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Share your experience: submit a drug review
Below are Topamax (Topiramate) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | | Topamax review by 46 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |   |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Post Traumatic Stress Syndrom |
| Dosage & duration: | | 75 mg afternoon 100 mg bed taken twice daily for the period of have been for 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | fibromyaglgia |
| Other drugs taken: | | Wellbutrim, Nortriptiline, tryptophan, synthroid | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Decreased appetite/impulse or emotional eating, stress reduction, anti depressant |
| Side effects: | | vision affects - blurry vision |
| Comments: | | I believe that the topamax has helped me to lose 90 pounds of excess weight - I still need to lose at least another 50 pounds. It helped stabalize my moods and I didn't feel so sad and depressed after going through an abusive marriage/separation then divorce. My psychiatrist prescribed Topamax during that time. Then I was able to discontinue treatment for about 2 years. I then had an accident, where I was then diagnosed with PTSD and fibromyalgia as a result of the accident and have since been on Topamax for two years steady since the accident. I have lost the weight in the last 16 months. |
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| | Topamax review by 41 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | migraine prevention |
| Dosage & duration: | | 100 mg. taken twice daily for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | asthma/allergies, depression, hypo-thyroidism |
| Other drugs taken: | | wellbutrin se, synthroid , maxifed, advair, zysal, imitrex, erinn | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Went from approx. 17 migraine days a month to approx. 4 migraine days a month while taking topamax and erinn. (Before adding erinn, was down to approx. 8 migraine days a month.) Topamax seemed to greatly lessen the hypersensitivity of my brain to overreact to triggers such as changes in altitude, barometric pressures, humidity levels, environmental triggers such as smoke, strong smells, loud noises, and food triggers such as dark chocolate. Before topamax all of these things would cause migraines to start very easily. After settling in on topamax these things didn't bother me like they used to. |
| Side effects: | | When first starting the drug, diet soda tasted metallic and downright horrible. There was definitely an adjustment period of getting used to the drug and increasing the dosage in small increments was important. I could feel changes in my brain that are hard to describe. Almost like the top was a little bit "lifted". It was worth getting through this period for the results, though. They definitely went away as my body got accustomed to the drug. Once that happened, the migraines lessened and one pleasant side effect was that I didn't snack as often. No "mindless munching." I lost some weight without trying. I felt that it was difficult to retrieve thoughts or find the right word at times. I found it would take a few seconds longer to put my thoughts into words. Felt a little "spacey." As I mentioned before, I got through it after getting used to the drug. It took several weeks but after having 17 migraine days a month and going down to 8 it was worth it. |
| Comments: | | Started at 25mg 2x a day for several days and started titrating up by adding 25mg to the evening dose every 3-4 days, depending on how I felt. Got up to 100 mg. a day for the first year. After moving and talking to my new doctor, she suggested increasing the dose to see if I could have less migraines than the 10-12 I was having so I titrated up to 200mg a day and my migraines went down to 8 a month. |
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| | Topamax review by 45 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | bipolar II |
| Dosage & duration: | | 150mg taken once a day for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | alcoholism |
| Other drugs taken: | | celexa | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | treated hypomanic systems, reduced impulsivity; reduced cravings for alcohol; reduced irratibility; loss of weight (15 lbs); more stable moods; |
| Side effects: | | cognitive impairments; difficulty remembering names; memory problems; loss of weight |
| Comments: | | was identified with Bipolar II two years ago presenting with mixed states. Hospitalized one week for high anxiety and depression. Relapsed into alcoholism which exacerbated symptoms. Doctor diagnosed BPII and prescribed Topomax to help diminish alcohol cravings in addition to BP symptoms. Initially became depressed and lethargic. These feelings subsided after three weeks. Weight loss was dramatic and quick. Cravings dimished, felt more balanced, less irritable and impulsive. |
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| | Topamax review by 35 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | weight loss |
| Dosage & duration: | | 50mg/day taken 1/day for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Topamax decrease my appetite significantly. I lost an average of 15 pounds per month while taking the 50 mg/day. I had no side effects during the course of the treatment, the only real drawback was the need to taper off the drug slowly rather than just being able to stop taking it. |
| Side effects: | | I experienced no side effects. |
| Comments: | | IT took a month to find the correct dosage for me, since the doctor started out at lower dosages and worked up to the 50/mg per day.
As I neared a better weight, the doctor began tapering off and the weight loss significantly slowed and in fact stopped before I was able to stop taking the medication. |
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| | Topamax review by 43 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Migraine prevention |
| Dosage & duration: | | Five 25 mg tablets Twice a Day taken daily for the period of 3 Years |
| Other conditions: | | Allergies |
| Other drugs taken: | | Benadryl, Aleve. birth control pills | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Topamax helped decrease the frequency and intensity of my migraines. |
| Side effects: | | Treatment side effects include paresthesia of my hands and mild drowsiness. |
| Comments: | | Topamax was taken in order to prevent migraines. I also monitored my diet to avoid migraine triggers such as caffeine, aged cheeses, preserved meats, bananas, avocados, beans, dairy products, beer, wine, etc. In addition, I took birth control pills to control hormonal fluctuations. This helped prevent menstrual migraines. |
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| | Topamax review by 44 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | migraines |
| Dosage & duration: | | 100mg taken once a day for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | None |
| Other drugs taken: | | Synthroid, Ortho cyclen | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Significantly reduced migraines frequency and severity |
| Side effects: | | mild tingling sensation in fingers and toes for several weeks after starting, occaissional problems remembering names, lethargy after taking but this was addressed by adjusting time of dosage to bedtime. |
| Comments: | | I sought treatment for frequent severe migrains. I started getting migraines at age 30 and in recent months had been having 2-3 migrains a week. I was taking Imitrex at the initial sign of a migrain (eye aura) but this was had limited effectiveness. My doctor recommended trying Topamax. In the first 2 months I had 2 migrains and have only had 4 in the last 18 months. I take 100mg at bed because it makes very relaxed and sleep very deeply. I very occasionally find myself forgetting nouns and proper names but that has been the only cognitive effect. I still have been able to be effective and focused at my job. |
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| | Topamax review by 39 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Migraine |
| Dosage & duration: | | 200 MG taken 2x per day for the period of 4 years |
| Other conditions: | | bi-polar disorder |
| Other drugs taken: | | klonopin, prozac | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Greatly reduced severe migraines that were occurring almost daily. This drug was added as a preventative medication when migraines became so dibilitating that I could not function in everyday life, i.e., go to work, take care of self and family, etc. Migraines were reduced after approximately 6-8 weeks on the medication to about 1 per month and then continually reduced to 1 every 3 to 6 months as I stayed on the medication. I also use the medication to manage my mood disorder (bi-polar disorder) and was able to not have to take a mood stabalizer, because this drug also manages to keep me from getting "manic", so it is an extra "bonus" on top of the migraine management!! |
| Side effects: | | The only side effect I noticed was some weight loss in the beginning. My doctor was very careful to start me out on 50 MG and move me up VERY slowly to the 200 MG 2x per day, which I understand is a very high dosage and took all of 4 years to get to that dosage. I was monitored every 30 days to ensure that I was not losing too much weight, having any type of eye problems, or numbness in my hands or feet--the eye problems, and numbness I never experienced; but was always told that if I did experience even a hint of these things, that I would have to stop the medication immediately--so my doctor does constantly ask me about those things. I have also read that Topamax has been used to treat alcoholics, and have noticed that since taking it, I have no desire to drink alcohol at all--but I am not an alcoholic--just a unique observation. It really just seems like a great drug!! |
| Comments: | | I am still taking it to manage both my migraines and my mood disorder--200 MG 2x per day. I take 2 in the AM and 2 in the PM. It is prescribed by my Neurologist and managed by him mostly; and my psychatrist also works with him, because if I ever go off of the drug, I would be required to go onto a mood stabalizer due to the bi-polar disorder. I would be very unhappy to have to go back onto something like Depakote, because that made me very slow and sluggish and Topamax does not have that side effect. |
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| | Topamax review by 33 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Ineffective |
| Side effects: | | Extremely Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | migranes |
| Dosage & duration: | | 25mg taken 1 daily for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | there were no benefits. i had severe side effects. . the medication helped the headaches for a short amount of time but the side effects outweighed the benefits. i call it the stupid medicine because i literally turned stupid after using it. |
| Side effects: | | forgetfulness, shakes, loss of balance, loss of muscle mass |
| Comments: | | i was to take one pill daily for the maintence of migraine headaches. i never could progress to the higher does to see if it helped b/c the side effects on the low dose was terrible |
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| | Topamax review by 47 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Migraines |
| Dosage & duration: | | 175 mg starting - 50 mg ending taken daily for the period of one year |
| Other conditions: | | hypo thyroid controlled, low potassium, B vit deficiency, hypoglycemia |
| Other drugs taken: | | Synthroid | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Migraines diminished and appetite diminished, resulting in lost weight. |
| Side effects: | | Initially began with 25 mg and increased in 25 mg increments until reaching 175 mg daily. Difficulty in concentration, moodiness became the norm, stress. Loss of weight which most likely caused the diagnosed potassium deficiency, which resulted in an irregular heat beat, resulting in stress symptoms, which resulted in stress test. Very difficult first six months. |
| Comments: | | Switched doctors, my decision to stop medication. Migraines returned. Began taking Topamax again, under different doctor, but at a dose of 50 mg daily. Worked. Migraines greatly reduced, a slight difficulty initially with concentration and moodiness but then those symptoms improved.
A year later at 50 mg daily I'm doing well. I can safely increase up to 75 mg when I know that known triggers are expected - low pressure weather system, menstrual cycle (haven't conquered that migraine yet!) etc.
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| | Topamax review by 44 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | migraine |
| Dosage & duration: | | 25mg taken 2 x daily for the period of 1 year and current |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | hormone replacement therapy (natural cream) | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | My conclusions of the medication are that it has definately lessened the amount of migraine headaches that I was encountering. I have not had to have an emergency hospital visit in almost a year. This went from a visit occuring almost every other month with horrible painful headaches in between this time. I still get headaches which are tollerable, and if I have a migraine have not had to go to the hospital for pain relief. It has been tolerable. I have now gotten my dose down to 15mg at night time only and am still having the same benefit. My only side effect were some memory difficulty in the beginning. I drove to my doctors office and became disoriented. Rather than panic I laughed it off and pulled over and had to think about where I was going.
It has definately had a positive influence on the migraines. It seems to have some sort of effect on eating though. I did loose a bit more weight which I did not need to loose, but now have been able to be back at my normal weight. |
| Side effects: | | Some forgetfulness,, tiredness at onset. Nothing unbearable. |
| Comments: | | 25mg morning and night. 9 months, then went to 15mg capsules morning and night for a few months. Now down to 15mg at night time only. |
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| | Topamax review by 50 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Extremely Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | severe headaches |
| Dosage & duration: | | 25mg taken 4 times per day for the period of 1 month |
| Other conditions: | | anxiety and depression |
| Other drugs taken: | | propranalol and citalopram | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | they helped to reduce headaches that I had been sufferein over a period of over 2 years |
| Side effects: | | I noticed, after only a couple of weeks that my anxiety and depression had to an almost unbearable level, I looked at the tablets side effects and realised that they must be the contributing factor as my condition had remained stable for a few years, before i started taking them. the side effects still remain, months after stopping the medication. |
| Comments: | | I took 1 x 25mg per day which built up to 4 x 25mg per day over 4 weeks |
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| | Topamax review by 42 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | sedative/hypnotic - to induce sleep |
| Dosage & duration: | | titrated up to 250mg taken h.s. for the period of ongoing-now taking 150mg h.s. |
| Other conditions: | | morbid obesity, depression, hydrocephalis caused by sub-arachnoid cyst |
| Other drugs taken: | | elavil 225mg hr, effexor 150mg xr, vit D 1000u | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | topamax was originally prescribed to eventually replace in part or totally the Elavil I was taking as sleep med. Elavil and Effexor were thought to initiate cravings for carbohydrates that would lead to overeating and overweight. I was taking 300mg Elavil each night. The goal was to completely switch from Elavil to Topamax. Topamax also had the added benefit of preventing migraines which I am prone to because of my hydrocephalis caused by a sub arachnoid cyst. I have a VP shunt |
| Side effects: | | I had to stop increasing the dose of Topamax when I reached 225mg because I experienced peripheral neuropathy in my fingertips and also blurred vision. I am now taking 150 mg topamax and 225mg elavil hs. |
| Comments: | | The switch from elavil to topamax was slow and painful and not altogether successful, but I almost immediately experienced a 15lb weight loss as a result.
I was told to increase topamax in 25mg doses every week. When excessive sedation was experienced, I was to cut back 50mg of Elavil. I proceeded like this until i reached a topamax dose of 250mg and elavil 150mg, but I wasn't sleeping at night and my vision was blurred and my fingers tingled. The doses were fine tuned to a comfort level of 150mg topamax and 225 elavil to this date. Switching the effexor to cymbalta is the next phase, all in the name of decreasing the carbohydrate cravings....wish me luck! |
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| | Topamax review by 50 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | migraines |
| Dosage & duration: | | 50mg. taken 2x day for the period of 1 1/2 year |
| Other conditions: | | nausea |
| Other drugs taken: | | n/a | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | after the tritation period, where the drug dosage was increased each week, the headaches became less severe and less frequent. from having 2-3 migraines a week to eventually having none and was able to discontinue the medication. |
| Side effects: | | The side effects were dehydration, decreased urination, malaise, fatigue,
the most irritating was the stupor the drug caused..aka "stupermax" |
| Comments: | | The "stupormax" of Topamax lasted a few days each time the dosage increased during the tritation period. one point I was afraid to drive- as I ran over a curb, made WIDE turns and even bumped the wall in the garage!
the fluid retention due to dehydration was noticeable in my upper arms and upper thighs(dimpling). Now that I have been off the RX for a while now, my arms are toned and legs are lean & sleak.
BUT No MORE headaches!! Praise God!
BTW, never lost weight on this drug as some do-- since discontinued I have lost 7 lbs. |
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| | Topamax review by 32 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | OCD |
| Dosage & duration: | | 200 mg taken once a day for the period of 3 years |
| Other conditions: | | Anxiety |
| Other drugs taken: | | None | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Although Topamax is an anti-epileptic, which is more commonly perscribed for the treatment of migrains...it had a substancial benefit to my OCD symptoms. It significantlly reduced my desire (or calling) to repeat (recheck, recount, retouch) items, which was a huge issue for me. In the past, it would take me hours to complete the most mundane tasks, but with the Topamax, I can more easily "let go" of certain rituals and walk away feeling "complete" without having to repeat them countless times... |
| Side effects: | | I experienced some mild loss of appetite early on, which graduly disappaited. |
| Comments: | | I statrted on 50mg, than a week later went upto 100mg. I stayed on 100mg for about a year. It wasn't until a year later that I went up to 200mg and have been on this dose for over 2 years. I experience no side effects. My mind feels quiter and I feel freeer than I ever had in my life. I am not on any other medication nor am I seeking "talk" therapy for my OCD. The Topamax has been able to keep it at a tolerable level.
I also must note that in the way past I was on Prozax, Paxil, Celexa, Luvox, Valium, Xanax, Clozapam...all with little or no success. |
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