TOPAMAX Reviews (TOPIRAMATE)Average Rating: 3.0 (1824 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare TOPAMAX with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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More on TOPAMAX: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR TOPAMAX | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 1 | migrane and auras | This drug should be banned!! I have had so many side effects starting with hair loss (low serum ferritin levels), anemia, mental confusion, 15lb. weight loss,and fatigue. Just recently I went to the MD cause I was feeling extremely tired and now I have vitamin "D" deficiency due to the increased phenytoin levels in topamax. Also lymph nodes have been enlarged for 1 year. I am currently weaning myself off this terrible drug. Please evaluate this drug carefully before you agree to take it. Consider all your options. | F | 52 | 16 months | 9/28/2008 | 5 | Chronic Migraines | Diarrhea, initially quite severe - controlled by taking probiotics 2x daily and iron tablet daily (I'm slightly anemic); occasional tingling in my hands & feet - I just remind myself that it's better than a migraine; and inability to come up with the right word now & then. Anything carbonated tastes simply awful, so now that I've eliminated those famous triggers alcohol and caffiene, I've got water, herbal tea, and a couple juices left to drink. But migraines regularly put me to bed three and four days at a time, several times each month. I can tolerate these side effects. | My neuro. had me go on a nightly dose of melatonin to help me sleep well and a 2x daily dose of alpha lipoic acid (can't recall the specific reason). She recommended Migrelief, which I was already taking, but I had to stop because the magnesium was contributing to the diarrhea and so now I take just the feverfew & B2 separately. I take 100 mg of Topamax daily and have an extra supply of 25 mg. tablets so that I can increase my dosage during ovulation & menstruation. | F | 48 | 9 months | 9/27/2008 | 2 | migraines | tingling/pins and needles in hands, arms, legs and feet; extreme fatigue; conjunctivitis; eye pain/soreness; spelling problems; cognitive problems; forgetfulness; upper respiratory tract infection; diarrhea. | I have been taking Topamax preventatively for migraines for six weeks: 25 mg week one, 50 mg week two, 75 week three, 100 week four and since. I experienced no side effects the first three weeks. But the last three weeks have been miserable. I feel like a poster child for Topamax side effects. I went through the pins and needles sensation in my hands/arms and feet/legs, which was nothing like I've ever felt before. Very painful. I've been experiencing extreme exhaustion. I can barely stay up past 10pm and I work/go to graduate school four times a week until 9pm, so this is very difficult. I am an excellent speller but now I have to slow down and sound out words and still spell them wrong at times. I've been forgetful and had short term memory problems. I developed a bad cough and cold. Painful, hours long diarrhea. Tired eyes that are red and with pink eye-like discharge in the morning. No weight loss so far! And I woke up yesterday morning with a killer migraine that has | F | 29 | 6 weeks | 9/27/2008 | 5 | Migraine Headaches | Initial metallic/flat tasting of my dr. pepper. Had to switch to coca-cola. No change in taste of the light colors of sodas like Mt. Dew. Either I got used to it or it did not change the taste of Coke. Coke tastes great to me now! No other side effects. | It's ashame to read all the other negative feedbacks. I realize all our bodies metabolize drugs differently, but this drug has been a life-saver for me. I was having daily headaches with about 4-5 migraines a month. Dr was frustrated with me killing my liver with mega dosage of acetaminaphen and other over the counter medicines I was using, so she tried me on Topamaxx. WOW what a difference. Even after 2 years, If I forget a refill and go a couple days without it, the headaches creep back in and remind me why I take this drug everyday. I take 100mg at bedtime. | F | 34 | 2 years | 9/23/2008 | 3 | Chronic migraines | slight tingling in fingers in toes and significant weight loss. | I began taking Topamax in April of 2006. While I only experienced a few minor side effects at first, I noticed after discontinuing my birth contol that my hair began falling out in huge clumps while washing and blow drying my hair. After six months I had lost 50% of my hair. While the medicine worked great for my migraines, my scalp hurts so bad that it hurts to lay my head down on my pillow at night. If you consider taking this medication really weigh your pros and cons and talk to your doctor about taking vitamin B supplements and Biotin before you begin your medication. | F | 28 | 2 years | 9/20/2008 | 5 | migraines | Soda tasted flat in first year- taste returned; Thinning of hair in second year- has remained thinner; struggle with trying to find the right word. | This drug changed my life because it cured me. In the past- I awoke every day with a migraine. It was a huge problem. I had problems with daylight, certain smells, excessive sound. nausea. I suffered from every type of migraine- cluster, hormonal, and the type you get while you dream.I had the aura with the bright zagged lines and also would go completely blind for about twenty minutes. All this was cured by taking Topamax 50 mgs. twice a day. I occasionally get a migraine, one every other month, no where near the severity of what I endured previously.It was impossible for me to work 5 days in a row before, now I am an excellent employee. | F | 52 | 5 years | 9/19/2008 | 4 | Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy | Memory Loss, feeling of "heavy wet blanket" over head, like thoughts are hard to grasp | I've been taking Topamax 200mg, twice a day for over 10 years now and it has worked well. I recently went to the neurologist to get off of it because I only had one seizure in 1995, and from that one seizure I was diagnosed with JME, and have been on meds all my life. I want to see if I can live without Topamax, as I'd like to start a family sometime soon. Wish me luck! | F | 30 | 10 years | 9/19/2008 | 2 | migraines | My wife takes this. always exhausted. frequently irritable. decreased libido. Seemingly minimal benefit. | Seems as though I constantly annoy her. Has no energy. Our sex life is cold. I truly wonder if she still loves me. I don't know what is worse...living with it or divorcing. I pray the negative side effects do not continue. | F | 32 | 7 months | 9/17/2008 | 3 | CUTTING and PTSD | I have just started taking this medicating maybe a month ago (50mg 1wk and now 100mg) and my face (nose, lips, cheeks) is constantly numb, my eyes are blurry, tired, metallic taste in my mouth all the time. I can't seem to quinch my thirst at all! I think my memory is getting pretty whacked too or I am just over stressed, not sure | If anyone has any suggestions let me know like on something that will help with my thirst or if you have had a lot of face numbness... I have read a lot of the memory loss and funny tastes but not the numbness, if its normal or not you can at [email protected] thanks | F | 36 | 22 days | 9/16/2008 | 4 | Migraines | weight loss, pins and needles in hands feet face, feelings of being on a roller coaster and extreme dizziness - especially when leaning forward, feeling 'high' and very disoriented, slow thinking and movement, aggression, sore throat and cold at higher dose (100 mg), no physical coordination | My current dose is 100mg. I was having daily migraines for over three months. After getting up to 75 mg of Topamax a day, they began to ebb. I've only had one this week. So far, the side effects are worth it. If the mental confusion and feelings of being high continue, I will have to go off the medication, but for now I will continue and hope that this will fade over time. The most difficult part is the inability to think quickly. This impairs my ability to work and go to school. I have been asked if I am high by a friend after taking topamax in the morning because I was so out of it. I now take it all before bed. I feel like I am on the deck of a ship - everything is moving - and cannot follow a conversation. This is extremely distracting at work. Nothing happens quickly anymore. (It took me 20 minutes to fill this out!) | F | 30 | 1 months | 9/14/2008 | 3 | Bi-Polar | Hands/Feet Tingling, immediate disorientation (w/in 15 mins), very good sleep | The tingling was helped by taking a multi-vitamin, pre-natal vitamins and also **flax seed oil**, when I ran out of flax pills, the tingling became shooting pain in my heels and fingers. I have to take this med at night as I will become really confused if I stay awake. | F | 32 | 6 months | 9/12/2008 | 1 | Migraines | Confusion, fatigue, loss of direction or where I was going, constipation and spasams in GI system, no appetite, weight loss of 35 lbs in 6 weeks, abdominal pain, nausea, enlarged liver, loss of sexual desires, tingling in fingers and just feeling awful. | My main concern to others is that I stopped taking the drug after 6 weeks. The dose was increased each week by 25 to the 200mg. I stopped in June and it is now September and some severe symptoms still remain. The GI system was damaged and doctors are now addressing reversing the terrible side effects. I thought once I stopped taking the medication that all would be better. NOT TRUE. Symptoms are still continuing. I think this medication is very dangerous. I have been very ill over the past 4 months and through many medical tests and procedures to determine what was causing the illness. Please seek medical attention if you have severe side effects and if they do not cease after stopping the drug. I finnaly found a specialist that diagnosed me. Thank goodness for persistance and one very good doctor! | F | 39 | 6 weeks | 9/11/2008 | 5 | Bipolar II- Rapid Cycling | Initial weight loss, cognitive impairments (memory retention), tiredness, extreme lethargy. | I'm a Bipolar II, rapid cycler, who recieved a lot of relief from this drug. That being said, I had to get through the inital phase of some mucky, adverse side effects in order to get where I am today-- enjoying the mood balancing effects this drug has given me. Everyone's different-- for some people the side effects are too extreme when first taking a drug and they automatically go off it. Most all of the side effects I experienced with topamax went away within 2-3 months. Today, I don't feel tired anymore, sleep patters have normalized, I'm not an anorexic, etc. Though cognitively.. I'm a tad less sharper (word recall) and yes.. that frustrates me. But hell.. I'm a rapid cycling bipolar, I think I'll take a stable mood over a lack of word recall any day of the week. Anyways, every body system is individual and really, you shouldn't let this post determine your med choices. Talk candidly with a doctor and do your research. You never know how (your) body is going to react. None of us | F | 23 | 1.5 years | 9/10/2008 | 3 | headaches | So far i have experienced all carbonated beverages tasting flat, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet as well as my face. Twitching and pulsating in my eyes and around my mouth. Fatigue and dizziness. I have been on many medicines for my headaches and this is the first one where i can honestly say that i have felt the extreme side effects from. | F | 19 | 4.5 weeks | 9/7/2008 | 3 | chronic headache/neck pain | appetite and weight loss, tingling and numbing in feet, forgetfulness, loss of words, loss of memory, confusion, loose bowels, meatalic taste in mouth, all food tastes different, dry skin, weakness, heart palpitations, | I have had a chronic 24/7 daily headache and neck pain for one year now. Have tried lots of meds. nothing has worked. started this Topamax 1 month ago and am at 100 mg and has helped a lot. I still have a headache and neck pain 24/7 everyday, just not as intense as before. I have no appetite!!! I eat like a todler . Went from 125lb to 115lb in one month. I will have to force myself to eat this next month to prevent too much weight loss. Weird??? I will continue with this med in the hopes that it will continue to work and get even better. This last year has been horrible for me. I am too young to be living in chronic pain. Besides feeling like an anorexic, I am stupider than a box of rocks now. I know why they nicknamed this stuff "dopamax"!! I am extremely worried about what everyone says about the hair loss that can happen around 6 or 7 months?! | F | 32 | 4 weeks | 8/30/2008 | 4 | Migraines / daily headaches | Initial tingling in hands and feet. More recently (after 2 years) hair loss. I have had trouble with kidney stones my whole adult life, but have not had issues while on Topamax - knock on wood! | It has helped me significantly. I still need nerve blocks to ward off the migraines as well, but far less frequently - and I can go several days without a normal headache. | F | 34 | 2 years | 8/28/2008 | 1 | prevention of migraine headaches | severe depression outbursts, confusion, loss of focus, loss of taste, tingling sensation, STILL HAVE HEADACHES! | Terrible drug--I would never recommend to anyone. | F | 35 | 5 weeks | 8/22/2008 | 2 | Bi Polar II | Sleeplessness, Loss of Appetite, Trouble Breathing, Increased Agitation | My doctor keeps telling me this is going to make me drowsy and it seems the more I take the more awake I am. I get less and less sleep and that probably feeds into my increased agitation. I don't think it is working too well for me for my bipolar but is sure as heck got me out of depression. Maybe if the they prescribed me something to sleep the medicine might be more effective but right now only frustrating me. | F | 33 | 70 days | 8/21/2008 | 4 | Epilepsy | It is hard to determine if it is Topamax or Dilantin that I am weaning off of. I have always had the 50-first-date-syndrome, words don’t come to me, I am klutzy, I am trying to relieve stress from my life so a take a nonchalant approach to everything, etc. I can say that I have lost about 10 #'s in 3 weeks and weight loss is really hard for me!! Soda tastes funny so I stopped my addiction to Diet Coke. I can't eat as much as I use to or I feel like my stomach will explode, plus I am craving healthy foods. For lunch I wanted about ½ cup of garbanzo beans and ½ small avocado. Dilantin made me crave In’N’Out Double-Double with Fries, that sounds so gross!! | My headaches stopped along with my seizures, 2 birds with one stone, YEAH!! I tried this drug once about 6 years ago but it was in combination with a large dose of Depakote and the 2 just didn't work well in my body so I blamed it all on Topamax. Now I am combining it with Lamictal while weaning off of the Dilantin the ER people put me on. I am happy with it so far. Only major question is does anyone have food sensitivities? I started a journal with times I take food/meds, things that might have stressed me out, when I slept, how I felt, etc. to make tied on health and I get major stomach pains after some meals. I have narrowed it down to meat, peppers, processed sugar, or all combined with lots of cold water. Help is appreciated. AND a big although this medicine is a lifesaver for me right now, everyone's bodies react differently due to our chemical makeup and drug combinations. 6 years ago I was protesting anyone that took this drug and now I am shouting praises from the roo | F | 30 | 20 days | 8/20/2008 | 5 | bi-polar disorder/cluster headaches | numbness/ "pins & needles" feeling in extremities, weightloss, loss of appetite, diarrhea, visual disturbances, dizziness, tiredness, difficulty staying asleep. | Before I started taking Topamax I was on Lithium. It was working well until I was hospitialized for Lithium Toxicity and Seratonin Syndrome. Afterwards, I was experiencing headaches daily. They were unbearablable! I had been on Topamax years ago, but due to compatibilty issues with birth control I was advised to try other medications again first. I have been on it now for roughly a month and I believe the benefits far outweigh the side effects. My psychiatrist is still fine tuning my medications because I had to come off all my meds after my hospitalization, but so far I have been pretty even keel. YAY to no more headaches! | F | 33 | 1 months | 8/19/2008 |