User Reviews for Topamax

I have had a good experience after trying to find the right cocktail for several years. I have a very high-stress job and my anxiety is put to the test daily. It is not clinically significant at this point and I can only attribute that to finally having my medicines right. I am taking Wellbutrin, Lamictal, Topamax and Zoloft at pretty low dosages for each. I did lose about 70 pounds. After over a year on the Topamax, my normal appetite has started to return and I have gained back about 10 pounds, but I still have self control that I lacked when I was fighting depression which is now at bay.

Stabilizing when used with Lamictal and Lexapro.

Over the edge..best thing ever!

I took Topamax for 12 years as a mood stabilizer for Bipolar 1 disorder. It is a GREAT mood stabilizer and I used to be quite heavy and I lost 100 pounds in around 6 months (yes you read that right!). The bad part was HORRIBLE side effects. Constant itching in the summer. I developed a 9mm kidney stone when I had no prior history. I developed a blood disorder (something acidosis, was told this was a rare side effect, but that was why I stopped taking it. However, if I could go back in time would I still take it? You bet! One of the best mood stabilizers I've ever been on. Just make sure you EAT when taking it, it makes you not want to eat.

I switched to Topamax from Lamictal to see if it would control my bipolar disorder and help me lose weight. My mood and sleep have been incredible and I have lost 15 lbs in 6 weeks on Topamax. I was a little worried about having memory problems but have not suffered this side effect at all. Have a little tingling in my feet at night but not bad enough to stop taking it. Overall I highly recommend this medication for bipolar disorder.

I was diagnosed with bipolar seven years ago and have basically been on Topamax along with Welbutrin the whole time. I have not really experienced the weight loss. I do feel fatigued and have been feeling very angry lately. I also feel sort of zombied out.

Started taking this about a month ago to level out my moods. I noticed difficulty focusing at first but it stopped. I'm also having tingling hands, feet, and face occasionally but with the way this medicine works it's worth it. Since I've been on it I'm like a new person, this medicine is a God send. Try it.

I started this medication for weight lose, bipolar, migraines. Seems like it may just be perfect...hopefully. I just finished my first week and lost 3 pounds! I workout 5-6 days a week but due to antidepressants making me gain so much weight, regardless of my diet and exercise I am fat. So today stepping on that scale and seeing 3 POUNDS LIGHGTER! I am a very moody person but the medicine seems to be making it right, moods seem to be very level. And haven't had one migraine! No side effects other than weight loss and loss of appetite..can't complain about that!

I have taken Topamax for bipolar twice. First for three years then now for a year. Do not know why I ever went off! This has been great for me after 25 years on lithium which was like living under 4 wet wool blankets. I also tried Depakote which only increased the weight gain and depression. At first, the side effects were a bit rough even at the initial very low dose of 25 mg. Very sleepy and tingly of hands and feet. BUT they pass, they really do. It may take a week of just being exhausted even when you increase your dose. The appetite depressant is wonderful. Also cuts down on general anxiety. Takes the real edge off the hypomania. I have not had any of the problems with finding words, etc.

I have been diagnosed with anxiety for over 10 years taking Lexapro and with Bipolar for 3 months and have been on Topamax. I love it. Have lost weight and feel great.

Topamax helps tremendously with mixed bipolar and rapid cycling. However I was an athlete at the time, rode cycling and a psychiatric nurse, I went from 120 to 105. This was not a bad experience for me. My manager illegally pulled me in her office and told me, granted she is not even an RN and told me I had anorexia and an eating disorder and illegally discriminated against me to stop me from working with eating disordered patients. My doctor even told her I was normal and healthy, just solid muscle. PS. Have you ever seen a serious road cyclist have an ounce of fat on them?

I have taken this for about a year. I have lost about 40 lbs. I am taking it to help depressed moods. I also have to take the brand and not the generic. I will have late onset asthma with the generics and other unpleasant side effects. I tried more than once to use generics but it won't work. So , give it a try if you can afford the brand name. IT makes a big difference. I also found that all my migraines disappeared while taking this. What a relief that was.

Caused hair loss, moods were crazy- very anxious and memory loss. After 8 weeks the weight loss is not worth it. 5lbs and I bet that was just in hair loss!

Do not take with Stay Slim Appetite Suppressant or you will have diarrhea.

I have taken Topamax for the last 8 months as a mood stabilizer. It has worked great, not only has it helped with my moods, but it also helped me lose more than 30 lbs without struggling to lose it. It was easy and great. I am happy again and I don't feel like I want to chew off everyone's head when I start to get irritable or around "that time of month". It's been a life saver.

Made me lethargic and very thirsty. My thirst interfered with my sleeping. I had to drink in the middle of the night and use restroom. So, taken off this one.

This is a fantastic medication. The day I was prescribed it and started taking it was nothing short of a miracle. I had never heard of anything like it before. I had been on and off trials of anti-depressants like Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Zypreza, etc for years and none of them did anything for me. This was an entirely different class of medication and the new psychopharmacologist I had told me so before he gave it to me. When it kicked in after several weeks I literally felt it one day while riding the bus. I was trying to have one of those negative, anxiety-ridden feelings and a flush just came over me that downgraded that sensation. The only drawback is that this medication completely stopped working for me after one and a half years.

Good so far.

I had hit rock bottom and I finally went to someone who knew what they were talking about. They put me on Topamax and I am fine now thanks to my doctor. Thank you to everyone who cared enough to pay attention to my well-being.

After taking 300mgs (100mg AM/200mg PM) for three years, it's no longer working. When I first went on it, it worked great for both mood stabilization and weight control. I lost all the weight that I gained after being on Zyprexa and Depakote, and my moods were controlled well for about two and a half years. I had minimal negative side effects that seemed to fade after a few months' use. For the last six months I've been struggling with dosage adjustments and adding new drugs to my cocktail while trying to keep Topamax. Finally I'm giving up and going off Topamax because it's not doing anything anymore.

I've been taking Topamax for two months and the weight loss is great, but that's because everything taste's gross. I'm tired a lot and have to work hard to focus. But I can finally sleep at night and feel rested. After reading some of the other comments I now understand why my fingertips sometimes feel numb or weird. I'm still not sure if the weight loss, better sleep are worth the disgusting taste in my mouth and the feeling sometimes that I just want to burst into tears (although that could be just because I work so hard and I'm still broke).

Topamax is the only medicine that works for me, I am willing to live with the side effects to keep from going up and down. The worst side effect for me has been trouble comprehending, and mild memory loss. When I lowered the dose from 400 to 100 I don't have comprehending or memory problems now. The great part about Topamax is weight loss, and not gaining weight.

Works wonders on rapid cycling. I really love this medicine. I know it is off label for bipolar, but wow! I take it with another mood stabilizer, antipsychotic and a when required antipsychotic and antidepressant, and it has stabilized my Ultradian cycling that is so hard to treat. I feel normal again. I take 150mg. Also can work in conjunction with other common weigh gainer medicines to cancel out the weigh gain effect - just a tip.

I started taking this medicine several weeks ago with a combination of Celexa for my depression. The side effects are unwelcome and welcome all in the same time. I have memory loss and can't find the the right words when I'm speaking to people. I feel tired during the day, but at night I'm wide awake. My nails have become thinner, so has my waist line. I've struggled with my weight since I was young, [I'm 17 and I started these pills at 260lbs. I'm now at 231lbs]. These pills make me feel like food is the enemy. I'm also having decreased sensitivity during sex.

Overall, Topamax has been a very positive attribute to my daily "cocktail" of necessary medicines. It has assisted in stabilizing my mood, and thus helped me to resume a semi normal routine. As for side effects, I experience loss of memory that I am told is due to the Topamax, and is fairly common. Although, irritating at times, it is much more tolerable than my past existence.