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 |
| 4 | Builimia/ Depression | weird taste in mouth, some weight loss, stopped bulimia right in its tracks. Kind of dazed, acne, dehydration. | F | 26 | 2 months | 7/20/2006 | 5 | Migrane & Ocular Migrane | confusion, loss or hard to find choice of words to use, space out, extreme forgetfulness | I was 20 weeks pregnant when I started having migranes/ocular migranes. Without the topamax I could not function due to the pain. However it only takes the migrane away, it doesn't take the visuals from the ocualr migranes away. And my OB assures me that it is safe for the baby. | F | 25 | 5 months | 7/19/2006 | 5 | migraines | soft drinks taste bad which is a blessing in disguise, incompletion of orgasms for a while, dry mouth, tingling in only my hands and feet at first with lower milligrams, when reached 100mg. tingling in face, which is the most disconcerting, loss of weight | I suffered silent migraines for many years thinking an ailment no one could diagnose. I had blurred vision, glazed eyes, pale and droopy face, full blown lethargy, sometimes unable to get out of bed for 3 to 5 days (with depression). And they said it could be menstrual migraines. Topamax is working better than anything thus far. It's not perfect, but I would say that at least 2/3 of my migraines have been conquered. I used to suffer, and I mean suffer insatiable cravings of chocolate/salty foods every day - now they are gone and I rarely have chocolate. What a blessing that is. It has also controlled my eating habits (during migraines I had insatiable cravings for food of any kind). Too many carbonated drinks aren't good for us, either, so I'm glad they taste bad, even though I miss them. And the best side effect - 15 lb. weight loss thus far. I'm not too happy with the tingling in my face which just recently started, but hoping that will pass, since I am happy with Topamax thus far. | F | 55 | 4 months | 7/18/2006 | 1 | complex partial seizures | massive panic attack/uncontrolled shaking/massive studdering./ unable to stare at something/ head uncontrollable/ mind totally blank. i thought i was dying and hardly got to the ER/crawlled out of the house because i was fighting beiing paralysed/ three days of these symptoms in the hospital while topamax cleared my system. the real kicker is it has been three weeks since i have been of of it and i am still not operatting at 100% yet | as a buisness ouwner and mother of 2 i would recommend this to no one/i need to keep up with life/ a doctor told me recovery from such side affects may take 4 to 6 weeks/ is there anyone out there who reacted to the medicine in such a short amount of time? is there anyone out there that felt the affects of topamax long after it was out of there system? please let me know | F | 35 | 4 days | 7/17/2006 | 5 | Cmplx Migraines/Migraine Prevention | Excessive daytime drowsiness, loss of appetite, tingling in feet & hands, short term memory loss, clumsiness, hard time finding the right words to say when having a conversation and hard time staying focused. All decreased after a few weeks except for memory loss, finding the right words and staying focused. | I was having severe migraines 3-4 times a month. The pain was so intense I had to go to the ER for injections every time I had one. After one year of dealing with dragging my 2 small children to the ER, because my husband was overseas I was finally referred to a neuro. He put me on Topamax the final dosage being 200mgs a day increasing by 25mgs per wk until I reached that dosage. I am migraine free and happier than ever! I did that for 7 months and then the short-term memory effect really started becoming a problem. I was forgetting so much that I was stressing myself out more than I care to remember. Went back to my neuro and he reduced my dose to 100mg a day and in addition to that he put me on Pamelor, 25mgs a day. I have most of my memory back and still migraine free! If the Topamax/Pamelor combination failed, I'd go back to my original 200 mgs of Topamax a day. I'd rather deal with my memory loss & stupidity then the pain from a migraine any day. Topamax was a Godsend! | F | 32 | 1 days | 7/15/2006 | 3 | migraine prevention | Irritability, Weight loss (7 lbs), Depression, Spaciness, Eye pain, Stomach upset, Loss of Taste, These went away after a few weeks. Tingling in the feet still happens every day. | F | 44 | 4 months | 7/13/2006 | 4 | migraine prevention | Tingling in hands and feet during certain times of day (mornings), hair loss, loss of concentration/forgetfulness/inability to hold attention, irritability, moodiness, can't sleep very well | I started taking 25mg about a month ago for migraine prevention, and so far it hasn't done much, but it is a low dose. My doctor just upped it today to 50mg so maybe that will make a difference. I also take Maxalt when a migraine occurs, and it seems like I have been getting rebound headaches from the Maxalt ever since I started on the Topamax. When I have gotten migraines while on Topamax, there have been bad ones, but there have also been some that are a dull, lingering pain which don't seem "normal" compared to when I wasn't on it. Overall, I'm not dissatisfied, I am just hoping a higher dosage will do a better job. | F | 22 | 1 months | 7/12/2006 | 4 | chronic migraine | Some memory problems, mostly an aphasia which is different from that coming from middle age, stress or migraine. Tolerable. The extreme tiredness went away after about eight weeks; carbonated drinks still taste nasty but I can live with that. | Hoped Topamax would reduce prodrome symptoms of migraine (extreme crankiness, food cravings, unable to follow logical thought processes, poor sleep, etc.)which were present even when pain/aura/nausea were not. I took six weeks to reach full dosage due to the tiredness which may have been partly due to other stresses. The migraines are much reduced and the worst of the prodrome effects are gone, which was my main goal. Topomax has considerably improved life and my interactions with family and friends. | F | 49 | 4 months | 7/12/2006 | 5 | depression/migraines | ringing ears-but it's gone now, tingling heels very occasioanlly, can't drink any soda, but I don't miss it, weight loss-always happy about that!! I did have a 6 month period where all I could eat was granola bars because anything else caused severe tummy pain, but, I don't know if that's related and my husband says having conversations with me can be like playing charades with words and that was before the topamax. (I never can find the words I am looking for) | I love topamax because it has decreased my nightmares that I have suffered from since I was a child and it helps with my depression, with the headaches, and it helps me sleep. | F | 27 | 2 years | 7/11/2006 | 4 | Bipolar disorder type II | rapid weight loss and constant appetite suppression, some word loss and a bit of mental confusion. lost 28 pounds in about 6 weeks. I've lost so much weight that the doctor's told me he'll take me off if I don't gain weight. I'm trying to gain weight back since it does work for my mood swings and these side effects are better than lamictal's acne and hair loss. So, if you are trying to lose weight and have bipolar disorder and have the summer off where you don't need to concentrate too much this is the drug for you. | Seriously, though it is a viable option in bipolar disorder. I use it in combo with Wellbutrin and trazadone at night to sleep and after many years i'm finally stable. I too wish that doctors would stop writing off this drug as ineffective for BP. Yes, there are some serious side effects. But just about every bipolar drug on the market has serious side effects. You just have to figure out which ones you can live with. Topamax made me forget words (only for awhile) and suppresses my appetite (that hasn't come back)but still works quite well in stabilizing my moods and is as effective as Lamictal which carries its own fun bag of side effects. | F | 35 | 6 months | 7/11/2006 | 2 | Daily "Migraine" Headaches | Where do I start? Dizziness, nausea (this is where the weight loss everyone talks about comes in), diarrhea, coughing, breathing problems, muscle spasms, arm weakness, chest pain and tightness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleepiness. | I know this medicine works great for a lot of people but for me it did not. For the first week I didn't have a headache at all and I was only a little dizzy so I was very happy. Then about a week and a half into taking it, everything changed. My pain came back and the side effects started. I was crying all the time about things that didn't make any sense. I just felt depressed and like I couldn't function. I was constantly worried about everything. I was very sick at my stomach and didn't want to eat anything which is very unusual for me because I love food. I also developed a horrible cough with rattling in my chest. My legs would randomly jerk and move. All I wanted to do was sit around or sleep. My mom and boyfriend both said my personality had done a complete 360. All this and I was only on it for 3 weeks and only went up to 50 mgs. | F | 20 | 21 days | 7/11/2006 | 5 | Migraine / Chronic Headaches | Began at 25, then 50 mg. At low dosage, experienced panic attacks and shortness of breath. Possibly d/t transitioning from Depakote, which while it eliminated my headaches, it made me feel emotionally flat and chronically tired. Ramped up to 400 mg before headaches were under back under control. Experienced mild cognative disfunction at 400 mg, side effects gradually worsened after 2yrs at this dosage - (confusion, language problems, trouble concentrating, short term memory problems) Also had trouble sleeping (staying asleep), became very sensative to caffeine. Reduced to 200 mg, reduction in side confusion/cognitative effects. However, still have trouble sleeping. Headaches are still well controlled at 200 mg. 1 headache (mild) in 10 months since halving dosage. | Is not quite as effective as Depakote, but side effects (so far) are more tolerable to me than that medication. | M | 39 | 3 years | 7/10/2006 | 1 | Migraines | My side effects while taking this drug were memory loss and an inability to think clearly or focus on anything. Examples: I found it very difficult to do simple check writing. My husband said my verbal responses were very slow. I momentarily forgot my middle name! How sad is that? I also felt like I had a small electrical current running through my body...the tingling I guess. Also my eyes hurt (to the point of having a doctor examine them), extreme lethargy, sleeplessness and an overall feeling of not being well. | The one side effect I had hoped for (weight loss) never happened and I still had migraines. The good thing about Topamax was that it made me feel so bad that when I quick taking it I was happy to just have my migraines. I would not recommend this drug for anyone. | F | 56 | 1 months | 7/6/2006 | 1 | migraines due to herniated disc | tingling hands and feet....forget what i was saying or difficult trying to find the right words.....weight loss....MOST MAJOR WAS HAIR LOSS!!!!!!!! | I had to come of this medication because of extreme hair loss...many others I have talked with that are taking this drug are also experiencing hair loss.....many of us use the same hair stylist....I took it for 7 months 50 mg twice a day and after about 7 months my hair started coming out by the root....I saw a dermatolist and was told I have a condition triggered by medication or stress called telogen effluvium(or hair loss)...I am told that this condition means not complete hair loss but new growth is coming in pushing old hair out.....so I am getting new hair but you can see my scalp...also Im told my hair may come back thinner or curly or may be a different color all togethor.....so far I seem to have new hair that is same color but much finer......hard to tell since its only 1/2 inch long and I was told this may last 4 months......and there is nothing to stop this process. The hair loss is the worst side effect. I could deal with the tingling hands and feet and speech problems | F | 32 | 7 months | 7/5/2006 | 5 | Migraines & nerve damage | Had tingling in my face, hands and toes if I miss a dose. Appetite goes up and down. Had an inital weight lose but that has leveled out. Libido is nil. I get disoriented and sometimes start to tip as I walk or trip over my own 2 feet. I get confused all the time! Not only do I spell backwards but I talk backwards. I also, as many others cannot find words when trying to have a conversation. | I started taking 100mg Topamax for migraines that I was having 1-2 a week and it helped. Then I had a spinal fusion and I began to get the migraines 5x a week. It was like they came back with a vengence, worse then I had gotten them before. My doctors started increasing my dosage 25 mg at a time until I was up to 300mg. The migraines finally decreased down to 2-3 a month but my brain was mush and I didn't sleep, so back down to 200 mg. I went. I've been there for about 8-9 months now and the migraines are the same at 2- 3 times a months, I just don't have as much brain mush! Although I did fall the other day, I still get a little disoriented from time to time and feel like I cannot have an intelligent conversation because I lose my train of thought. Some days I feel very clear, others, not so much. I think it definately helps with my moods/depression from my accident. I do have 1 of my doctors that wants me to come off of the Topamax because he said its not meant for long term use. I h | F | 38 | 32 months | 7/3/2006 | 3 | Migraine | Dry Mouth, Dizzy, Change in menstrual cycle, face tingling | 50mg/day | F | 31 | 3 months | 7/2/2006 | 3 | Migrane | Confusion, hard time focusing, slow time processing, dry mouth. I don't know about the appetite yet - I'm fasting with diverticulitus presently. That will make anyone lose weight. | I sleep well, even with naps because I also take Amitriptyline, another migrane prevention drug. I highly recommend it! Started T'max at 25 MG, now 50 MG. Supposed to work up to 100 MG, but I think I'll go back to 25 MG where I had no problems and no migranes. I need to think. I don't like being a vegtable. | M | 48 | 2 weeks | 7/1/2006 | 5 | Scizo-Effective Disorder | Wieght Loss, Memory Loss, Loss Of Appetite, And Confused Sometimes | I Have Not Really Been Taking Topamax For A While. But I Am 5'7" And I Weigh About 190 lbs. I Hear That It Also Helps You Lose Wieght. If Anyone Wants To E-Mail Me About That Subject Please Do So. | M | 16 | 14 days | 6/28/2006 | 3 | Frequent Migraine | mood swings.memory problems.taste. lack of energy.tingling of toes and fingers. | three weeks into it, the headaches seem to be reduced but its a little early to tell. | F | 45 | 21 days | 6/28/2006 | 4 | complex partial seizures | fatigue, hair loss, acne, decreased libido,chest pain,severe tingling pain in legs and hands and some in face and nose, intolerance to cold, can't drink carbonated drinks anymore, fuzzy feeling sometimes when I'm trying to talk to some one or to think about something important,can't focus sometimes when people are talking to me, constantly thirsty- drink lots of tea and water, my vision has become a little fuzzy-after corrective surgery | worked for seizure control, but I'm 34 years old mother of 2 very active children and married only 2 years- the other side effects are very trying on my marriage and very active lifestyle. | F | 34 | 9 months | 6/27/2006 |