Hi! I just started the long wind up dosage of Topamax last night. So far, so good haha! I have read mostly positive reviews from the folks who are using it for weight loss, and mostly negative reviews from the ones who were prescribed the drug for migraines. I see a connection. MY goal has always been to stop obsessing over food. While I am not clinically overweight now, I have the ability to gain weight quickly. I recently lost the 80 pounds I gained when I stopped smoking in 2007, by using Phentermine. I have been at a plateau unable to lose anything for the past 3 months, so my doctor took me off of it. Hence, her new idea is to try Topamax. I'm pretty excited, but also a bit anxious. I have depressive/anxiety as well, and take Fluoxitine (Prozac) to keep me feeling normal. I am hopeful I will be successful on Topamax and lose my last 20 pounds and keep it off.
Topamax/Topiramate Users? Here's my story - what's yours?
Question posted by cupcakesbycandi on 21 March 2012
Last updated on 8 October 2021
This question has also been asked and answered here: Does topiramate cause weight loss?
15 Answers
I am taking Topiramate for 3 years prescribed for anxiety.
I have less episode of burst into tears (though these 1.5 years stress increased a bit),less panic attack.
As for weight,I didn't gain but didn't lose.
I forgot to write my dosage.
I was taking 50mg/day (25 in morning,25 evening)Recently I asked doctor to increase because of stress these days.I am taking 25mg 3 times a day.
I have been on 100mg of generic topamax for 7 days. I'll let you know right away that I weighed myself this morning and I've gone from 225 to 218 so that's a 7 pound weight loss in just 1 week. I have been working out and watching what I eat. However my appetite has dramatically decreased since taking topamax. I find that I only eat 3 meals and a snack and those meals have to be small because if I eat even just a regular portion I get uncomfortably full and bloated. I find that it's almost better if I graze healthily throughout the day as opposed to having meals. Those are the positives. Speaking on the negative side effects, for me they have been very mild. The most annoying is the dry mouth. Ugh! But it helps me to keep me drink water so in a way that's a positive. In the 7 days I've been on this medicine I've experienced the tingling hands/feet maybe 3 times for a total of 2 minutes. Same with the headaches.
No mood changes or temper outburts which I expected because I'm a bi polar Puerto Rican lol. My dr gave me topamax when I asked for adipex because of my high blood pressure which has gone down so next month if she prescribes the adipex Im going to combine it with the topamax as I've read people do, and see what happens.
I was 28 when I was prescribed topamax for weight loss. I started off on 25 mg, in which I had no severe reactions to besides some tingling in my feet and I always had to wear shoes or flip flops, no bare feet, because my feet felt weird if I walked on the ground barefoot. Then after 3 months I had only lost 3 pounds so my doctor increased the dose to 50 mg - that’s when all the issues arose. Only a few weeks after the dosage increase I started only sleeping 3-4 hours a night. Eventually I started having delusions and was submitted to the psych ward for bipolar disorder when I had never had any other manic episodes in my life. A painful year later, my psychologist finally believes that topamax brought on the psychosis and I do not have bipolar disorder. Beware, this drug caused me a TON of problems!!!
I have been on Topiramate 50mg morning and night since December. I have lost 30 pounds. Sometime in January, I stopped drinking cokes. They left a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn't stand it. Never had that happen. Sometime in March, I got to where I could not eat meat. Any kind of meat. Same thing. Has anyone experienced this affect from this drug?
I stopped taking 200 mg 2 months ago and my weight has gone up 10 pounds . It’s so depressing. Does Anyone know when it will stop. Thankfully I have my mind back !! It is bad stuff.
how long have you been on it ? was it for weight loss? and how long did it take to get off? did you have to tapper off it if so what milligram did you go down to and fr how long till you went to the next dose and so on. and did your doctor tell you, you could not drive.
I was put on phentermine and topiramate by my PCP for weight loss. I’ve lost 31 pounds in a little over a month. I’m 65 years old, was a huge over eater, loved sweets and carbs. My doctor fussed at me when I went back after being on meds for not quite 3 weeks and had lost 21 pounds! Said I was losing too fast and needed to eat more. The meds took away my appetite as well as my carb and sweet cravings. He said I could stay on the topiramate indefinitely but would need to stop the phentermine but I asked him if I might be able to take the phentermine every other month as I thought that is what gives me the energy to get stuff done around the house instead of sitting watching tv. He said he’d think about it but he really thinks the topiramate is what’s working for my weight loss. I also try to walk at least a half mile on the treadmill each day and I don’t eat very much.
Still don’t have much of an appetite going into almost month 3 on topiramate! I am at 31 pound loss and want to lose 20 more. I feel great and hope I never have to get off this medication.
Almost 2 weeks ago now my doctor started me on topiramate to help with weight loss and to tame alcohol. (half bottle wine a night, so not bad, but not great) Anyhow... I am LOVING THIS DRUG. I haven't even stepped on a scale yet. So what has it done for me. My severe ongoing long-term anxiety that was managed by a combination of will-power and anti-depressants has been STOMPED, in exchange for ONE sacrifice: fizzy drinks. They are now all flat. Beer. Cola. You name it. Its flat. Tastes the same, but it tastes flat. No tingles in my fingers as others have reported. No other side effects for me at all. I will admit I also do not feel the call to eat as much as I used to, so it is helping there. I also do not feel the need to drink as much as I used to, but I still have 1/5 of a bottle (150 mL) of red wine a night, on average. But I feel so much more alive!!! This stuff is absolutely LIFE CHANGING.
*** FOR ME *** I cannot emphasize those two little words enough. Everyone has different genetics. That is the biggest advace that I think will come to medicine in the next 20-30 years. The ability to say this med will solve this problem but only for folks with these genes. Customized / profiled, PREDICTIVE medicine is the future. For now, sadly, you can do such only in a "reactive" sense, by trial and error. Hit the bullseye for me with topiramate. Wow. Just hope I don't get stones too quickly. But the way this makes me feel compared to the anxiety I've been thru for a while. Hmm... Depends on how bad the pain is for how long and how often... I'll well you what... I could almost handle that.
Hello, so I have seizures, bipolar and ptsd, and my psychologist decided to put me on Topamax as off label for ptsd. I started with a little numbness in my legs and arms that would come and go, it wasn't bad and I expected the side effect. I never had a loss for words lol I'm just a constant debater. No siezures in a year since starting and I'm 5'8" started at 182 lbs and I'm down to a healthy weight of 130lbs... I feel great, my children see a difference in me and my husband and I are best friends again! Topamax is a great drug for me... In my opinion
Can I ask, what is your current dosage, how long did it take for you to be on that full dose? Were you on another med prior? I was on another med for seizures, so waiting for the Topamax be the only med in my system was about 7 weeks. weight loss is slow about 5lbs once on it solo. How long did it for your weight to start coming off? I'm finally at 175mg. Wonder if I need a higher dose.
I just started topamax 25 mg at night for weight loss a week ago today and I've lost 6lbs. Only side effects I've noticed was that I'm very tired but that nothing, I'm just excited to be losing weight with out the jitters!! I've been watching for other side effects thank God nothing serious so far.. Will update next week
I was on topamax for 2 years, it helped my migraines but never lost any weight at all. It does make you loose your train of thought and can't get the words out. It caused my face to get numb and tingly only at 50 mg so I had to stay at 25mg then I got fed up with feeling like a zombie. I could be watching tv and couldn't tell you what I was watching so I quit. I'm thinking about restarting it though because my migraines are back and I've been living on Tylenol which does nothing for them. I too have anxiety and panic attacks which started 8 months ago due to vertigo attacks.
Wow. reading all this drug Topiramate can cause, worries me, was just prescribe this today, by a pain management Doctor, 25 mg. I have had terrible pinched nerve pain from a bulging disk in my lower lumbar,encroaching on a nerve that can be felt in my hip!!! I just had 2 sessions of transdermal epideral steroid injections and still no relief. So the Dr. wanted to try me on a non narcotic drug, Topiramate, sounds pretty narcotic to me, why would he say that? Unless maybe in comparison to Viox? But I too, am on Effexor 75mg for Panic Attacks/Anxiety. So I am concerned... there is nothing worse than those Panic Attacks!!! I need to lose 20 lbs to be at a healthy weight, so this would be a plus for me. But the memory thing, loss for words, that's going to be weird, I hope I don't get that and look like some idiot out there in this cruel world!!! Best of luck to all of us out there!!!
Ditto! Inspector Curuso!
I was just prescribed topamax and starting searching blogs to get a better feel for what I can expect. It took a few minutes then finally found your response about the epidural, which I just had couple weeks ago after rounds of facet injections for ongoing neck, back and arm pain. Epidural hasn't worked and this pain is truly getting on my NERVES! So next topamax and prayer.
Let me know how it works for you.
Lifeless in Tennessee
I was the migraine queen. I thought I was alone in the world with no end in sight. Then my shrink put me on Topomax as a mood stabilizer. Now at that times I was still under the care of a Nuerologist,
In five months I lost 130 pounds and never had a headache let alone a migraine. A year later my Nuerologist happened to come in my office and looked at me for a minute... then she realized who I was. I never went back to see her after I went on Topomax:) I explained what had happened and she smiled from ear to ear. She then explained to me that she had just begun treating her patients with it as well.
Since then... 2003 I have had maybe 4 breakthru headache/migraines. I have been able to treat them at home with motrin and dark room.
I love this med.
Peace:)
So happy to read this... I am suffering from migraines, fatigue and depression and it's so good to hear that it worked. Just one question: do you still take it or is it a treatment for a one - two years and then you stop it gradually? Thanks in advance for your answer.
Hello well I started this medication about five weeks ago 25 mg working. Up to 100mg a day and alredy went from 152 down to 138 seems a lot people see a difference but I don't see a huge difference and I am 5'3. I started this medication for migranes and I feel WAY!! Better and no hairloss just regular everyday girl thing. HAVE IN MIND PLENTY COLD WATER ALL DAY LONG. You do that and am sure you'll see weight shed. Well good luck shedding those pounds :).
Whoa! 5 weeks??? I have lost 2 pounds only :-( I have been very thirsty so grateful for that - it is very easy to drink lots of water. I still have a problem craving sweets. So while I was hoping it would allow me to focus on other things, I am still eating what I shouldn't. Yesterday at my 4 week checkup I was increased to my normal dosage of 200 mg. but I have to do the wind up of 150 (100 in the am, 50 in the pm) for one week). I hope to see a difference this week! thanks!!!
My story ;( I had viral meningitis and have migraines as a side effect since feb. this year! It's been a battle. I started Topamax twp weeks ago and I am on 50mg def have the taste change and decrease app but don't see weight change. Migraines have gone down for sure which is a great plus!!! It's great to hear othe peoples story's ;) good luck to y'all ;)
I started Feb and it's Now June no migraines I feel happy!! And I weigh 120 I plan too do like a detox/colon cleanser to fully clean my self. N trully fell fresh…I don't think it should be for weight loss but I did shed weight but this pill is amazing for MIGRAINES…am a happy camper no more complaining I actually be I the sun longer and when it gets hot outside :)
I could only
Wish for weight loss but my doctor I believe is keeping me at 50mg could that be why?! But must say I love no migraines ;)
I've used Topamax several times in the past, and my husband uses it now. Neither one of us has had luck losing weight with it. Sorry :( , but everyone is different. My weight problems are not from over eating, so I never thought that it would help me with the fluid, but my hubby has about 20 extra pounds on him from a car accident, and although it helps his migraines tremendously, he hasn't lost weight. good luck though!!
Thanks! Did you also use for migraines as well? I have been off of phentermine for 3 days now and cannot stop craving everything in site. I hope I can start with the regular dosing next week. I don't feel like I'm taking anything right now.
Yes, they did give it to me for migraines. I have post traumatic migraines, which are a headache of a different color. I must have tried topiramate six separate times, sometimes staying on it for years, but it just didn't help my migraines.
All the best. I briefly used Topamax for migraine prevention ... it helped and I also found that I lost weight, which was great.
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topamax, obesity, smoking cessation, topiramate, weight, dosage
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