topamax

[Theresa Olivier]

Has anyone been on topamax?

[pixiebell]

I have for a short period and then was taken off of it. I became a completely different person on it. We have a chunk out of our living room floor from when I threw an ashtray. I was sitting talking to my friend at the time and something must of annoyed me and then I just threw it across the room. Another time I threw a clothes hanger (sounds silly) in anger. On both occasions I wasn't throwing them at anything just simply throwing it. I'm so glad that I wasn't a parent at the time and that I wasn't having an argument with anyone. I became a very angry woman, one that my husband had never seen before and hasn't seen since I stopped taking it. The ironic thing is I starting taking keppra instead and have never suffered kepprage that I have heard others talk about.

[peter knox]

at first topomax wasn t all that great, then they lowered my dose then it was fine, been on it for 7 years, just about to be taken off, its been a booster to go along with tegrotol

[rosepig]

I just started Topamax for the third time. The first time it somewhat worked also made me have zero appetite and exhausted. I would go to school, come home, sleep, wake up for dinner, do a little homework and go to bed. repeat next day. I lost a lot of weight, which was not good because started at a good weight for my body. I tried it for a second time in high school. I hate those photos, I look so creepily thin. It didn't work either. I started it in September, this time for headaches. I was not very hopeful when my neurologist suggested it. He said I didn't have to but it is one of the best medicines for recurring headaches. The first couple weeks were rough. I slept for 4 extra hours the first day. The loss of appetite was strange for me, it was like my stomach and my head weren't connected. My stomach would say HUNGRY and growl but my brain would not want to eat anything, sometimes the smell of foods I love made me feel nauseous. It has gotten much better though, my appetite is back it just took a while. And my doc was right I haven't had many headaches since starting Topamax.

[Judy G]

I've been taking Topiramate (generic Topamax) for 5 months now.  We've been slowly titrating up to 400 mgs (200/2xday).  Yes, I'm tired -- not as fatigued as when I was on Depakote... or Keppra... or Phenobarb.  Some days I still feel the need to take a nap.  But it's getting better.  I'm losing weight, too -- some of the weight that Depakote helped me gain.  I'm trying to lose it, I'm obese.  The weight isn't flying off (a modest 5 pounds per month) and I need to make a conscious effort to watch what I eat, when I eat; so I don't think the drug is a problem for me.  Moodiness -- well, there you have me.  I was pretty weepy when I first started on this med.  I expected some "emotional issues" to be quite honest.  I went through some pretty rough experiences with Keppra - apathy, suicidal ideation, severe nausea, lethargy, depression - and I warned my family to watch me closely.  We've weathered the storm (wasn't too bad, actually) - the first three months were the worst as far as "moodiness" goes - no physical outbursts, some crying jags, and irritability.  I haven't had any problems with memory.  In the first three months I did have some left hand/right hand coordination issues that were noticeable to me, but only because I am learning to play the harp.  Things are improving. :)  So far, this has been the most successful drug I've been on.  As we all know, your experience may be quite different (YMMV).  I thought that Keppra was the worst drug on the market, but it works (and works well) for others.  Many people think the same about Topamax.

I hope this info helps.

[retroman73]

I've been taking topamax for a little over three years. For most of this time I've been taking it in combination with trileptal.   Topamax has been not quite a "miracle drug" for me, but it has worked where several others failed.

 

I've also tried dilantin (allergic), tergretol, trileptal, keppra, and depakote (severely allergic).   None of them were able to bring my seizures under control.  In each case I would have control for a couple of months, then the seizures would start to creep back in - a few at first, then more and more over time, with increasing intensity, until it became a real problem.  I wasn't able to drive any longer and I'd collapsed in public a few times.  I was beginning to consider it a lost cause.  Once we added 100 mg. topamax twice per day to the trileptal I was already taking, it stopped virtually everything.  I still got the occasional nocturnal seizure but that is it.  Nothing in the daytime. 

 

The biggest side effect is topamax makes me quite sleepy, more so than any of the other medications I've used.  I used to love to stay up late; now it is rare for me to ever be awake past 10:00 PM.  There is some memory loss associated with it too, but it's bearable.  I take better notes and I get by.  Some people have serious problems with mood swings or depression with this med, but I haven't experienced any of this.  Also, some people lose their appetite and will have weight loss on it, but I eat the same as I always did; nothing changed there either.

 

I am very glad the stuff exists.  I know it's been bad for some people, and it may not work for you...but my opinion is it's at least worth a try.  Be careful though, because as posted above if you have a bad reaction it can be serious.  So, just watch it carefully for the first month or two until you know how you react to it. 

 

Good luck

Jon

 

 

 

[DaveH]

I've been on Topamax and it is hateful stuff.  Totally changed me and i was so grumpy all the time.  Now on Keppra and though much better still get irratable.  Trying to find something as good as both of them but does not have the side effects but so far there are no new drugs out there.

 

 

[Jean]

I was on Topamax awhile back, and I was so sleepy.  I felt like I was a walking zombie, had difficulties staying awake.

[Lrjg]

I know this is an old post but was looking for information again on this drug.  I have a feeling I would not be able to take it because I was allergic to so many other drugs.  I am wanting to try it not for seizures, but for emotional stability and losing weight.  This drug was brought up by the therapist I have been seeing. I went off of a depression drug because it was causing me to gain so much weight.  Knowing that these seizure drugs are different for everyone, I thought I would try it and see what happens.  I guess basically I want to try it and hope I can lose weight like others who have taken it.  Is this a crazy thing to try? 

[CrazyDiamond - Dave - Apparition]

 

Hi Laura -

 

Im one of those who had a bad experience with Topamax.

At first I thought it was the greatest drug becasue it seemed to put my mind together.  I had both energy and drive to do things and the knowledge of what to do.  So much of my life has just been a strange confused state where I never really know what to do.  Topamax seemed to put me together at first but it didnt last.

 

I have heard Topamax being recommended for weight loss but I cant recommend it.  It is far too powerful a drug.  It started great for me but I had far too much energy.  I didnt sleep hardly at all.  I would wake up and just start punching my filing cabinet or my bed or the couch or wherever I was at the time.

After a couple months of extreme energy, my mind became extremely confused and I fell into a dark evil depression.  it was one of those where everything stares at you and hates you.  My curatins hated me.

The TV and my boots hated me.  The things on the mantle hated me.  The clouds were evil.  I kept having fears that I would kill myslef and be trapped in my apartment (that I hated) as a ghost for all eternity.

My neuro wouldnt help get off the drug.  His nurse kept telling me to go the emergency room if I was having problems (like chest pains and shortness of breath -- she thought I was having herat attack).

I just needed off the drug.

My psychiatrsis helped me off the drug and put me on an antidepressant that helped pretty quickly and I developed a healthy respect  for Topamax.  Its a powerful drug that seems to work for some and thats great but I really wish that it would NEVER be given as a weight loss drug.

 

 Im in the process of trying to lose some weight myself.  It seems that I have been slowly adding more food items to my diet and slowly increasing my portion sizes.  Its apparently caught up with me becasue my knees and feet and back hurt much of the time.

I bought an exercsie bike becasue I was apparently too large for my bicycle -- its rear tire blew out after only being ridden on for seven months.

but I am seeking to slowly edge myself down from my current diet.  Im eliminating my carrot walnut muffins that I always eat for desert and replacing them with -- get ready for it -- a swallow of mollases and some fresh pecans.

Dieting is hard.  we eat salt and sugar and both of those make us crave more of 'something'.  Both salt and sugar makes us hungry for more food.  It seems to me the key to dieting is to limit salt and sugar (especially sugar at first) and in about two weeks your body will start to get used to the less salt and sugar pattern  and then you just dont ever eat those things again.  and thats very hard.

 

If you're like me, food is a source of pleasure and since I have so few sources of pleasure, I hate to give it up.  But I have to becasue its hurting me.  Maybe we could both agree to start making small changes so we can both feel better.

 

Just dont take Topamax lightly. 

 

 

 

 

[TravisEd]

You have to be careful using Topa for stability and weight loss.  It caused me to GAIN weight.  I was eating little over 1 meal a day and my Doc told me I should have another meal.  Well, within 2 weeks I needed to buy larger pants.  My metabolism had slowed down and the extra meal caused weight gain.

Zonegran, I had a horrible reaction, but it caused me to lose substantial weight in less than a month.

--Travis

[Lrjg]

Thank you for the info.!  I go back and forth with trying it.  I took Keppra for a short time.  It did not make me shaky, but I didn't want to eat anything.  I would fear taking it again for weight loss because it made me walk around like a zombie totally spaced out of reality.  I had never tried Topamax for my seizures.  I may still try it for the possible mood stabilizer and weight loss.  Knowing what could happen would make me look out for it and just go off of it if it happens to me too. ???  I have a couple weeks to think about it before I see this doctor.

[Julie Herbers]

You said you had never tried it for seizures?  What else for?  I was also very much a zombie, and I lost quite a bit of weight on it.  But if one more person said "Oh, I need to be on that!" when I mentioned my weight loss I was going to smack them!  It's one thing to lose weight when you are trying, it's another to have no appetite.  Then when I took pills on an empty stomach they didn't stay down, then the meds weren't in my system, then I'd have a seizure, etc.  I know everyone has a different reaction to every med, but this was one of my least favorites.

Julie