questions about topamax

I just started taking topamax this week and have been trying to find out as much about it as I can and Im just wondering  about a few things: 

 why are a lot of people saying not to get too hot on this medication?

 also I find that I get extremely tired lately is this a common side effect? also is  irriatibility  a part of this or is this just me?

why do people recomend drinking so much water?

Hi dsj,

I am on Topamax too. As far as I know you cannot regulate your body temperature on this med very easily so you are unable to sweat properly so keeping cool is important in hot conditions!

Tiredness is a side effect as is irritability, and you should drink lots of water to prevent kidney stones.

Hope this helps, if you need any further information please talk to you Doctor!

take care

Ann

I take topomax...and it makes me feel extremely bad...out of body like, irritable, have diffculty with speech.  I am going to try it at night...it does make me exremely edgy...and makes my heart race.  I have chronic clusterheadaches...that's why it was prescribed...but everyone is different...it could make a very positive difference for you.  Good luck

Welcome DSJ,

RUN, RUN AWAY VERY FAST!!!!

 

Ok, this is just my personal opinion but, as I have posted numerous times in this forum, TOPAMAX is TOTAL POISON!!!    I took this medication for less than a year.  I titrated(changed) dosages up and down, at one point I was taking 400mg per day!!!  At that point, I was encountering significant brain damage.  I lost my short-term memory, I could not form complete thoughts, I could not complete full sentences or even remember the names of simple items.  I had difficulty writing or carrying on a conversation.  All my cognitive abilities were severely impaired.  I stopped taking Topamax over two years ago.  I still have not regained much of the abilities the Topamax took away, especially my short-term memory.  And on top of everything, it didn't do a darn blasted thing to prevent my migraine attacks.

If you scroll down through previous topics in this forum you will find numerous threads about this drug, as there are many people inquiring about or reporting their own experiences with Topamax.

Best of luck and keep us up to date on how you do.

Leigh Ann

Well just to give a little update on my experience with topamax.  I have now been taking it since March 19 and boy am I tired.  Even if I sleep well at night I seem to hit some sort of a brick wall and there is no second wind.  I am finding that when I get tired thats it - I have to sleep.  I hope that this will go away soon!!

I also am very irriatable, not all the time, but wow when it comes on there is no stopping that either.  I have no patience and everything starts getting on my nerves. Thank God this seems to be a random thing as opposed to every day.

I was told that one of the side effects was loosing weight but so far I have gained 5 pounds so that doesnt help.

Another thing I've noticed about topamax is that it is actually causing me headaches.  I have recently(Jan) been diagnosed with migraines with aura, so my migraine situation is a little different then most of you guys who suffer on a regular basis.  My migraines are not as frequent but they are very dibilitating in that when I lose my vision I get the panic attack and anxiety.  I have been getting them on an average of one a week so I need to find some way to deal with this and I was hoping Topamax would work but so far it has not stopped the migraines I have still had three while taking the med plus now I have had a headache (bad one) for 6 days straight.  I am blaming this on the medication and if things dont change by Monday I will try and talk to my Dr about stopping it. 

 I have read that this medication sometimes takes time to get into your system but does anyone know roughly how long you should give it to see if it is the right med for you?

Oh yeah and least I FORGET, I seem to be getting ditzy,  my memory is now a joke(literally)and I feel really not connected sometimes.  And the tingling  in hands, feet and face, wow I really hope this works.

DSJ,

I've posted a link on this forum a couple of times to a study on chronic tension headaches that found topamax doesn't have full effectiveness until 3 months or more until you get to your full dosage. That was my experience as well. I don't know if the same is true for classic migraines, but since docs seem to think the various types of headaches are related, it seems likely. If you'd like to see the study, email me and I'll send you the link to the article, although it doesn't say much more than I've said here.

When I was starting on topamax, it made my headaches worse for a while too. After several months, however, I got significant relief. Unfortunately, as has happened with every medicine which has ever helped me, the effectiveness seems to have worn off. I see my neurologist next week and we'll decide what to try next. I'm leery about increasing the dosage any more -- I can't remember names at all anymore, which gets pretty embarrassing. On the other hand, I did appreciate losing most of the weight I gained from years on amitriptyline. I'm on day 4 of a nonstop severe headache and ready for some relief, so I hope my doc has some ideas of what to try next.

Good luck!

 I am new to a diagnosis of Cyclothymic/BiPolar II disorder and have just started tomapax as a possible med for treatment.  I'm taking 25mg a day and not having any side effects but am wondering if this is an accurate dose?  As of right now, she has me continuing on the 25mg a day for a full month.  I am wondering if anyone has any experience in initial dosing of this medication and if this seems accurate? I am in total acceptance of this diagnosis and am looking for some type of relief, thanks for any helpful input !! 

Thanks so much for your thoughts on the Topamax, I have gone to other websites and have been researching information regarding Topamax and it seems to be used more for migraines than Bi-Polar disorders. My doc was trying to stay away from Lithium because of the necessary blood draws to stay at a "safe" dosing. But maybe it's something that we need to reconsider. I'm finding that I'm impatient with the process of getting on the right medication and right dosage, but I'll keep plugging away at it !!