Topamax..anyone taken it?

[momof1princess]

my mom takes it for migraines, and hasn't had any horrible side effects. she HAS, however, lost a LOT of weight. she went from a size 12 to a size 4. it ALMOST makes me wish i had migraines! (notice i said almost)

 

[ohiomom28]

Yeah they are aren't fun, but I'll take the weight loss!

 

[luvwinnie]

It has helped me a lot, but I did have increas from 50 mg to 75. I would suggest taking it at bedtime. Everyone is different, but I once took it in the morning and COULD NOT stay awake all day. I cannot drink carbonated bevarages as they say...they just taste horrible. The tingling in hands and feet goes away. I was worried about memory loss but my neuro said that usually happens at high doses, and it has not been an issue for me. good luck! only other migraine suffferers can understand.

 

[taylor1293]

I start taking it tomorrow. Just wondering if the side effects are really as bad as they say they are and if its really worth it?

This drug should be increased gradually. You should not start out taking 50mg in the morning and 50mg at night. Please check with your doctor.

I am also taking it for migraines. I started on 25mg and went up to 75mg daily. I was on 75 mg for about 7 months and the symptoms/side effects were HORRIBLE. In June, I was in the doctors office in tears. We decided to reduce back to 25mg (must be tapered down) and if things weren't better in 2 months than we would switch to another drug. Things are SO much better now. Yes, there is still some forgetfulness and fogginess. But a thousand times better than before. And my migraines are no more frequent than they were with 75mg.

IMO, start with 25 mg and if that works, stay with it. No need to increase! Good luck

Edited to add: I can't taste soda anymore either . And the tingling never went away at 75mg but is gone at the 25mg!

 

[torinsmom]

Noone warned me about the carbonation deal, and I went back twice to a concession stand telling them my soda was flat When I found out it was the meds, I was soooo embarrased. I was excited about possible weight loss, but I didn't want to lose weight because food tasted so bad. I also got total vertigo from it, as well as tingling and stupidness, so I was only one it for less than a week.

Marsha

 

[Maleficient]

guess I'm the lucky one then. I took it and didn't have any of the side effects others have mentioned. All I got was some tingling in my finger tips. My dr also said it helped with weight loss and I didn't lose anything either.

I have to be one of the lucky ones as well. I'm at 100mg, migraines completely gone - which is a miracle to me - I have tingling in my fingers and toes which is transient and mostly in the mornings (I take med at night). After I titrated up, I don't notice sedation, don't get drowsy immediately after taking it, was up with my vomiting 6 yo DS most of last night and not drugged feeling, etc. I haven't noticed food tasting bad, I drink diet soda which tastes fine, and I haven't lost any weight. I will say that I am fairly thin to begin with, don't know if that makes a difference with this drug. As far as forgetfulness, I am on the north side of 40, have 3 kids, job, dog, elderly mom, DH, and all other sorts of life complications that makes it a miracle if I am able to recite my phone number before I started this drug, so maybe I am not the best judge of that particular side effect....

It is definitely worth it for me and I spent ten years trying everything so I wouldn't have to take a daily preventative med. This has been the only thing that has work, including sinus surgery. Good luck to the OP.

 

[smphbear]

It worked for my migraines.

I got past the fog after a few weeks.

Definitely noticed the soda thing ... was terrible to drink.

I had to come off of it because I had lost so much weight. The dr. got upset because I lost about 30 pounds. I actually had to put some back on. Unfortunately, all 30 has come back. I just found I wasn't hungry and when I was it didn't taste right.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Took it...hated it...didn't work. AND the side effects were horrid. Here's what I experienced on it:

1. Made carbonated beverages taste like boiled dirt. It's actually a known side effect of it. Sinci I LIVE on Diet Coke, this was a problem.

2. Made me forgetful. I forgot names, dates places. If I was driving somewhere, I'd forget where I was going, WHY I was going, or how to get there...or worse, HOW I had gotten to where I was.

3. Made me stupid (hence the nickname "Dope-amax"). Drop ten pennies on the floor and it would take me an HOUR to count them. I spelled things wrong, including my own name. Like living in a fog.

Ditto! Hated it. My doctor called it the Supermodel Drug because it makes you thin and dumb.

Along with the symptoms above I had this horrid tingling in my hands and feet all the time - it felt like they had been asleep and were just waking up - it was horrible. I was taking it for migraine prevention and I still had migraines. I also flew into rages (very uncharacteristic for me) and had mood swings often.

I know the drug does wonders for some people but I wouldn't take it again for a million bucks.

 

[lovin diz]

If anyone is interested, I had SUPER success with the drug KEPPRA. I tried almost everything else on the market and this was the only thing my neurologist could find to help me.

that is what i am on for my epilepsy, and it is wonderful!!!

 

[erika412]

I took it for my epilepsy and lasted about 5 days. I ended up getting glaucoma symptoms from it. I'm "at risk" for glaucoma anyway and when I started to get severe eye pain, I went off of it.

Pop did taste funny while on it. I don't think it made me any stupider but I feel that way from Tegretol too.

 

[chell]

It really helped with my migraines. At first it made sodas taste funny but that went away after a week or so. When I was on 200 mg it messed with my thinking ability a bit. But at 100 mg not so much.

Good luck with it. I hope it helps your migraines!

 

[ohiomom28]

This is my second full day on it and I have been in a flu-like fog all weekend. I have been achy and sleepy all weekend but I can't sleep except at night and even then its only for a few hours. By 6am I am fully awake and thats when I feel my best. By 2pm, I start feeling horrible and I am miserable the rest of the night. IN bed by 8:30pm both nights. I am a little better this evening since I took some pain reliever. I will take it one more night and see how I feel tomorrow. I can't sit at work and feel like this so I hope I am able to cope. Pop tastes FLAT!

 

[Maleficient]

Ohiomom28 I'm really sorry you're having such a hard time with the med. Hopefully it gets better for you.

 

[chell]

This is my second full day on it and I have been in a flu-like fog all weekend. I have been achy and sleepy all weekend but I can't sleep except at night and even then its only for a few hours. By 6am I am fully awake and thats when I feel my best. By 2pm, I start feeling horrible and I am miserable the rest of the night. IN bed by 8:30pm both nights. I am a little better this evening since I took some pain reliever. I will take it one more night and see how I feel tomorrow. I can't sit at work and feel like this so I hope I am able to cope. Pop tastes FLAT!

How is it going now? Did you stay on it or come off?

 

[ohiomom28]

How is it going now? Did you stay on it or come off?

I decided not to keep taking it. I waited another day and started taking the Elavil and Corgard again and have only had a couple minor headaches since then. I am so glad I stopped and the alternative is working really good.

 

[chell]

Glad you have found relief. Sorry you had such a difficult time with the Topamax.