I have been taking Topamax now for 3 years and have suffered the side effects of word finding difficulty, cognition deficit, brain fog and cannot take it any longer. If the migraines come back I will just deal with them. Does anybody know if my brain fog will lift if I quit taking this drug?
Will cognition return after discontinuing the topamax?
Question posted by MollyN on 27 July 2018
Last updated on 26 September 2022 by butterfly22653gmail
3 Answers
butterfly22653gmail
26 Sep 2022
I had migraines for about 30 years. Tried everything available until a neurologist started me on Topamax. I have been taking Topamax for about 15 - 20 years. Never experienced any brain fog. It did eliminate my migraines completely and never returned again. Have not stopped it because I don't want to risk the migraines coming back. So I guess I cannot answer your question completely. Am now 69 years old. Love my Topamax. Always make sure I get it even when in the hospital. Even had my brain function tested and came out on the top of the scale. So Topamax has had no bad affects on my brain.
Ljohnson11
29 July 2018
Yeah it has that rep to cause fog. My cousins wife is an ER nurse... not someone you want working in a fog. She tried it and had to get off because of it. But the fog does lift if purely caused by the meds. She’s super sharp and funny now that she’s off of Dopamax. I was in it but not for very long. And the fog went away. I started Botox in June and that seems to help
Nitro061
27 July 2018
Hello I believe I can help.
I took topamax as well for horrible chronic migraines.
My research immediately started saying it’s nick name “dopamax” due to its earned reputation for effecting word recall, memory recall, and lack of coordination.
One such review really stuck with me and was of a med school student being forced to stop taking her topamax or fail her courses.
She stopped and suffered through school and became a doctor; after which she began taking her topamax again.
I had just started taking it and also started commercial long haul trucking school. The medication Was working fantastic for me but the bitter truth was realized.
I literally developed a stutter because I wouldn’t be able to remember the next word in my sentence and normally I am really well spoken. Couldn’t remember anything that was taught to me and when it came to doing 2 things at once I would simply freeze and draw a blank.
If I stopped the drug I would be to sick and nauseous to consentrare and care stay on it and fail. I fell behind and was required to do 1v1 training until I got caught up with my class
Eventually it all imploded and was forced to stop.
Then after 4 weeks topamax stopped working just like 35 others did before. At maximum tolerance amounts.
So it is no myth and I was a defeated man. From what I have gathered since then is that people somehow adapt and learn to accept constantly drawing a memory blank. I would literally swear in curse words in places of my next thought.
My migraines story continued with me desperately trying anything.
Hope this helps
Nitro061
27 July 2018
YES ! It absolutely Does like night and day
Related topics
topamax, migraine, migraine prophylaxis, side effect, brain, brain fog, cognition
Further information
- Topamax uses and safety info
- Topamax prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Topamax (detailed)
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