United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I have also done a bit of research on this drug as I was just prescribed it by my neurologist for the same reasons. I have found that you should drink LOTS of water when taking this pill to prevent kidney stones. In most websites it is highlighted. Take a look at the link I've attached. Read under the section How one should take this medication. On a lighter note; this has also helped my migraines. I was getting headaches everyday! I still have medication to help when I do get one but since I started on the Topamax the only thing I ever feel is a slight tinge, no major headaches fortunately.
http://www.migraines.org/treatment/protpmax.htm

Hello, I am also on Topomax I take 50 mg twice a day. I started this on March 29 this year. I am having hair loss as you mentioned on your posting. I have long hair and this has me very upset I was curious if this side effect got worse for you and how much hair you lost. Please email me back asap THANKS PAM

Monica-I'm going through the exact same thing. I'm on 100/day. I thought it was only me. I think I'm going crazy. I'm considering a divorce. Everything was fine till this drug, except my headaches. My headaches are gone now, but my stress is killing me!! My life is crazy, everyone drives me nuts. I thought it was just me. I thought I was going insane. Maybe it's this stupid "Dopamax"

I take 200mg of Topomax a day for bipolar disorder. I'm a marketing analyist and my job requires a significant amount of attention to detail. I've noticed that I have trouble concentrating more but not to the point were I can't do my job. I also have trouble speaking sometimes. I have to schedule my afternoon dose of medications around confrence calls because I don't want to sound like a babbling idiot. Some times I stuuter and get burning or tingling sensations in my face. I've lost about ten pounds which is not a big deal. I'm a 25 year old male now 140 lbs. The biggest problem I have with it is that it makes me feel tired. I don't mean sleepy, I mean physically weak. This afternoon, I literally couldn't open a can of nuts. I hope that I will adjust to it, it's only been 3 weeks. Overall the good outweights the bad. I also take Artane and Stelazine so that might have something to do with my reaction

I have been on 100mg Topamax since 2nd week in April for migraine prevention. It works great, instead of constant headaches I have one every week or other week.
Side effects-....the major ones since I was not an overweight person when this started....the mood change, I have lost over 20 pds, have had a continuous cough, loss for words, loss of taste and appetite. My primary care Dr warns me this has came to an end and soon for my own health. I will be seeing my nuerologist for a medication change.
I ask anyone out there please...can you recommend a replacement migraine prevention drug besides Depakote (already tried it and had side effects). I want to hear from others before I just rely on the Dr's. And does anyone else feel that going thru this is almost okay to avoid the migraines?

I believe I can relate to you. I've been on this med for three years and have experienced significant memory loss, hair breakage, imbalance, lethargy, difficulty breathing when attempting exercise, headaches that can be so painful, a pressure in my head, loss of clarity and the ability to think and process as I had before being on the med..my G-d what else? The weight loss was great, but now I have weaned off of the medicine and I am gaining weight rapidly. Very uncomfortable when you are rail thin and then add on 5 pounds...scared it will continue to escalate. Has this happened to you? Both re: weight and hair breakage? and, if so, when you refrained from using the med. did the symptoms mentioned prior disappear and did you return to normal functioning; and, how did you deal with the weight gain?

My dr put me on topamax 100mg (for migraines) took one on a Tuesday night and one the next morning and somewhere between 7:15am & 8:00am I don't remember anything. The next thing I know, I am stopped in the middle of the interstate on my way to work and can't remember what is going on. All I knew was that I wanted out of my car. Thank god, two guys stopped and helped me out, call the ambulance and pulled my car off to the shoulder of the road. Voices are scarey, but what I did scared me even more. Needless to say, my dr took me off topamax and put me back on inderal for the time being.

I take trileptal, a great med, no side effects. Gabitril, drowsiness, but when I started Topamax, I had the numbness in the arms and legs, and couldn't sleep all night, having wierd thoughts. I finally quit, but got more and more depressed. I thought maybe I should try taking it again. This time I was awake and suicidal all night. Anybody get worse depression on Topamax? I have temporal lobe seizures and bipolar.

i have been taking topamax for less than a year now (300mg's) and lexapro with it (30mg's) and have not noticed the tingeling at all anymore. i did only a little in the beginning. i take topamax for a mood sabilizer and lexapro for depression. they have both really helped me. i also smoke a lot of pot...pretty much every day. it doesn't seem to mess with me. it really did before when my med's were not straightened out tho. but good luck to you all and i hope thing straighten out for you too. maybe topamax just isn't the right med for ya. Peace.

I have been taking 25 mg at night since June 4th. I tried taking another 25 mg in the morning and it made be so tired and fatigued for 6 or 7 hours I couldn't do anything. I stopped June 28th with the am pill. I felt like I couldn't think. I felt I was slurring my words like when I have a migraine. I didn't realize that it would interfer with my BC patch which my Gyno said I should use back up BC if I have breakthrough bleeding or spotting which has been going on for about two weeks now. I probably have some of the headaches from being on the Patch so why would I continue to take a preventative medicine that I am going to have to use a back up BC method that causes me to spot for weeks at a time. With just taking the one 25 mg pill I still have several "more common side effects" agitation, back pain, sinusitis systems, no carbonated drinks because of taste. Did not experience any weight loss but that's probably because I am on such a loss dose. I also take Calan at night which was working pretty good but I was still getting headaches and a friend directed me to Topomax which the doc said we could try. She has been taking it for 3 years and has had very little problems. In the beginning she had to come home after work and take a 2 hour nap the first couple of months but she had no other side effects.