After trying to read all of the posts about Topamax for migraines I am curious - has anyone taken it WITHOUT any of the side effects? (Is there such a person?) *Well, the losing weight one would be ok* It seems like there are alot of "severe" side effects that make one wonder whether it is actually worth it.
I'm very seriously considering it since I have been having a battle with my drug plan and am only "allowed" 18 Imitrex (100mg pills) for 3 months/refillable after 6 wks and that is not enough. (I already did one appeal in September which didn't fly-can't quite understand their logic on it. Script is for "as needed" and yet they feel they have to limit the dosage-but if I wanted percosett I could take as many of those I want). I try to take them sparingly but the migraines are becoming more frequent-like sometimes 2-3 times a week. I have an appt with the doc tonight so I would like to be as informed as possible.
Thanks
RA

There is such a person - me! I started the Topamax about a month ago and have had no side effects - not even the weight loss (even though that would have been good) - maybe a little tiredness - not too bad. I am on the Relpax for the headaches, but with the insurance only allowing 6 a month and since I was going over that each month, that's why the doc put me on the Topamax, so hopefully the headaches will become less frequent.

I've been on tompamax for about 3 weeks and I have very little or no side effects. I took 25 mgs a night for 11 days and now I'm up to 50 mgs a night. I don't really plan on going much higher if at all. I love it. I think the key is to titrate slowly and to drink a lot of water in proportion to your size. (im rather small 5`1 and drink approx. 100 oz. of water a day)

The first week I ws extremely tired, confused, dopey, "high", etc. Then all of a sudden on day I woke up and had all of this energy back and felt like normal. When I titrated up the first day I was a little tired but that went away the next day.

The only side effects that I have now are extreme loss of appetite. I have to remind myself to eat and I am definitely lossing weight which I definitely welcome! LOL :) When I don't drink water I may feel a my foot fall asleep but once I drink some water that goes away.

I'm also allowed 9 maxalts a month and with the topamax i think i'll be good.

NJ Peg - Can you tell me what dosage you take? Also, do you need to have blood work done on Topomax or other kinds of workups to make sure it is not effecting liver enzymes or eyesight or any of those other rare side effects? I am scared to take it but if upping my Propranolol does not help, Topomax will be my next shot.

How long does it take for most side effects to start showing? I started Topamax (25mg on 12/20 and up to 50mg 2 days ago) for bulimia and bipolar. I haven't noticed any side effects...

With me, the side effects showed up the first day I took it and then went away two weeks later.

Thanks all for the responses. Went to the doc last night (let me tell you a sure way to start a diet-eat dinner before going to a doctor at night and then having to get weighed - YIKES! No more desserts for me!)
Actually, he had called to have me come in because my perscription plan sent him a letter saying I was getting to much Imitrex/refilled too often. So he did suggest a preventative and going down the list his choice was Topamax. So here it goes. Hope it works. This is the schedule he gave me:
25mg at night for 7 days
25mg am & pm for 7 days
25mg am & 50mg pm for 7 days
50mg am & 50mg pm hopefully final dosage.
He also gave me some Relplax freebies until this kicks in.
He did list all of the side effects just so I would know (I didnt' tell him I did lots of research beforehand) and I am to see him in 2 months for a followup. Apparently he has alot of patients who are quite happy on this so we'll see.
My one worry is the memory lapse part. My DH is on lots of pain meds for his back and his memory is shot so I can see us walking around in circles in the living room (I know not funny but it's what's in my brain). My son also said his girlfriend's mother was on it and they called it "dopymax". Maybe I'll just be a happy camper and won't care?
RA
Now I'll really have to try to drink all of that water you're supposed to drink every day.

just remember to drink a lot of water and try not to worry about the side effects so much. the more you worry, the more side effects you'll create for yourself.

R-Ann Good luck. Let us know how it goes. I might be next to try it.

I started the free 42 pill trial - starting with 7 days 25 mg then 7 days twice a day 25 mg each, then 7 days 3 pills at night 25 mg each (75 mg) - then I got a prescription filled for 100 mg tabs - I take once a day at night - so far so good. I've had a few headaches so far, but I take a Relpax for that and it helps - I think the Topamax needs a few good months to really get into your system. Don't know about the blood tests - doc didn't say anything about that. Ask you doc about the free trial - its on the Topamax website.

I've been on Topamax for well over 2.5 years and have been as high as 200mgs a day. I didn't notice any side effects, except appetite loss, until I had been on 100mgs a day (taken in one dose, in the morning) for at least 6 months. Even then the side effects were so minimal I didn't realize they were from the mediction. It was after the 100 a day quit helping and I went to 200mgs a day that I started getting worse and realized it was probably due to the meds. Cut my dosage back down to 100mgs and added Lyrica and the side effects pretty much faded.

Yup-I'm doing the 42 pill trial bottle. Did the 7 days of 25mg at night and this morning was the first of the 25mg am and then 25 mg pm. The only thing I've felt constant is a definate loss of interest in eating my ice cream at night (shucks or hooray depending on which way you look at it. Since I could really use to lose a few it's a big hooray). I really don't want it. Now this morning about 1/2 hour after taking the pill I felt a kind of a 'spacey' feeling for a couple of moments-just felt weird. Nothing I can't handle. So as far as I'm concerned-it's still a go.
Have had 2 days of migraines coming on and took Relpax both days which "settled" them.
I'm drinking more water - not the 1 oz per body weigh (I'd float away) but am really trying to keep hydrated.
RA

Topamax affects everyone differently. Not everyone suffers from the side effects the same way or suffers them at all as this thread reflects.

I've been on Dopamax :D for 4 years now at different mg levels & still suffer from the side effects. :dizzy: :blob_fire

I am currently @ 50mgs which seems perfect for
*me*. Apparently, the higher the dosage the worse the side effects get. :mad:

The only good side effect for *me* was the weight loss. I am now one sexy toned up Nana! :D

I've taken Topamax for about 5 years, even before it was FDA approved to treat migraines. I'm currently taking 150mg. For a while I was taking only
100mg, but my body got used to it, and it did not work as well. Yes, I have noticed my memory is not as great as it used to be, and at 150mg, I started to lose some hair, but I don't have as many migraines as I used to. If you suffer from severe migraines, and it is impacting your life, take this medicine. Don't be afraid. You could always taper off. I've gone up in dosage, and had to go down, with no problems. Hope this helps. ***TAKE 500MG OF VITAMIN C A DAY FOR THE TINGLING/SWELLING YOU GET IN YOUR FINGERS AND TOES IT WORKS!!

I need to know if the topamax tablets can be broken in half. 50mg too strong
can't afford a new script of 25 mgs.
thanks

I am sorry if I posted in the wrong place. I am new here. I have had headaches all my life. Some so bad I wanted to die. I went from Dr to Dr. Most didn't know how to help me. I have lost jobs because of my headaches. I found a dr a few months ago who gave me topamax. It has been a miracle. I have went from having daily headaches to 1 or 2 a month. The side effects are hard to deal with, but well worth not having headaches.

I have taken Topamax for about 2 years now. Tolerated it pretty well untill I reached 150mg then suffered some memory issues. My neuro is backing me down to 100 for next two weeks to evaluate how well Topamax is working for me, then maybe down to 50 mg.

I have suffered from frequent headaches for years which up until recently were controlled with Wellbutrin. Three days ago my MD started me on 25mg Topamax daily. I have had a constant headache for 2 days, which started 6 hours after taking the first dose of Topamax and today I have had a migraine. Has anyone else experienced an increase in headaches/migraines when starting Topamax? I am not sure whether to continue with this medication and hope this is a temporary side effect or stop taking it now. I have tried many others medications before Wellbutrin which were not effective. I would be grateful for any information/advice anyone could give me.

First of all:

"just remember to drink a lot of water and try not to worry about the side effects so much. the more you worry, the more side effects you'll create for yourself."

This statement is ridiculous. I went into the whole "Topamax" experience with a very open mind and in all honesty it was one of the worst decisions of my life. I was on Dilantin for 16 years for seizures and it suddenly stopped working. My neuro pushed Topamax on me even though I was interested in Keppra. I had heard about Keppra through other epileptics and of course when you hear about something and nothing negative goes with it, you feel compelled to take that course. I had never heard of Topamax. My doctor said I should take the topamax because I'd lose weight. Weight loss was a side effect and apparently I needed to lose some. She also said she'd give me samples so NO COPAY. this is where I really screwed up. You see, I HAD INSURANCE BACK HERE, a good job, good pay and a sharp mind. My doctor didn't fill me in on any of the side effects. I, like many of you, were excited at the prospect of dropping a few pounds (which incidentally I didn't. Topamax doesn't effect your metabolism. it controls binge eating. i'm not a binge eater. the weight i had gained was from the celexa i was on. i lost the weight months later when i came off the celexa. Topamax had nothing to do with it).

I felt hte dumbing down almost immeidatelly, told my doctor, she refused to acknowledge any sort of cognitive side effects even when i told her that i read it online. She insisted that any side effects (like pins and needles, insomnia) would only be temporary. Bad timing. My boss of 5 years was leaving, not renewing his contract. My company was going through a re-org. This dumbing down was affecting me at work and I left a negative impact and before I knew it I was out of a job. I couldn't believe it. I needed an aed and i was getting the topamax for free so i kept taking it. my doctor got me on their patient assistance so i was getting it for free. I would be in job interviews and totally space out and forget what I was asked. I could tell they thought I was crazy and I would continue to go to my neuro and ask her to take me off the topamax and get me on another aed patient assistance program. SHE REFUSED, said they'd all give me cognitive side effects (which contradicted what she had said earlier which was that topamax had no cognitive side effects). She did however give me Exelon which is what they give to people w/ Alzheimer's. Friends noticed. I sought help at a free clinic but they said I needed a neuro and there was a huge waiting list. I had eye problems, double vision. It got so bad, I finally just packed up and moved to Florida to live with my mother, hoping her doctor would help me but she again gave me the "you need a neurologist to change your meds". I finally called that doctor in LA and told her to wean me off the topamax and call me a prescription for Keppra. I am charging it on my Amex. I am also seeking help at my local epilepsy foundation where i have met others who have had the topamax experience that I have.

This is a widely prescribed drug for everything under the sun. I have met so many people who have had BAD experiences on this. had to drop out of schoool, lost their job. Remember a lot of is based on HOW high your dose, how long you are on it and your brain chemistry. If it works for you, you're lucky but if it doesn't, it can be very devastating. I've spoken to people who have never recovered the full memory capacity that they had prior to going on the drug.

And sorry to ramble but when your life is impacted by the ignorance and lack of attention by a doctor and its so widepsred a phenomenon, you feel the need to speak about it. To whoever mentioned cutting up a 50mg. You are not supposed to although my doctor in LA told me to as I'm weaning. You should call your doctor and ask him as my doctor isn't someone who's advice I would push on anyone. Technically you shouldn't be cutting it. See if you can get samples, they come in 25mg.