Hi everyone...
I went to see my psychiatrist today, and she switched me from Lithium to Topamax. I was having major side effects from Lithium (nausea, diarrhea, headaches, etc.) and wanted to try something different. Does anybody have experience with Topamax? I'd love to hear any experiences...
Thanks in advance!

I'm not going to be a whole lot of help here but will give you as much info as I can. A few weeks ago I was put on Depakote. I got home and started researching it and when I found that one of the possible side effects was significant weight gain I freaked. But also during my research I learned that Topomax had the effect of helping people lose weight and in fact were using it often because of their weight gain while on Depakote or some other drug with the same side effect.

One of the side effects of Topomax is that it might reduce your appetite. And I think that has happened with me even though I am not up to my therapeutic dose yet. When I first started the Depakote I was HUNGRY all of the time and that was not like me. Now, even with my Depakote dose increased, I am not feeling as hungry.

Supposedly at higher doeses it can cause congnitive difficulties like the inability to remember peoples names or the feeling that you are just barely behind the eight ball. I haven't run into that yet but everyone is different. Good luck and I hope this helps.

Good luck with Topamax.

I was on Depakote for some years, gained weight and wanted to try Topamax when my doc mentioned it to me.

For me at least, it was a big mistake. I was on it for a month at a fairly low dose and renamed it "Dopamax". First, I lost weight which was good--but not great, since I was nauseated all the time. It also had mind-numbing effects leaving me drowsy, dizzy, unable to find words, remember names. I even got lost one day on my way home--to a place I'd lived for years. Very strange, eh? Apparently not uncommon.

I quit the drug and am back on Depakote and find that if I watch my diet fairly closely I don't gain weight and have even lost some.

Good luck!
Lisa

Yes, Topamax is know to make you feel like crap. Hey, but everyone is different! Hopefully you will prove me wrong.

I've heard about these side effects and am looking out for them. If they pop up then no more Topomax for me. Pretty bad when a medicine can make you get lost going to your own house! And you're right, if you pay very close attention to your diet while on Depakote you shouldn't gain weight. But Depakote sure can make you hungry ALL of the time http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

After being on Topamax a total of 5 days I can say two things: I'm not nearly as sick as I was with Lithium, meaning I don't need to drink a trough of water ever hour and I'm not throwing up, but I definitely feel like I'm in a brain cloud and tingly. But I don't have an appetite...yay!!! Maybe I'll give it one more day and call my MD and switch again...how long do you normally tolerate something before switching meds? I'm on the lowest dosage of Topamax and it's not fun. I also have some job interviews lined up in the next couple weeks...this should be pretty interesting. I won't remember the names of the companies I worked for, much less what my "biggest accomplishments" were...mental illness is so fun.

Em: do check with your doc. I too was on the lowest dose for some time and after a month I couldn't "hang in there" and told my doc I needed to stop taking it.

While not having an appetite may seem like a bonus (and believe me, I'm overweight and thought it was a plus), please DON'T FORGET TO EAT. I found that I felt much worse for not eating and the benefits of losing some pounds were outweighted by feeling tired and weak.

Good luck with your interviews. How long you give a drug a chance is such a personal thing as everyone responds differently.

Hope you're feeling better soon!
Lisa

As the name says... Been There... Done That !!! I could never figure out if the lingering effects of Depakote, Lithium Carbonate or the Topamax was primarilly responsible for the loss of recall (names and such)... I just know that it radically impacted my career !!! Best of Luck to ALL who have to deal with the decisions of meds / weight / cognitive quirks and the plethora of unknowns built into dealing with this disorder !!!

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Ex-Pharmaceutical Guinea Pig...

Topamax is some bad stuff! My wife takes it and bearly knows where she is is at times. Oh, how I wish her dr would take her off this med?!

I actually had a good experience with Topamax at first (except the nausea, and backing into my trash can with my car http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif). I was on it for about 4 months, losing weight and feeling pretty good and then all of the sudden I started having a weird pain in my left eye (that is one of the serious side effects listed). Also, I am not sure if you are aware of this but Topamax helps reduce sweating. Well, although that was great for me, it appears that it also contributed to my pores being clogged and at the age of 40, I broke out in acne. It really seemed to happen overnight. Went to the Dermatologist and they checked the PDR book and acne is one of the side effects. Needless to say, I am now off the drug and actually a little bummed out about it. My doctor was treating my fibromyalgia with the Topamax (along with using it as a mood stabalizer.. Doc cant decide if I am Bi-poplar 2 or if I am just moody because of my pain) and it was really helping with the pain. Anyway, that is my two cents about the drug. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Thanks to everyone for all the input! I've been on Topamax for almost 2 weeks and I'm starting to feel semi-human again...yay! However, I do have a sneaking suspicion a lot of it has to do with the fact I also quit taking birth control pills 2 weeks ago as well.
I'm not having too many side effects...just a little more spacey than usual, but this stuff is a lot easier to deal with than Lithium or Depakote in my opinion, at least so far.
Thanks again for sharing your experiences!

Wait a minute... i want to share my experience. i know that everyone has different reactions to different drugs but wow do i feel like topomax is getting a bad rap here. I feel like Topomax saved my life. I was down in the dumps for nearly two years. I was seeing a therapist and a doctor and after horrible experiences with NINE other drugs..they tried topomax. I didn't have any negative side effects. I have lost 15 pounds...which they say can be a result of the reduced appetite...but for me i say came from the help of not feeling so depressed. I cried..i thre things..i wanted to die. I was mean to everyone..i had uncontrollable anger..my children, my fiance, my entire family suffered..including myself. I felt like there was no help. I took awhile to work up to the dose that was right for me...they say that 400 is optimal for someone with bipolar disorder..or that is what they have found...at first..I DID have trouble remembering phone numbers and things like that...but as with ALL drugs...that goes away as you adjust to the dose...within a few days of each dose...i felt fine. I am on 300 now and I had forgotten what it is like to feel normal again. There wasn't a day I didn't shed a tear before and now, I feel like my children and my family have there mother and their friend back. I don't think anyone should take the words on any of these posts and use it to TAKE or NOT TAKE a specific drug. Topomax worked for me..it may not have worked for someone else. It may/may not work for you. But do try it. You will know if it is right for you. I went through NINE medications before I got my life back. If i would have read something that said DON'T try Topomax...i would have given up the change to be ME again. Don't sell yourself short.

em: Hope you don't mind getting some more input from someone else who is on Topomax, but thought I would let you know how it has helped me. I am 23, in the past 6 years, I have been on 6 different mood stabilizers and been hospitilized twice. I totally have to agree with kc_1309 when I say that this drug changed my life. At first on other other anti-depressants and mood stabilizers, they would work, but of course, after anywheres from a month-a year, I would grow to get very sick (nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth... which has got to be my favorite one... lol ).
About 16 months ago, my doctor decided to put me on topomax. Of course, every person has different side effects. I may have lost a little of weight, but all I can remember is that I didn't get nausea, diarrhea etc. and within a month I was better than ever. My stepmother, however, did seem to have a horrible ringing in her ears (now whether this is from the medicine or from the fact that she is just plain nuts, other than the bipolar, I am not sure, J/k) and had a very hard time remembering things. I hope that everything works out well with this medicine for you and keep me updated, because I know it worked wonders for me!! How much is your dose up to now?

I'm still only on 50mg 2x per day...I'm taking it really slowly because I'm in the middle of some intense job interviews right now and I don't want the whole "Dopamax" thing to kick in too badly...yesterday I forgot my ex-boyfriend was picking me up from work and arranged for another ride. I didn't remember until he called to let me know he was here...ooops!
http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
That, and I'm experiencing some numbness in my hands, feet and FACE, which I think is pretty weird, but the RN at my pdoc's office told me is normal. So I have an appointment w/my pdoc and the end of the month and we'll probably up the dosage then. Even at this low dosage, I have noticed a big difference, but again, it might also be the fact that I quit taking birth control pills, so who knows. At least I'm not suicidal anymore, which is definitely a good thing.
Thanks again to everybody for all the info, it really is helpful!