United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I just wanted to share with everyone that is taking topamax. I took it for only a short time, quit taking it and I feel just aweful. I think it must be the withdrawal symptoms. My brain feels so messed up that I can't even balance my check book or pay bills, I am sleepy, afraid to drive, dizzy, my eyesight feels affected, it has been hell really. I would not wish this on even my dog. I wonder if my brain will ever function normally again. The things that seem to help clear the fog a bit are, eating, being outside and just sitting or taking a mild walk. Caffein does not even put a dent in the fog that I am in. I took 25 mg for about 5 days I guess just once at bedtime and then for 2 or 3 days I took 50 mg at bedtime. I cannot belive how terrible this has made me feel. I was told it would help headaches and weight loss. I gained probably 3 pounds in the short time I took it, and still I had some head aches, but I would rather have a head ache anyday than have my thinking this clouded and be worried that I will suffer permanent brain damage. Who made this drug? How can people take it and still function and still want to take it? How oh how do people survive the withdrawals? I have my sister praying for me several times a day because I am so scared and miserable. After this experience, if I were a physician, I would be so careful about prescribing meds. Some of these doctors should try them out themselves before handing them out to other people. Anybody who has successfully gotten off of this drug please tell me how you are doing, and how long do the side effects last?

I also take topamax to prevent migraines, and it has really really really made a difference. Since I've been on topamax, I don't even wanna think about how many bottles of prescription painkillers I have cut down on. Topamax may be expensive, but in the long run it has saved me money. As for weight loss, this is the one and only symptom I've experienced, and coming from someone who's tried almost any and every medication to prevent and treat migraines, even depakote, I know a symptom when I feel and see one lol!! I was slender to begin with, but topamax easily cut off at least 15 pounds over the course of 6months, and I eat a lot. And I mean a lot!! I've even been asked if I have an eating disorder, and my mom is urging me to go back to only take 50 mg (I take 100mg). However, I must say that when I was on depakote, I gained a whole lot of weight, more than any book or article said I should have, and my eating and exercising habits were completely normal....

I have now been on Topamax for about 3 years for the treatment of epilepsy. That is quite a while. I am taking it along with Depakote. Topamax has some serious problems, as we all know, but it also has some substantial benefits. As an epileptic, I have now been 100% controlled ever since I started on Topamax. I am taking 200 mg./day. Tompamax also has allowed me to reduce my intake of Depakote by more than 50%. But all of this has come with a price. A big price. I am probably one of the most irritable people I know. I am easily annoyed, easily angered and enraged. This all started to develop with the Topamax treatment. I at times jumble my words (which I never did before), and I basically am a complete pain due to irritable nature. I have now decided that I would rather have less control but be a normal human, than to have 100% control and be a donkey (ie, ass). I have lost weight since I started Topamax. I feel tingling in my extremities. I hear ringing in my head. Also, within 3 months of starting Topamax, all carbonated drinks, such as Coca Cola, 7-Up, etc. tasted absolutely horrible to me. To this day I cannot drink any carbonated drink. I won't be surprised that with my next bottle of Topamax I will be given instructions on where to meet the aliens so that they can tell me they have been conducting a cruel test on me. Oh, the joys of epilepsy.

Kirsten, don't know if you've already started topomax for chronic headaches....I'd recommend you check with 2nd Neuro and maybe an ENT especially since your symptoms don't seem to fit a Neuro's specialty. I have chronic headaches and complicated migraines, always have a headache of some sort. Finally 3rd ENT I saw xrayed, then did FESS (sinus surgery) procedure and found polyps and cysts in sinus cavities. This helped immensely-and immediately. Based on what I've seen on this forum about topo side effects, it's worth a try.

Absolutely NEVER a good idea to stop taking a pyschotropic medicine cold-turkey EVER!!!
Always taper off. You could die from that, or end up in a pysch ward. Please be careful.

-Scott

I started Topomax 25mg at bedtime for weight control. The only thing that really bothers me is the dry mouth and soda tastes flat. It does help me to sleep but I do feel the binges are curbed. Has anyone used this for weight loss and if so what where the results.

I started Topomax 25mg at bedtime for weight control. The only thing that really bothers me is the dry mouth and soda tastes flat. It does help me to sleep but I do feel the binges are curbed. Has anyone used this for weight loss and if so what where the results.

I'm writing in refgards to your tingling in your feet. I had tingling in my hands and feet and face every morning for about 3 hours and then it would go away. It took about 2months. and all of the weird tastes and tingling sensations stopped. I take Topamax for my migraines. I only get about 1 migraine a month and have been very happy. The only thing I really hate is my short term memory loss. I also have a short attention span. I'm down to 25mg. a night because of the depression I suffered from being at 100mg. I hope all turns out well for you.

Future.

I read your message and thought that I had wrote it! That is exactly what I am going through. I do have a couple other factors that are causing depression, anxiety, and a few other things, but the problems going on from what I hope is the Topomax makes me wish I would just die! I hurt, am tired, gaining weight(with no appetite) and the tingling and numbness in my arms, legs, shoulders and the pain in the back of my head is driving me crazy. I was on 200 mg/day but had to back myself down to 150/day just to keep from screaming. Dr. just put me down to 100/day. It does help with the migraines, but sometimes I wonder which is really worse.

My husband is having severe speech problems, that have only gotten worse as I increase his Topamax. He is also having mental problems. Pop tastes terrible to him as well. We are using it to control severe Trigeminal Neuralgia pain from a brain injury sustained in an motor vehicle accident. He refuses to stop taking the Topamax because the pain from the Trigeminal N. makes him want to die anyway, so he says he'd rather not be able to talk.