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 |
| 1 | seizure disorder | Brain fog, limb dysphoria (feeling like my limbs were floating away,) tingling, numbness, breast pain, cognitive recall impairment, it seriously felt like a bad acid trip from the 70s! I will not touch this stuff ever again. | If you don't experience the side effects, this may be a great medication, but the side effects were bizarre and disturbing for me. I cannot take it and have it listed as a drug I am allergic to, just so it is never given to me by accident. | F | 57 | 10 days 2X day | 11/4/2020 | 1 | Weight loss | THIS DRUG IS POISON! I have been on it twice and the first time it worked great. I lost 90 pounds (in combination with phentermine), then the weight loss leveled off so I quit. Several years later (2022) I tried it again and it didn't do anything so I decided to quit again. While I was on the drug I didn't really notice many side effects except for maybe slight depression, but let me tell you, coming off it is a NIGHTMARE, even if you do it slowly, like I did. Both times I suffered days of tachycardia, irregular heartbeat, emotional lability, night sweats, and more. I even went to the hospital on one occasion for palpitations and suspected dehydration, and I was so dry they couldn't even get any blood out of me after 7 sticks and couldn't get an IV going. | Fortunately, the withdrawals seem to be short-lived and diminished greatly by the 3rd day off the medicine. I am writing this here to remind myself never to take this evil pill again!! | F | 58 | 10 days 25 mg 1X day | 4/7/2022 | 5 | headaches and twitching eyelids | weight loss impaired speech in the beginning | This has been a wonderful med for me. My headaches are gone. I have actually experienced clearer vision, and better sleep. Yes, soda tastes awful, but I needed to cut back anyway. The delayed thinking and speech went away after about a month. I take 25mg in the morning and 50mg at night that helps with daytime fogginess. | F | 42 | 9 days | 1/14/2010 | 5 | Bipolar II, weight / alcohol probs | First days were a nightmare. I was a complete zombie: Memory problems, confused, drowsy, insomnia, thirst, cognitive problems, concentration problems, low appetite (yippie), took alcohol craving away (yippie again). However, everything is getting MUCH better. | I take this as monotherapy. Used to be on Lamictal but I wanted to try this because I was drinking too much (approx. avg. of 30 units per week). So far mood swings are under control but maybe too early to tell. It also took my anxiety away, much to my surprise. I am SO happy about that. I DO feel a bit disabled here though - with a highly academic work requiring lots of concentration and a brain that is not quite as fast as usual. Hope it gets better. Please feel free to write me if you have any comments. I think this medicine may need some patience. I have come a LONG way the past nine days. | F | 34 | 9 days | 8/19/2006 | 5 | Migraine | First 5 days: Very foggy head, slow and dopey, heavy body. Tingly fingers, thick feeling extremities, tingly feet. Basically felt very doped - no euphoria. | I have been shocked reading some of these posts. The recommended starting dose is 25mg and there are several people here who were started on 100mg or more. Is the USA health system messed up or what? Anyway, I'm happy - it has stopped my chronic migraines cold. And that's what I wanted it to do. Also - the side effects are gone! | F | 38 | 9 days 25mg 1X day | 12/21/2010 | 4 | Bipolar 1 MRE | Drowsiness, deep thoughts, high, euphoria , Slow, hungry. | I felt so deep into my thoughts that it felt as if I could solve any problem. And then when I try to say something I couldn't get the words out lol , make sense? lol I'm actually on it at this very moment. I just worry about the rare side affects. | M | 30 | 9 days 25mg 2X day | 3/26/2011 | 3 | migraines | The intense tingling and numbness lasted for about a week. Mental fogginess, confusion, feelings of wanting to pass out also lasted about a week, however that happened in higher stress situations and I simply stopped going to work to avoid that from happening. I have had stomach pains randomly a couple of days. Apathy towards things I normally love, irritation. Definitely increased urination. Not hungry, food tastes like nothing or unappetizing. After a week, developed a sinus issue with throat drainage and sinus bleeding. | It is a scary drug with too many side effects. If all of these side effects I've experienced aren't enough to make me quit, the ones in the future (the kidney stones, withdrawals) should do it. They say it takes 6 mos for topamax to build up in your system, so I assume 6 mos for it to get out of your system after you stop, or however long you took it. I got a migraine day 5 and day 9 and the medicine shows me how sweet life can be with this monster in my head, I could cry from sheer joy. But topamax has taken away my desire to simply eat to live, as I'm not a big eater. I'm withering away to nothingness. And now I have sinus issues. Bloody phlegm/sinuses. I'm very tolerant of drugs, but this one isn't for me I guess. | F | 36 | 9 days 50 1X day | 8/19/2015 Patient History | 3 | bipolar II | SO FAR: Prolonged bleeding during period (someone mentioned that on this page); word-dropping/misspellings, soda tastes flat (overnight!); occasional, moderate cramps & diarrhea; dry mouth; decreased appetite | This is part of my new cocktail. The other med added at the same time was Wellbutrin, so I am not sure which side effects belong with which med. I have been on 300mg Lamictal forever; love it. Used Seroquel for sleep. The reason I am now taking Topamax is for the weight loss and/or libido increase benefits (same goes for the Wellbutrin). Dumped the Seroquel and halved the Cymbalta to 60mg as my weight hasn't moved in 4 months even tho' I eat like a rabbit. We'll see how this goes...so far, so good...one week down, and the side effects are not unbearable as yet. I definitely eat less, which is great! I do not care for the "dumbed down" feeling, however. | F | 40 | 9 days | 2/25/2009 | 2 | Migraines | Hallucinations , trouble seeping , tingling in feet , trouble counting | I stopped taking meds because the memory loss got worse as I continued taking the medicine and I have a baby I can't be forgetting the last time I fed my child or how much formula I have put in his feeding bag. My god mother has experience with this drug nd she says the side effects pass but Im not willing to stick it out and hope they do | F | 9 | 9 days 25mg 1X day | 3/17/2012 | 1 | Partial Seizures (epilepsy) | On a starter dose I experienced mental confusion, aphasia, stuttering, the feeling of shrinking, almost constant, painful prickling in feet and hands, thirst, fatigue, insomnia, weird dreams, weeping, rage, and panic. | On day nine, I was in such bad shape that I didn't realize what bad shape I was in. Despite all of these symptoms, I had the idea that I should hold out. My husband and daughter made me stop taking it, and as it left my body, I realized how incapable I was of making that decision while on it. I have heard this drug referred to as Stupimax and Dopamax. It was like a long, bad acid trip. I think a better name is Maxidope. I am going to try a higher dose of Lamictal instead. I am glad that some people do not have such a harsh reaction, but I cannot imagine trying this drug again, and I would only recommend it as a last resort. | F | 41 | 9 days | 9/6/2006 | 1 | Migraines | Anxious, nervous, confused, lack of foucs, EMOTIONAL, loss of appetite | DO NOT LIKE THIS DRUG. Out of the blue I started getting and was diagnosed w/ Migraines in Sept 2010. My Neurologist put me on this drug in Feb 2011 after other meds didn't work. First 7 days 25mg, next 7 50mg, last 7 75mg. The following day after I increaded to 50mg I felt a huge shift. Totally confused, EXTREMELY anxious, emotional and nervous/shakey most of the day. NO appetite at all. Absolutely afraid to stay at this dosage, let alone increase. Getting off!!! | F | 41 | 9 days 25mg 1X day | 2/12/2011 | 1 | for migraines | Horrible dry mouth, swollen tongue, depressed feeling, cause my hypoglycemia to be much worse. | F | 34 | 9 days 25 mg 1X day | 1/23/2011 | 1 | migraines | Felt like a zombie, exteme tiredness, loss of energy, vivid dreams, and difficulty thinking/concentrating. | Did not help headaches and made me feel out of it. Would not use again. | F | 24 | 9 days 25 mg 1X day | 6/30/2010 | 1 | Partial Seizures (epilepsy) | On a starter dose I experienced mental confusion, aphasia, stuttering, the feeling of shrinking, almost constant, painful prickling in feet and hands, thirst, fatigue, insomnia, weird dreams, weeping, rage, and panic. | On day nine, I was in such bad shape that I didn't realize what bad shape I was in. Despite all of these symptoms, I had the idea that I should hold out. My husband and daughter made me stop taking it, and as it left my body, I realized how incapable I was of making that decision while on it. I have heard this drug referred to as Stupimax and Dopamax. It was like a long, bad acid trip. I think a better name is Maxidope. I am going to try a higher dose of Lamictal instead. I am glad that some people do not have such a harsh reaction, but I cannot imagine trying this drug again, and I would only recommend it as a last resort. | F | 41 | 9 days | 9/6/2006 | 1 | Migranes | I was fine on Sunday night and on Monday morning I couln't see past the end of my bed. My vision is so blurry. I can still see my watch but I can't see my kids' faces. It was a scary day yesterday until the eye doctor used his palm pilot and looked up side effets of Topamax and acute myopia came up under "rare-serious" side effects. That is severe near sightedness. I am now wearing glasses and hoping my perfect 20/20 vision returns. I will never take this medicine again. If anyone else has had this condition please let me know how long it lasted and if your normal vision returned. Thak you. | F | 35 | 9 days | 2/6/2007 | 4 | migraines | Metalic taste in mouth, a little tired (I try to take mine at night), soft drinks and beer taste not that great | I have only been on topamax for a week and have not had any crazy side effects thank goodness. I went on all the websites before I started taking it and I thought I would bald by now or 20 lbs lighter! Anyways, I am a 22, F taking it for migraines. I, of course, have only been taking 25 mg since this was my first week. As my dose goes up this week I am sure crazy things will start to happen! Ha hopefully not though. But, I just wanted to write something NOT HORRIBLE about topamax on here. The only things that I have noticed is the soft drinks and beer, sadly, not tasting that great and I have a gross metal taste in my mouth. But I never drank soft drinks in the first place and I am a college student so I am used to Keystone beer, which doesnt taste that great, anyways! My migraine that I had for 6 days finally went away, so that was good. I haven't even had the tingling yet. Keeping my fingers crossed... Hopefully all goes well after my meds are up-ed;) I just wanted to write something | F | 22 | 8 days | 11/16/2007 | 4 | Migraines | Soda/Pop or any carbonated drink taste so horrific i literally gag anytime I take a drink of one. I have lost some weight! Less of an appetite which is great because my Seroquel for sleep makes me hungry ALOT. | I was suffering with horrific migraines almost daily for months. Now I may get a headache but nothing like what I get without the Topamax! I definitely am glad my doctor recommended this medication! | F | 26 | 8 days 100mg 2X day | 10/17/2020 | 3 | bi-polar w/ extreme anxiety | Thirsty! still hard to fall and stay asleep, briefs periods of irritability, upset stomach | I started Topamax as a last resort, it was either this or Lithium. The insurance company would not pay for Topamax but they would for Lithium. Well, I did a some research, and when I heard Topamax can help you lose weight, I did a happy dance! I have tried 15 other meds over the last 10 yrs. and am up to 235lbs. Over the last year, the weight gain has made me suicidal. It may sound shallow but we live in a horribly visual society that has unrealistic weight goals set for women. I got so sick of the disgusted looks and the snicking that I got out in public that I have become a recluse, now I only go out when absolutely necessary. Anyways, I started at 25mg a week ago and that was ok, of course the first night was hard. My anxiety is all health related,(every ache or pain is impending death) I have bad panic attacks and used to drink to keep them at bay so I had my husband stay up late to check on me. I kept thinking my blood was going to become acidic or I'd get a bad eye pain. | F | 34 | 8 days | 1/1/2008 | 3 | Migraines and Weight Loss | Soda tastes flat, a little forgetful, tired after taking pills. Nothing bad. | I haven't experienced any side effects that are so bad that it would cause me to quit taking the Topamax. I'm looking forward to increasing my dosage (I'm currently on 25 mg twice a day for a week) on Saturday so that I can lose the close to 40 pounds I've gained over the last 2 years due to fibromyalgia meds. | F | 41 | 8 days | 12/29/2009 | 3 | severe migraines | Hair loss! Can't figure out if it will stop,uneducated doctor has no clue....too little data out there when I do my own research. BUT it has helped the headaches so much. | Great migraine med. | F | 38 | 8 days | 2/22/2007 |