Topamax experiences

Couldn't find the pharmacology section, so I'm dropping this here instead!🙂
Is anyone actually able to live with this disgusting medication???
Can you even function with the nausea, the dizziness that makes your head spin, or just trying to walk straight without slamming into everything? Can you talk normally, see clearly, or go without having an epilepsy seizure much less deal with the fallout?
And what about the stomach cramps, the exhaustion, the constant drowsiness, and that feeling of always having a low-grade fever?
Does it drive you crazy too—that total brain fog where you can't even remember who you talked to, what you said, or where you even were? 😕
Finally, aren't the irritability, mood swings, depression, and sheer aggression supposed to clear up after two months on it?
Do you feel like murdering the doctor who prescribed this garbage to you? 🙂

Hey there!!
I’ve been on this medication for about a year now following my epilepsy diagnosis, and I can definitely vouch for most of the things you mentioned. In the beginning, I dealt with constant exhaustion, occasional dizziness, some memory fog, mood swings, and even digestive issues. Things have leveled out quite a bit since then, though the fatigue still lingers and I get a little irritable from time to time, even if those moods have mostly settled down. Honestly, given what I'm dealing with, I'm willing to put up with just about any side effect if it means keeping the seizures at bay... Who knows, maybe everything will eventually settle down and I'll be able to get off this stuff entirely in a few years...

Is it just me, or is nobody else getting their epilepsy or migraine meds? Am I the only one left out here??? 😱

I'm about to go have a serious word with my neurologist. 🙂

Ethan Carter32 said:Hey there!
I've been on it for about a year now following my epilepsy diagnosis, and I can definitely back up most of what you mentioned. Fatigue, occasional dizziness at the start, forgetfulness, constant exhaustion, mood swings, digestive issues. It’s gotten a bit better lately, but the fatigue is still hanging around and I still get irritable sometimes, though that’s calmed down a little. Honestly, given the diagnosis, I'm willing to deal with this crap if it keeps the seizures at bay... Maybe things will settle down eventually and I won't have to deal with this shit anymore in a few years...

Carbamazepine and Clonazepam worked great for me compared to this stuff😠
It's not even that I can't walk straight—it's that I CANNOT WALK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wiped out on the sidewalk yesterday; I can't even make it ten feet.
This never happened before I started Topamax.
I can barely talk; I sound like a damn drunk. I haven't eaten in four days because I can't stand food—everything, even soup, makes me throw up.
This thing is going to kill me😲
And the seizures are happening more often than they did on my old meds.
I hate my neurologist—I want to run them over—kill them!!!!!! wah

I'm curious about what dosage you're currently on? Personally, I take 100 mg about two hours before hitting the hay. If you check out the "epilepsy" topic, you'll find plenty of other people following that same routine. I actually started out on Carbamazepine, but I ended up dealing with a bit of a skin reaction, so my neurologist decided to switch me over to Topamax (well, technically we tried Oxcarbazepine first, which is basically the same thing, but since Pfizer stopped making that specific version, I've transitioned to Topamax).
For me, the transition was handled really gradually; I did 25 mg for two weeks, then bumped up to 50 mg for another two weeks, before finally settling at 100 mg.

To be honest, I’m not exactly a huge fan of the medication myself, though I haven't run into the specific issues you mentioned. You should definitely make an appointment with your neurologist just to be safe.

Oh boy, now that I’ve read through everything you all have shared, I feel like I’m going to start obsessing over symptoms even if I don't actually have them—it's funny how that works, I guess. 🙂 I’ve been on Topamax for about a week now, along with Depakote. Before this, I was on Lamictal for four years, but lately, it just wasn't cutting it anymore—so, naturally, I went looking for a new medication and a new doctor. Well, I found a new physician... and I am definitely not reacting well to this new med. It’s not even that I’m irritable, per se—it’s more like I’m just constantly moping and being miserable; I honestly don't know how people put up with me. I’m driving myself crazy, really. I get these bouts of weakness, and my legs... well, I can't exactly trust them to hold me up. It just hit me yesterday that back in 2002, they put me on Depakote as a treatment, and I barely lasted two weeks. I literally could not live with it. The second I tried to lift my head, I felt like I was going to vomit... so I rushed to my doctor to get off it immediately. Yesterday, I was digging through my old medical records and basically blamed Depakote for every single misfortune in my life. On top of all those side effects, I still deal with these frequent sensations where I suddenly can't speak—it lasts for about a minute. I'm perfectly lucid during it, mind you—I can look at a clock and everything—but when you're on a call with a customer and you fall silent for a minute... it feels like an absolute eternity!
Now I’m sitting here thinking... maybe all of this is actually from the Topamax?

What else are you taking besides Topamax?

Not much to report, just sticking with Topamax for now. My very first medication was Carbamazepine, but they eventually transitioned me over to Topamax. I don't deal with anything quite as intense as you do, though I definitely struggle with constant fatigue and feeling sleepy all day long. It’s pretty rare that I can actually say I feel 100% great.
To be completely honest, I'm not exactly thrilled with it, but what can you really do? I haven't had the chance to try any other medications yet, and at least this one gives me some peace of mind regarding my diagnosis.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens during my next routine checkup.

Of course, the most important thing is that you aren't having seizures. I’m still holding onto this little hope—maybe just wishful thinking, I guess—that everything I'm feeling is just a side effect from the Depakote. Hang in there, okay? I really, truly hope that exhaustion and sleepiness start to lift soon!
I think I could live with it if it didn't feel like I was constantly crying or dealing with these frequent bouts of dizziness... but man, I really wish things were better. 🙂

Man, I can handle life with Topamax, but without it? Total disaster.
What kind of nightmare is this? 😠
I’m going back to my old prescription and calling it a day!
I just can't deal with the brain fog, stumbling around, or babbling nonsense for two months straight. I'll end up starving because I can't even think about what to eat, and everything I try—even just some soup—comes right back up.

Back when I was on high doses of Clonazepam, I mostly just slept through everything, so I didn't mind much. But this? This feels like a coma.

Carbamazepine—you're my everything. Please, just come back to me...

Don't sweat it! If you’re feeling absolutely miserable—and from what I can tell, you really are—then just go see your doctor and tell them you need to get off this stuff. Everyone reacts to medication so differently, you know? For some people, maybe Topamax is actually the gold standard 🙂 but clearly, it isn't working for you. Seriously, go talk to them as soon as possible... there’s really no reason to keep putting yourself through this misery!

I honestly don't get why you're still taking that if it's making you feel so lousy🤷

Taylor Patel6 said:Carbamazepine—my one true love! Please, just come back to me...

Your inbox is totally jammed up... you can't actually receive any private messages until you clear out some old ones (hey mod, feel free to delete this later).

Kenneth Jackson30 said:I honestly don't get why you're even taking that if it makes you feel so lousy.🤷

My neurologist put me on this as a supplement to my Carbamazepine, and since I’m a disciplined patient who actually follows doctor's orders, I've been sticking to the plan. 😠

Basically, once he saw how much I was struggling with it, he pulled me off the Topamax.
I've been feeling okay after just a few days.😍

He’s already planning on switching me over to a different medication, and honestly, after the nightmare I just went through, I'm terrified. 😲

I’ve been taking Topamax to manage some rather debilitating migraine attacks... though, frankly, the medication itself nearly sent me to the emergency room. Shortly after I started the regimen, I ended up hospitalized because the vertigo was so intense I couldn't even maintain my balance. To make matters worse, my blood pressure plummeted to 150 over 50 that day. Instead of addressing the physical crisis, the doctors saw fit to refer me to psychologists and psychiatrists, essentially implying that my symptoms were nothing more than a figment of my imagination. Even while staying on the medication, I suffered another migraine that dragged on for eighteen agonizing hours; I genuinely felt as though I was facing death. But I suppose that is just the hand one is dealt—you simply have to endure it. Aside from the neurological issues, I am perpetually exhausted since starting this treatment, and I generally feel quite unwell. I’ve also lost about ten pounds in the last three months. I absolutely despise this medication.

I have a question regarding Topamax...

About a year ago, my boyfriend collapsed and lost consciousness... He was exhausted, several things hit him at once—low blood pressure, intense heat...

He went through all the necessary testing, and according to him, his EEG showed increased brain activity. He also suffers from frequent headaches.

They put him on 25mg of Topamax for a year. No one ever mentioned anything about epilepsy.

Has anyone else dealt with a situation like this?

I just wanted to jump in and say that I feel absolutely fantastic while taking Topamax... and Sandra Lopez2 you see, Topamax is used for both epilepsy and migraines... so, honestly, why they prescribed it to your boyfriend is something only his neurologists would know for sure

I have this very close friend who’s been struggling with manic episodes and anxiety for quite some time now. To be honest, I’m an alcoholic myself, so I know a thing or two about patterns, but even I find his medical history a bit surreal. He’s cycled through countless psychiatrists, and it’s almost absurd how every single one seems to come up with a different diagnosis. One doctor labels him with schizophrenia, the next says it’s bipolar... it’s all very confusing. 😕

So, he reached out to me yesterday after being silent for a week, mentioning he’d spent some time stuck in a hospital under "observation"—whatever that actually entails. Apparently, they’ve put him on yet another new medication: Depakote Crono R 500mg.

I was wondering if anyone could explain what that specific medication is used for. I did a little digging online, but I don't quite grasp why they would prescribe an antiepileptic when he doesn't suffer from epilepsy, given that his issues seem strictly limited to mania and bipolar disorder.
Does the "R" signify anything specific regarding the dosage, or why start with such a high amount? Does it mean extended-release, perhaps?
He mentioned that the medication makes him incredibly hungry, and while he feels somewhat better mentally, it hits him hard physically—he said he can barely walk without stumbling.

Does anyone here have experience with this particular drug? I’d like to know what kind of side effects to watch out for so I can give him a heads-up. With him, it's always a struggle; he tends to toss the packaging aside immediately rather than reading the warnings.

My wife has been taking Depakote Crono 500 following her epilepsy seizures, but about three and a half months in, she started losing a significant amount of hair. I know the paperwork says this side effect is rare, but it’s definitely happening to her. When we went to see her neurologist about it, the doctor didn't even hesitate—she just told us, "Well, since the Depakote isn't working out, let's try Topamax 25 instead." Now that I've actually sat down to read the warning labels and look up what other people have gone through, I'm feeling pretty lost. I honestly don't know what our next move should be.

It is important to remember that while any medication MIGHT come with a set of potential side effects, they aren't a guarantee that anyone will experience them, nor is it possible to predict exactly how a specific individual's body will react.
If a particular treatment doesn't seem to be the right fit for a patient, it is perfectly standard practice to explore other options. It is entirely possible that Topamax could work wonders for your wife and leave her feeling great without any issues at all. I am truly rooting for that to be the case for her!