coffeegirl2

I use Topamax as a Mood Stabilizer and have been on it since 2002. It has been a great drug for me. However, it does have its downfalls. Short term memory loss can be a side effect. And cognative thinking difficulties. I have dealt with both since being on the medication.

I tend to forget peoples names mostly, or things that I've done in recent years (5 years or less) that are eventful in spiratic chunks. Like, I can remember an event but not the entire event whereas my DH can remember the entire event. It is frustrating.

Cognative abilities. Math skills have been quite frustrating for me. They come and go and I never know when they will work and not work. Writing checks is difficult. My penmenship used to be beautiful but this drug causes my hands to tremor at times (not always-sometimes) or to be unsteady. Now I am not always able to write ledgebly.

Weightloss. I initially lost 25 pounds when I first began taking Topamax. I lost so much that the pdoc made me regain 10 pounds back. Then I was placed on Abilify. Abilify is a weight neutral drug, and normally never causes anyone to gain weight, however, I was one of the few people who did gain on it. Now I have gained the weight back. It slowed my metabolism up a lot, plus it did make me crave carbo foods.

Topamax will cause soda pop to have a funny taste to it. You won't like it much anymore until you've been on it like me, for a long amount of time and are used to drinking it again with that 'taste'. The appetite usually decreases in most people, not all, usually most to the point where you forget to eat. And, you must drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to flush out the med to avoid getting kidney stones/deyhdration.

So, that is all I can tell you what I know about Topamax. There is a thread here somewhere on this site that is about Topamax. Do a search on Topamax... Like.. "Calling Topamax" or something like that. It is a HUGE thread and you will learn a ton about the drug there.

Coffeegirl

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