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 Date added. 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 | severe insomnia | diarrhea, severe stomache cramps, vision problems, hair thining (possibly due to the huge weight loss) hard to know which came first, the chicken or the egg? low blood pressure, dizzy | NO WONDER!just got out of the hospital after dealing with the side effects of this drug for the last year. Having no clue that it was the Topomax causing problems. The first few months taking it it, looking back, it was OK. I am also, being treated for blood clots, so major discussion on which was killing me; the overdose (by the Dr.'s) of Topomax or of the toxicity to the blood thinners. (which is very rare) But reading here, I can see that in fact my dosage of Topomax was indeed rather high to say the least! 300mg every night for sleep! For four months I just layed in bed in pain and couldn't consume anything but water & even that would go right through me. I have been blaming the sight problems on age, but sounds to me like it may have been just another symptom to blame on the Topomax. Yep, lost A LOT of weight, but way too fast. Not the diet I would recommend. Besides you feel so bad, you can't enjoy it! PLEASE FOLKS!!DO NOT LOOK TO THIS AS A WEIGHT LOSS PILL!!! IT NEARLY KILL | F | 44 | 1 years | 8/2/2007 | 5 | Migraines | tingling in hands, arms, feet, legs, face, and mouth, but nothing that worried or bothered me too much. decreased appetite, occasional nausea, change of taste in certain foods and drinks, maybe some memory loss but nothing to affect my daily life. | Overall, topamax has helped me very much. Before taking this medication, i had migraines at least once a month and headaches on a daily basis and when you are only 18, it really affects your daily life with school and work. Topamax did have side effects but none that really changed my daily life and none that would change my decision on taking this medication. I started taking 25mgs a day, then 25mgs 2xs a day, then 25mgs in the morning and 50mgs at night and now i am at 50mgs twice daily. | F | 18 | 1 months | 7/31/2007 | 4 | bi-polar disorder | Symptoms occurring during the first few months: 60lb weight loss, confusion, loss of words/memory, severe tingling in legs and arms, dry mouth, constipation, lack of motivation, upset stomach, vivid dreams/nightmares, insomnia, loss of appetite, lethargic____Continuing symptoms: constipation, lethargic, dry mouth, vivid dreams/nightmares, insomnia, lack of motivation | I take this medication along with Effexor to regulate my bi-polar disorder. The combination of the two has had an amazing result in my mood. I'm much more stable and (apart from the side effects) would recommend the two meds for anyone with this disorder. | F | 23 | 5 years | 7/31/2007 | 2 | migraines | hand/foot numbness in the first few weeks (mostly subsided, still comes around sometimes), difficulty concentrating & depressed (also subsided after first month), alcohol intolerance, food taste changes (now unable to drink anything carbonated), weight loss (15 lbs), diarrhea, reduced sweating/frequent overheating when exercising (just discovered this is a side effect this summer when running outside), dry mouth, increased cramps during menstrual cycle | Unfortunately I'm still getting 4-5 migraines a month -- I'm taking this in conjunction with Imitrex & Excedrin, so anytime I feel one coming, I take that and it seems to usually go away. Possibly considering going off the medication and JUST using those two since I have so many side effects still. | F | 24 | 11 months | 7/29/2007 | 4 | migraines | Since starting topamax i havent had the first migraine, the only side effects i seem to be having is soda tastes like crap, my tongue seems to be covered in small blister looking things way on the back of it. I started at 25 mg for 1 week then 50 mg on day 8, i am on day 11 now. I will continue unless the side effects start getting crazy on me. dr. wants me to work up to 100 mg a day | F | 50 | 11 days | 7/26/2007 | 3 | Epilepsy | Drastic weight loss, tingling in my arms, fingertips, face, sharp pain in my legs, when my dosage got switched drastic weight gain, lethargic, loss of concentration, can't get enough sleep, extremely thirsty | I've been on Topamax for 6 years. I started on 25mg and am now on 200mg a day. It has stopped my seizures completely but the side effects can be completely mind numbing sometimes. It's hard to make it through the day sometimes. I've complained about the side effects multiple times to my doctor, asking them to switch the dosage to a higher amount at night so I can go through the day not feeling like a zombie w/no reply. | F | 22 | 6 years | 7/25/2007 | 2 | Migraines | Tingling in arms, legs and face. Memory loss. ALSO: EXTREMELY DRY SKIN..Has anyone else had dry skin problems due to Topamax? I was on drug 6 weeks, (2 weeks 25mg, 2 weeks 50mg, then 2 weeks @ 25mg). I have been off drug for 2.5 weeks, but skin still very dry. Itchy, rash appears when taking shower. | Please let me know if you have experienced dry skin as a side effect and what you found helpful to you? How long does it take skin to get back to normal? | F | 44 | 6 weeks | 7/25/2007 | 4 | Confusional Migraines | tingling feet, lower legs, hands, lips, and inside of mouth, loss of appetite and weight loss (10 lbs so far), at first migraine pain but that has gone away, fatigue, confusion, losing train of thought, can't think of words or can't put thoughts into words, difficulty doing complex multi-step tasks, memory problems, apathy, beginning to feel depression and wondering if that's also a side effect | It has helped greatly with the confusional migraine symptoms, many of the side effects are similar to the migraine symptoms but they are milder and most of them seem to be getting less frequent and/or getting milder except for the fatigue, cognitive issues, and the depression which is new and getting worse. I started with 25 mg, increased by 25 mg a week until I got to 100 mg a week and have been holding at that dose for 2 months. I don't want to increase dose and may discuss reducing as long as migraine symptoms don't come back. The words of those who have been on it for many years are encouraging. | F | 44 | 5 months | 7/24/2007 | 4 | Migraines | Nausea, upset stomach, tingling in my hands and feet, taste change, agitation, memory difficulty, fatigue, and kidney stones | I have been on this medication for a year, and some of the symptoms went away in the first three weeks, as described by my doctor. For the first three weeks I felt agitated (like my mind was moving too quickly for my body), and I constantly found it hard to think of words and was having trouble remembering things short-term, which made it very difficult to carry on a conversation. However, for the past year I have been dealing with an extreme "pins and needles" feeling in my hands and feet, taste change (carbonated beverages have a metallic taste), and fatigue. I would have dealt with those side effects - they were better that two debilitating migraines a week. However, in the past four months I have also felt constant nausea and have had diarrhea and a kidney stone. In the time that I've been on this medication my migraines have been reduced from two a week to about one a month (an amazing change), but I'm switching to another preventative, I can't deal with the side effects | F | 20 | 1 years | 7/23/2007 | 4 | migraine prevention | tiredness, bloating, decreased appetite, carbonated drinks taste horrible | the tiredness became less problematic when changed meds to PM; I was wondering if anyone else was having the bloating problem? It seems strange, since appetite has decreased. Dr has prescribed a diuretic for every 3 days, and I drop 5 pounds, which shows how much I'm retaining. As for the drinks, with all the kidney problems this med can cause, I guess we should all be drinking plenty of water, anyway! I tried Topamax a year ago at a higher starting dose and hated it (quit after 3 weeks), but this time, we have started very slowly and gradually, and I've gone from 15 headaches in June to only one so far in July (I can't even remember a month like this-I average 12 a month). | F | 51 | 5 days | 7/18/2007 | 3 | migraine/bipolar (rapid) | Well, I think my dr is a moron. he started me on 400mg split 200 twice a day. no ramp up at all. within 30 min both my arms and legs were pins and needles and for the first 2 days i basically felt like i was in a constant state of drunkenness. he's the professional, right? the biggest problem i had was i was experiencing extreme muscular fatigue. climbing 2 flights of stairs killed me. looked it up and realized it was metabolic acidosis (low blood pH) very dangerous. called and he lowered it to 200 a day. now i get the tingles and the only other side effect which is KILLING me is when i go outside into the heat i get the worst itching all over. feels like poison ivy or something. hope that goes away soon. oh yeah, beer and soda taste awful now. | only been on a week, but haven't had a migraine since. can't really say if it helps with the bipolar yet either. | M | 35 | 1 weeks | 7/18/2007 | 1 | Seizures and daily (24/7) headache | Mood swings, depression, anxiety, paranoia, suicidal thoughts and attempt, angry for no reason, withdrawn, not myself, argumentive, stomach pain, lower back pain, abdominal pain and bloating, painful urination, decreased appetite. | Shortly after starting Topamax, I starting experiencing all the symptom I listed. Getting worse as time goes on. Nearly gave my mother a nervous breakdown, because I was normally a happy, trustworthy person. I became the total opposite. I wasn't even sure who I was. I've started weaning myself off. The drug only reduced the severity of my head pain, but has not taken it away. I'll put up with the daily head pain and occassional seizures. The personality changes are not worth the little benefit I received from the drug. | F | 16 | 2 months | 7/18/2007 | 1 | Nerve Pain | Blurred vision, headaches, eye pain, temporary blindness. | My vision started getting worse and I had to get stronger glasses. My left eye would feel like it was going to explode. Then one morning, I woke up and was totally blind out of my left eye. It lasted for 8 minutes. It happened again a few days later. My doctor told me it couldn't be from the topamax and sent me to a neurological opthomologist. He told me topamax was notorious for vision problems and that if I didn't stop taking it, I could go permanently blind. It took a good two months for my vision to get back to normal after I quit taking it. And it did nothing for the nerve pain either. | F | 45 | 3 months | 7/18/2007 | 2 | Migraines | Soft drinks taste watered down, loss of words, and weakening of eye site. Not a good drug to take when attempting a summer Calculus class. Topamax makes me feel confused and unable to comprehend. | I have not felt sick in any way nor have I lost my apetite or lost weight. I went from having 3 migraines a week to only about 1. But now I have a Glaucoma scare! | M | 19 | 3 weeks | 7/13/2007 | 2 | Migraines | Complete loss of taste, feet and face burn when exercising, hunger, thirst, drowsy. | I was prescribed this medication as a preventative for migraines. I have only been taking it for 4 days and have experienced all of these side effects. My dr is taking me off of this medication immediately. | F | 46 | 4 days | 7/12/2007 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 5 | Slightly Bi-polar | Tingling in toes and fingers, tired during the day, can't sleep at night, weightloss (but I'm also on weightwatchers but I think it helps me not be as hungry), words come out of my mouth wrong, sometimes it's hard to concentrate, and memory loss which does bother me because I've always had a good memory. | My docotor put me on topamax because I'm on Lexapro for anxiety and it wasn't working so because it wasn't she thinks I'm slightly bi-polar so I can take both medications together. Since then I've seen a big change and I'm finally starting to feel better. I'm now up to the 100 mg a day. | F | 28 | 6 weeks | 7/8/2007 | 1 | Migraine - chronic | Experienced all side effects - especially cognitive difficulty, detachment from reality, and long-term side effects. Negative effect on job performance, felt like neanderthal version of my former self. After discussion with neurologist, I weaned off Topamax very very slowly and most side effects ended afterwards. I recently developed kidney infection - then kidney stones four months after ending Topamax. After trying multiple symptomatics (including Imitrex, Midrin, Relpax) to control migraines, started Topamax as migraine preventative and went from 25mg to 150mg slowly. All side effects AND MIGRAINES escalated as Topamax dose increased - and I was afraid to take it but too afraid to not take it. Finally weaned off and now I'm controlling migraines through lifestyle as much as possible. | Topamax was so scary that I don't want to take migraine meds again. Migraines were so bad I begged neurologist for a preventative - and he prescribed Topamax. After experiencing awful side effects with each symptomatic, then this preventative - I'm done! Even though migraines are still frequent, I try to both control what I can through lifestyle (healthy diet, mild exercise, yoga, rest) and accept the rest on a day-to-day basis. I still get 2+ migraines per week but my quality of life, both short and long term, is better without migraine meds. I thought I was going to either go insane or become completely retarded if I continued meds. Be careful. | F | 26 | 8 weeks | 7/7/2007 |