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 |
| 3 | migraine | hallucinations, weight loss, strange thoughts | When I was given this prescription I wasn't told to titrate up to the 100 mg per day so i started taking 100 mg right away. I started having hallucinations where i was being followed around by a small elephant and I saw and talked with my dead mother. I also lost 70 pounds in 3 months. When I told my Dr. that I was standing at my kitchen sink doing dishes and I looked up and saw myself standing there in front of me,looking back at me his advise to me was that I should call mental health and he wrote down a number for me to call. My doctor never connected the Topamax with the symptoms I was having. I tapered off the drug and continued losing weight eating 4000 calories daily for 5 more months until the weight loss stopped. This drug can either be a miracle drug or a death drug and it all depends on the chemistry of the human that ingests it. The medical community should be better informed about its crap shoot varying effects it has on those that use it and to NOT START AT A LARGE DOSE RIGHT AWAY. | M | 50 | 3 months 100 1X day | 12/30/2012 | 3 | migraines | loss of appetite, no sex drive, difficulty sleeping | I was on Topamax for a year once before, it really helped and then it just stopped being effective. My doctor and I decided to give it a try again since nothing else has worked since I went off of it over 2 years ago. While my migraines have not decreased in frequency (I'm still getting 3-4 per week), the pain has been controllable by taking a Maxalt at onset. I used to have to go home and get into bed with every migraine even after taking a Maxalt. Now I can take a Maxalt and sit quietly in the dark for 15-20 minutes and then be able to function at about 75%. So, I consider that an improvement over using up all of my sick time at work and missing out on life in general. I'm a small person (5'3", 115 lbs) and a distance runner, so the 5 lbs that I have lost, plus the fact that I'm tired all of the time, is really impacting my training and running performance. I am actually forcing myself to eat and have people around me reminding me to eat. I have no solution to my sleepi | F | 33 | 3 months | 2/7/2007 | 3 | migraines | tingling in fingers and toes, word loss, weight loss, bladder irritation(already had Interstitial Cystitis-Topamax seems to have aggravated it)trouble sleeping, strange taste in mouth | Could handle the side effects except for aggravation of Interstitial Cystitis-would rather deal with the migraines | F | 52 | 3 months | 6/17/2006 | 2 | migraine/potential epilepsy | Suicidal ideation, rage, almost broke my hand, numbness, brain fog beyond frustrating, weight loss, abusive behaviors otherwise not present. --- The reason some people get this rage is a sulfa allergy. If you have a sulfa allergy, dont take this medicine! especially if you have prior mental health issues of any sort. This medicine made me a real evil person every uppage and no telling how coming off it will go. I have ptsd and 100% disability for it, a sulfa allergy, and get put on a med that causes those with sulfa allergies to rage. The brilliance is uncanny. I have come to terms that this med might help some people but if you have a known sulfa allergy you will at best turn into a zombie and at worst ive read people have lost friends trying to come off this pill. Im going to a hospital to be admitted and will raise hell to be sure that i get taken care of. I cant titrate off at home. My poor fiance and cats have been through more than enough! padded room for me. :/ This med is hell. Buyer beware. I almost broke my hand on the wall too. O.o | F | 31 | 3 months 100 | 1/1/2013 | 2 | Headaches | Flu like symptoms (cough with mucus, soar throat, runny nose, sinus pain, pain in the ears, allergies) from the very beginning, for the whole 3 months. Took 2 antibiotics that didn't help much. As soon as I was done with them, the symptoms came back. Other symptoms: tired and dizzy all the time, dry mouth, loss of appetite, weight loss (18 pounds in 3 months), nausea, nervousness, numbness and tingling, trouble sleeping. | It helped me with my headaches, but I stopped taking it because of the side effects (mostly flu like symptoms for 3 months). | F | 43 | 3 months 75MG 1X day | 6/13/2012 | 2 | Migraine Associate Vertigo (MAV) | Depression, decreased appetite, weight loss, sleep disturbance, concentration problems, change in taste of some foods/drinks, dizziness | I saw some improvement in my vestibular migraines, but I do not think that this drug has been worth taking b/c I am feeling depressed. I started the drug at 25mg a day for two weeks, then up to 50mg/day for a month, then 75mg/day for a month, then to 75mg a day for another month. I was depressed throughout the whole thing and it just seemed to get worse. Now I'm tapering off the drug because the side effects are worse than the benefit. If you can avoid this drug, avoid it and consider it a drug of last resort. If you're going to try it, drink lots of water when you take it and throughout the day and keep a diary of any side effects you experience while on it. I should note that I did have a history of depression prior to taking this drug, but I was completely recovered before beginning it. My doctor told me that once I taper off the drug, I should return to normal again within a few weeks. | F | 26 | 3 months 100mg 1X day | 4/25/2010 | 2 | Migraines | Topamax was HORRIBLE. I've had problems with memory following a head injury in the past, but Topamax made it unbearable. I because physically weak, and fatigued, and my memory got so bad I was scared. I also felt paranoid, anxious, and depressed--all of which resolved when I stopped the medication. | It helped the migraines but made me unable to function with day to day tasks. I was fatigued, weak, paranoid, anxious, and depressed--all of which are not normal for me and resolved once the medicine was stopped. | F | 27 | 3 months 75 1X day | 8/3/2010 | 2 | Migraines | SEVERE and lasting numbness in extremities and tongue even months after stopping drug | The Topamax DID help prevent migraines for me, but the numbness it caused for me wasn't worth it. I insisted on a different drug and fortunately found something that worked just as well without the numbness. I gave this drug THREE separate tries and had the numbness each time. The last time it stayed more than 4 months after I stopped using the drug. :( | F | 33 | 3 months 50mg 2X day | 7/8/2011 | 2 | Chronic daily headache | Anxiety, nervous, metallic taste and smell, memory loss, I was having trouble at times finding the right word, it was making me stupid. | I had to stop taking Topamax after about 3 months. I know I was only on a relatively low dose (50mg), but reading the other comments about the side effects that I should expect in the future, and the fact that the drug was having no effect on my headache, I felt it just wasn't worth it. | M | 57 | 3 months 50mg 1X day | 12/8/2010 | 2 | migraine | constant tingling in hands & feet, constipation & diarrhea, weight loss, jittery | F | 28 | 3 months | 8/22/2005 | 2 | Migraine | severe depression | At first, it worked great! After a couple of weeks the effectiveness wore off, & my Dr. increased the dosage. It worked great again for a couple of weeks. It was no longer effective & I started getting severely depressed. So, I had to quit taking it. | F | 28 | 3 months | 8/22/2005 | 2 | Migraine Headaches | Muscle fatigue, Severe anxiety, paranoia, nervousness, worsening depression, aggressive behavior, word drop, horrible taste in my mouth, dry mouth, hair loss, loss of appetite, numbness in my hands and feet, loss of sex drive and inability to achieve an orgasm | Topamax did help relieve my migraines, but the side effects were not worth staying on the medication. When I finally reached my maintenance dose of 50mg in the A.M. and 50mg at night, I felt horrible! I normally worked out for 2 hours every day, but I experinced such severe muscle pain and fatigue that I could not get through a 15 minute workout. It also made my depression worse and added paranoia, anxiety, and horrible nervousness. I was so paranoid that I was accusing my BF of doing things he was not and I would not believe a word that he told me. I don't know if our 2 year relationship is going to make it through this. I could not drink enough water, and everything I ate, when I could eat anything tasted horrible. I constanly felt the "prickly" feeling in my hands and feet. I would wash my hair and clumps would fall out. I know from experience of 6 to 7 migraines a month that they really suck, but there has to be other medications out there that can help control migraines | F | 31 | 3 months | 10/22/2008 | 2 | Migraine Headaches | Nausea, paraesthesia (feet), diarrhea, fatigue, dosage seemed to wear off in the early AM until next dose, leaving me unable to get back to sleep, Diet Coke and other sodas tasted flat, some loss of appetite, mild weight loss, some decrease in cognitive function in first few days of starting - diminished shortly thereafter | I suffer from two types of migraines, the ones at my right temple, and those behind my left eye, but never at the same time. My migraines are mostly hormonal (right temple) and weather/mood-related (left eye). I typically get a migraine the week before my period, sometimes the day of, and almost always after. If I get anything other than that it is due to a trigger, stress, or something else. I am in the process of titrating off Topamax so that I can try to get pregnant and start my family. I had the same if not better results on Amitriptyline (except for the weight gain). I began taking 25 mg a week and settled at 100 mg. My doctor said if I wasn't seeing a change at 100 mg that I should titrate off anyway. If Topamax works for you, I'm very happy for you. I am hoping that by cutting out MSG, artificial sweetners, and caffeine in order to conceive, I will control my migraines. My next step is to stop taking the Zomig for pain relief when the migraines hit -- | F | 35 | 3 months | 7/10/2007 | 2 | Migraine Headaches | Nausea, itchy eyes, diarrhea, paraesthesia (feet), some diminished cognititive functioning early on and here and there | Did not work for me. Titrated up 25 mg a week until at 100 mg. Now tapering off at 25 mg a week until off. Funny thing is all the same side effects coming off as going on. | F | 35 | 3 months | 7/11/2007 | 2 | Weight loss, depression | Blurred vision; mood swings; depression; forgetfulness; confusion; occasional diarrhea. It changed my personality and made me somewhat loud and obnoxious. It also made my depression worse. The side effects eased up after a while but they never went away. I didn't have a single headache. But the mood swings were too much, even at lower doses. | I gained 60 lbs on antidepressants. After going off them my doctor prescribed Topamax temporarily to help me lose some of the weight. I started at 25 mg/day and by week 3 was at 100 mg/day. Food and beverages tasted normal (of course) and I didn't lose my appetite (typical). I didn't lose weight either (go figure). I'm the only person who didn't lose weight on Topamax. I went off it after 3 months because I lost my patience and the side effects were too much. | F | 43 | 3 months | 5/17/2007 | 2 | Migraine Prophylaxis | Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, parathesia, "lump in the throat" feeling, gagging, stomach pain, loss of words, vision blurring | Starting out on Topamax was additionally problem free. A few weeks after going on 50mg I started experiencing a "lump in the throat" feeling which caused me to gag a lot. I began getting more nauseous every day and gagging led to vomiting. At the time I was my sickest I was on 75mg. The vomiting escalated to a daily episode, multiple times a day. Tightening in my throat got worse as well. When the doctor took me down to 25mg, I was feeling even worse. Once I did a bunch of tests, it was determined the medicine was definitely making me ill and I was immediately removed from it. Since then I have felt the best I have in the last three months. Although I didn't tolerate the drug, I would recommend it. During the entire time I never had any migraine problems whatsoever. Just be careful because this drug is not well tolerated by a lot of people and it is usually hell to start on it for most people. If you can tolerate it and get past the first several months then it's | F | 24 | 3 months | 1/31/2009 | 2 | Epilepsy | Itching, tremors, muscle cramps, tingling in extremities, disruption of taste for carbonated beverages, visual changes. | I have temporal lobe epilepsy (complex partial seizures with secondary generalization) and was switched to Topamax by my neurologist after I had a bad side effect on another medication. I took 100 mg in the morning and 100 mg in the evening (gradually increased by 25 mg a week over eight weeks). I did not have any seizures while on Topamax but had to discontinue it because of the side effects. (1) I had excruciatingly painful muscle cramps in my legs, although those gradually faded as the dose increased. (2) I had mild tingling in my extremities and moderate tremors in my hands, both intermittent. (3) I had to stop drinking carbonated beverages, as all of them they tasted indescribably bad. (4) Occasionally moving objects would leave a visual trail, especially when moving from darkness into light. (5) Once the dose reached 150mg, I started itching from head to foot. After two weeks (at which point the dose was at 200mg), the itching was unbearable. I saw my family physician who confirm | F | 31 | 3 months | 12/30/2007 | 2 | seizures | loss of taste,severe tremors in right hand.forgotwords | made me so high at times like visiting alice when she was 10 ft tall.also severe insomnia,right hand would shake so bad i couldn't hold on to anything.i knickname this drug dopemax | M | 55 | 3 months | 6/23/2008 | 2 | Chronic Migraines | Tingling of hands and feet; increased depression/lowered mood; dramatic loss of hair (worsening over time); coughing/pain & irritation to lungs; skin irritation/itching/sensitivity | Although it did help reduce the number of migraines that I had, the breaking point for me was when my hair started falling out--and then it worsened over time instead of ceasing. No drug is worth my hair falling out, so I stopped taking it without titrating off of it as per my neurologist. I am getting rebound headaches, but I'm hoping that my hair will stop falling out as the drug leaves my system. The coughing/irritation to my lungs worsened over time, as well, and that is finally ceasing after stopping the drug. | F | 42 | 3 months 150 MG 1X day | 1/4/2015 | 2 | Daily headaches/ migraines | First, Topiramate works like gangbusters to get rid of my daily headaches. Like 95%. But.... THIS DRUG IS TOXIC! Everything you've read: severe cognitive impairment, say goodbye to your memory, extreme sedation, I also have daily nausea so need additional sedating meds for that plus sea bands. | Topiramate is also used as a mood stabilizer so for me, anyway, there is a severe dulling of emotions - I guess it makes me not care as much that I can barely hold a conversation, or remember what I did yesterday. Thank god I haven't been fired yet as I've explained the situation to my supervisor. But it's dumb and dumber all day then drag myself home, plop on the couch, exhausted from the drug. Life not too much improved! I've also taken generic Pamelor which didn't do much for my headaches but I had some minor psych issues such as suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression. I'm ready for headache drug #3 | F | 48 | 3 months | 12/11/2014 |