pain is a gift and I understand there may be some things I may have to exchange. I laugh about the loss of words and try and keep a sense of humor. I pray it continues to work well for me without serious side effects that would cause me to have to d/c the medication and require surgery. | F | 50 | 20 months | 11/5/2007 | 2 | Migraine prevention | Tingling in fingers, diarrhea, loss of appetite with 5 pound weight loss, hair loss, word-finding problems | I very gradually worked my way up from 12.5 mg to 100 mg a day. Main causes of my migraines are strong odors and flashing lights. Even at 100 mg a day (25 mg taken 4 times a day), I still got migraines from these two sources. After being on this dosage for 20 months, I gradually went off the drug thinking, "why take it if I'm still getting the migraines?" Hair loss was the clincher for going off it. Been off completely for one week. Hair loss still going on, but migraines are no worse. | F | 55 | 20 months | 6/1/2007 | 5 | daily migraines | tingling hands/feet; funny taste in mouth for a couple months; chronic diarrhea; flat affect | This medication has significantly improved my life. It blunted the effects of the killer migraines. I still get my migraines, but they went from daily to just a couple a month and went from 8-10 on a pain scale to 2-4! I am now being weaned off and am a little fearful. Never had any of the nasty side effects or even any weight loss :-( | F | 45 | 19 months | 10/30/2007 | 5 | Migraines | In the beginning, I had to titrate to a higher dose of 75-100 to get my migraines under control. I had been having them almost every day...very debilitating. After one year, they are well managed (SO wonderful!) and I now take 25 mg. a day with very minimal side effects. The "stupimax" factor is real but for me it wore off after about 6 months. You should be careful if you are on a higher dose and driving though. I have found the lower dose to be very effective in controlling once horrible migraines. This has been a great drug for me in relieving my migraines. (Read my additional comments though). | Look at any other medications you are taking. They sometimes compound the sleepy and low cognitive impact...even something as little as Benadryl while on Topamax can really be impacted (increased effect). This could make it much harder to function. As far as hair loss, I've heard great results with taking Biotin (available from the health food store) which is a vitamin that is depleted by anti-seizure medicines. I know this drug can be hard to get use to at first and will not be for everyone. Good luck to all! | F | 33 | 18 months | 5/15/2007 | 5 | Chronic Daily Migraines | Tingling in hands and feet. Slight drowsiness. Both of these symptoms subsided after a couple weeks. | I started Topamax at 25mg and was increased to 50mg, then to 75mg, finally to 100mg (50 in morning/50 in evening). When I was taking 75mg all at once in the evening...the next morning I would wake up with pins and needles in my hands and feet. Once my dose was adjusted again, this went away. Topamax has changed my life. I went from having a constant daily migraine to only having one every several months, and it's always triggered by something I can't control (usually weather). I say that's a TREMENDOUS improvement! :) | F | 25 | 18 months | 1/2/2008 | 5 | Migraines | weight loss, dry mouth, skin and hair | I was experiencing migraines at least once a week and was having daily headaches. I took topamax for 18months and after the first 3 months they controlled my migraines to the point where I was getting about 1 a month. I was able to identify my triggers and now I'm off the medication and my migraines have not increased in frequency, still only 1 a month but I can now control it with regular analgesia. | F | 38 | 18 months | 2/18/2009 | 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 | 4 | to help w muscle pain assoc w fms | none recalled except weight loss which was needed | While taking topamax for muscle pain I was taking Inderal for miagraines. I got so I no longer needed Inderal. Six+/- months I stopped topamax and HA's started back. Come to find out Topamax was helping the miagraines. I'm back on Topamax now. | F | 18 months | 1/18/2005 | 4 | migraine prevention | loss of appetite, taste change, tingling in hands and feet, loss or difficulty finding common words | All side effects but difficulty finding words went away. Sometimes feet tingle still. Topaxax cured a six month transformed migraine. And the migraines that I do get now are much milder and respond to OTC meds. For me, worth the wait for the side effects to go away and worth living with the ones I've got still. | F | 37 | 18 months | 5/8/2007 | 4 | Migraine | Tingling in hands and feet, memory loss, "what's the word for...", hair loss, weight loss, taste change | I'm just starting topamax for the 2nd time. I was on it for about 18 months before, everything was going fine, my migraines were down from 12-15 days a month to 2-5 but I suffer from anxiety/depression as well. The doctor decided that adding wellbutrin to the mix would help the migraines as well as the anxiety. It actually spiral downwards - I dropped about 20 lbs in 3 weeks and I was sleeping 20+ hours a day. When I was awake I was like a tiger pacing in its cage. I was a wreck. I saw another doctor and insisted they take me off the wellbutrin and replace it with ... see, forgot the name, anyway something I'd had good results with before. I also decided to go off topamax but after a year I've decided that was a mistake. Not only does topamax help my migraines it helps my cravings for food and alcohol (only drink a martini or two a week but I've only had 1 in 3 weeks of restarting topamax, didn't drink at all last time). I'm sorry to hear of so many bad stories with topamax, I think it must be that our bodies process these meds differently and we each have unique problems. Totally weird. Hope you all find something that helps as well as topamax helps me, I would be in the depths of despair with out it. | F | 43 | 18 months 100 1X day | 2/24/2011 | 3 | Weight loss | Dry mouth, headaches, urinary burning, dry eyes, | Other meds caused weight gain so this drug was used to counter the effects of the former...it was effective...25 lbs so far lost. | M | 50 | 18 months | 7/9/2007 | 3 | trigeminal neuralgia | nausea, abdominal pain and bloatedness, delayed gastic emptying, numbness and tingling from elbows to fingers, eye pain, tiredness, emotional instability, cabonated beverages taste awful, attitude of not caring about things, breathlessness | The first time I took Topamax was for about 18 months. I had no idea all these things happening to me were from the Topamax. I had testing done and even went to a GI specialist. I had horrible invasive testing done! I was diagnosed with severe gastroparesis. I complained to my neuro doctor about the stomach issues, the numbness the tingling, the tiredness, everything. She never mentioned it could be from the topamax. It wasn't until I stopped taking it that I realized and everything stopped. But my agonizing pain from my trigiminal neuralgia came back in full force. I tried Tegretol and Lyrica. If you ever want to gain about 30 pounds just try taking Lyrica for a while. They never worked at all, so here I am back on Topamax with my fingers numb and my stomach hurting. I took a drink of a coke today and actually gagged. The topamax is really not working yet and I've been taking it for about a week now. Maybe it has to build up in my system again?? I'm taking 50mg of topamax in the am an | F | 36 | 18 months | 11/5/2008 | 3 | migraines | severe brain fog, tingly toes, loss of appetite, and HAIR LOSS | it did reduce the number of migraines per month, but I couldn't deal with the hair loss. it continued for 8 months after stopping the medication. be warned. | F | 34 | 18 months 50mg 1X day | 2/17/2015 | 2 | Migraine Prophylaxis | Severe language disorder. Loss of words although the picture was in my mind. Confussion and loss of organization to the point of routine tasks now completely undoable. Over sleeping and depressed motor activity yet loss of huge amount of weight. | Going on Topamax was a nightmare. I outside my body and watching myself. I started at 25 mg and that dosage was enough initially to rid my migraines for three months. I went up to 50 mg; same effect and migraines disappered for about 2 months. I went up to 75 mg, no strange effects and migraines disappeared for about 5 months. However, now the migraines are back worse than ever - 1 or 2 a week and some lasting 3 to 4 days. Imitrix and its cousins have no effect. My chloride level in my blood is slightly high and my GP wants me to increase to 100 mgs. I am resisting until a memory/cognitive testing is complete. I am on other drugs for other neurological conditions. | F | 43 | 18 months | 8/2/2004 | 1 | Migraines | severe depression, suicidal thoughts, anorexia relapse, tingling, severe twitching, memory loss, foggy feeling, issues "finding words", tingling, diarrhoea, panic attack, personality changes | I took this medication for over a year when I was in sophomore year in highschool. The medication did wonders for my migraines, which I got on a 4-5 a week basis. The side effects, however, have impacted my entire life greatly. My memory of the time on the drug is very foggy, as is my memory of the few years surrounding it. My word recall is horrific. My family has had to learn to read hand gestures to have decent conversations with me. I relapsed into anorexia which I had been many years distanced from and became very depressed and suicidal. I started having night panic attacks and my personality did a flip from bubbly and energetic to very shy and reserved. I've been off of the medication for about 2 years now and my word recall is still bad, my depression and suicidal thoughts are finally leaving, I still twitch often, still get panic attacks and am even more susceptible to my ED than I was before. I don't recommend it at all. I finally got off of it because I didn't even remember to take it each day by the end. | F | 18 | 18 months 100mg 2X day | 1/25/2011 |