Whining about Topamax side effects....

If you cannot vent here, where can you vent???  The drug may not be for you.  Sometimes the side effects lessen, sometimes they don't.  I'm off the anti-depressent I was on, and I can't say that that side effect now is alot of fun, but I see the neurologist Friday, so we'll see.  I'm on a 100 mg.  My spelling was bad before, all I can say is thank God for spell check.  Also the whole finding the right word is not getting any better.  I do like the weight loss though.

Take care

Cindy

Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!

Topamax is one of four medications approved by the FDA for Migraine prevention. The other three are - Depakote and Depakote ER, Inderal LA, Blocadren.

Being on topamax for only eights isn't time for it to work properly. It can take up to three months to adjust to medications and see a reduction in Migraine reduction. Side effects are potential, meaning they don't happen to everyone, all the time, can lessen the longer we take the medication. You can find more information on topamax HERE. 

Thank you for creating a SharePost.  SharePosts are a form of blogging, and there are many things you can do with them. You can share an experience, suggest something that's helped you, use SharePosts as a Migraine and headache journal, and many other things.

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Welcome again,

Nancy Bonk
MyMigraineConnection.com Expert

PS: If you receive this message from more than one of us, please excuse the overlap. Thanks!

The only thing I can tell you is my own experience. Yours sounds very similar to mine, obviously they cannot be exactly the same, but from what you describe, I went through the same thing when I started Topamax.

I felt more depressed at first, tingles, sleep problems, breakthrough bleeding....and this was at the 25/50mg mark too!

Here is the deal - is it helping your head? If so, see if instead of upping your next dose to the 75 and eventually the 100mgs, if your doctor feels ok with you staying at the 50mgs for a while. If the Topa is helping your migraines at the 50mgs already - see if you can stay there for a bit, get your body used to it, and see if your body adjusts to the drug easier, then adding in more and more.

The tingles, I still get them, but no doctor I've had ever linked the potassium thing as a deficiency (I did!!!) The cognative side effects - just like what you say you are getting - they went away (except when I migraine) after I'd been on the topa for a bit and my body was at the same level for a while.  The breakthrough bleeding stopped too (but I did just change my pill and it's started again, but I think it's the pill).

All in all - you know 8 days is not enough time to give this a fair chance. I understand you being frustrated. And yes, it is up to you - but I just wanted to voice to you that the side effects may go away in a little while. You just started this drug - you need time to get used to it!

I now take 75mgs with the only real side effects being tingling in my heels usually at night. That's all. I've been on it for a little over a year now and I get a migraine about 2-3 times a month. Compare that to before Topamax, I had a migraine every single day.

If you want to talk more about it, feel free to email me via my sharepost page. I know what this feels like. I went through it too! It should get better!

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do!