Would like information on Topamax for chronic migraines

I have had migraines for 13 years now and I'm 30 and about 3 years ago the Dr put me on Topamax an it worked wonders for me. the only thing is that i had to keep going back to the Dr. to get to dosage increased. I started out  at 25 mg then went to 50 mg within a few weeks. Then the onset of my monthly the Doc. finally realized that he was going to put me on a 100 mg everyday, 2 days before my period I was to double my dose until 2 days after my period so for right at 7 to 10 days i would be taken 200 mg of Topamax. That finally worked. Have you tried Max-Alt 10 mg? That is a wonder drug!!!!!!! it is for when you feel a migraine coming on you take it. Oh god it works like a charm!!!!!!!

I think topamax has a different effect on everyone. It is great that you have noticed a decrease in the severity of your headaches. I don't think that three weeks is long enough to tell what kind of success you will have. I have heard that it can take at least 2 months to see results from some medications. I did not do well on topamax. It didn't do anything to help my headaches and it gave me some really negative side effects. But the fact that you are already feeling less pain is a great sign! I am taking amitriptyline (it is an anti-depressant instead of anti-seizure) and I too had less severe headaches in the first month that I took it. I have been on it for 4 months now and I am seeing a major decrease in headaches. I don't think that I will ever be headache free. I still get major headaches when the weather is crazy and when I don't take the time to eat/take proper care of myself. I have come to believe that the medications only work when you work with them to be healthier. I hope topamax keeps working for you!

Bridget,

 

It can take preventive medications such as Topamax up to three months to work. The dosage you're taking, 50 mg per day, if signigficantly below the top dosage recommended for Migraine. So, your doctor may recommend increasing it at some point. It's worth noting that all of the prescribing information and the recommendaqitons from the clinical trials of Topamax for Migraine prevention instruct that the dosage be broken into two doses once you get to 50 mg per day or more. See Dosage and Tpering Topamax for Migraine Prevention for more information on this.

 

Although a good precentive regimen can greatly reduce the frequency and severity of Migraine attacks, you will probably still have some Migraines. There is no cure. The best we can do is work with our doctors to find treatment regimens that make the attacks fewer and less severe.

 

You might well find it helpful to talk with a counsel, psychologist, or psychiatrist about developing better coping skills for living with a chronic disease. This is of great benefit to many Migraineurs.

 

Good luck,

Teri

RE: first reply by tat_22098

 

tat,

 

Please don't be discouraged by needing to increase the Topamax dosage. The 25 mg dosage is the starting dosage. Take a look at my reply above for more information on Topamax dosage for Migraine prevention.

 

Part of your reply concerns me, so I want to be sure I'm understanding correctly. Do you mean that most of the time you take 100 mg per day, then two days before your period, you incres to 200 mg per day for seven to ten days, then drop back down to 100 mg per day?

 

If this is how you're taking Topamax, please check with your doctor to be sure that's what he intends. Medicaqtions such as Topamax need to be tapered up or down slowly. Increasing or decreasing too quickly can cause more severe side effects or even seizures. I'm not criticizing your doctor, but want you to be safe.

 

Teri

User beware!  I have suffered from migraines for over 20 years and took Topamax for 4-6 months a couple years ago.  I too slowly increased my dosage to 200 mg daily.  For me the negative side effects outweighed the good ones.  I must admit that I was happy to have lost 30-40 lbs since nothing tasted quite right to me while taking it.  My headaches improved slightly (a bit further apart), but continued to be just as painful when they occurred.  I was no longer able to drink any carbonated beverages, as they all tasted like chemicals.  I stopped taking the medicine due to the constant nausea and occasional vomiting.  Oh, I should also mention the blurry vision problems and mental blankness.  I could hardly carry on an intelligent conversation and felt kind of spaced out.  I suggest you pay close attention to your body while taking Topamax.  All of the drugs have their own set of side effects for each person.  I guess it's a tradeoff of sorts.  You might try Feverfew supplements (with Butterbur) or Feverfew herbal tea.  I find they both help a bit with migraine prevention, but I keep the Imitrex, Midrin, and Compazine standing by just in case.

topamax is a nightmare.  five stones in each kidney.  there is no way a person should try topamax.

I tried Topamax for a few months, and it was bad for me. My headaches didn't decrease, and I was constantly sick to my stomach- vomiting etc. I lost at least 10lbs and did not feel like myself, as someone else mentioned, "spaced out". Be very careful!

I, woman, of 44 used topamax for 4 months, slowly from 1 tablet of 25 mg a day to 3 , 1 in the morning and 2 in the evening....my migraine got less frequent and if i had one and i would take medication like relpax it would help me much quicker than normal, within one hour i would feel better. but after 4 months i started to mess up with taking the pills, i would forget them, and then i started getting more migraines again...so i guess you have to be very strickt ....right now i want to slowly go back to 2 tablets a day then to one and stop....try accupuncture or something different, but it is surely worth to try, and be very strickt with it....good luck