Topiramate and Loss Of Appetite: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Pra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 14, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "I’ve been getting migraines since I was a little girl - I’m 26 now. Last year, I was getting roughly 20-25 migraines a month. I begged my doctor for a solution, and finally, topiramate was introduced to me. I was prescribed 25mg - to be taken nightly before bed. Fast forward a year later… these laundry list of symptoms I’ve never had in my life: crippling anxiety, severe depression, numbness in my hands and feet, brain fog, inability to form sentences, emotional outbursts (followed by excessive crying), excessive urination, dry mouth, zero appetite, constant nausea, shivering when it’s normal temp, overly hot when it’s normal temp, cold sweats. I’m sure I’m forgetting quite a few more. Is having 1-3 migraines a month opposed to my regular 20-25 worth it with these side effects? Absolutely not. I’d rather have the migraines. I’m weaning off this drug as I type this. I want my life, body, and mind back. Pray for me, please."

• bec...
• October 29, 2024

Topiramate "I’ve been taking 100 mg 2x daily for several years for tremors. I feel now it’s not working as well as it did originally. I’ve also lost a lot of hair, I don’t gain weight at all. I really have no appetite."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2014

For Migraine Prevention "I haven't had a single headache in the last three weeks on my current dose of topiramate (50 mg in the morning, 25 at night). The only side effects I have experienced are a decreased appetite and a tingling sensation in my hands, which is only mildly annoying at worst. I also found that I became extremely drowsy when drinking alcohol with this medicine. I previously tried pizotifen 1.5 mg, which had no effect on the headaches and caused 15 kg weight gain."

• cat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 29, 2017

For Migraine Prevention "I started having menopause migraines in June 2014. My doctor started me on 25 mg daily. At first, this medicine helped me, but my migraines started to get more frequent. Over the course of 2 years, I was bumped up to 400 mg daily, the max dosage. I always felt that my head was foggy, memory was shot, problems speaking, losing sleep, no appetite, and more and more intense migraines. This medicine quit working too. I finally stopped this medicine in March 2017. I immediately noticed a difference in my head. To say this medicine is evil is putting it mildly. Your migraines can get worse while taking topiramate, and unless you pay attention to your body, you won't realize it is the medicine making them worse. Beware when taking this medicine."

• mur...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 2, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "Started Topamax back in January of 2014. Had first panic attack in June of 2014. Didn't really put two and two together. Meds seemed to slowly start helping my chronic migraines slowly after getting up to 100 mg. Panic attacks continued and developed major anxiety issues over the next two years and went from only 148 lbs to currently 108 lbs. Barely able to function, zero appetite, and no energy. Had to go to the ER multiple times for IV vitamins and solution. Neurologist and primary finally are seeing that it's the Topamax not agreeing with my body. While this med may work wonders for others, it has destroyed over 2 3/4 years of my life. I'm slowly titrating off by 6.25 mg every two weeks because that's all my depleted body can handle."

• Rte...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Topiramate nearly killed me! I was put on it by a psychiatrist who never saw me again after prescribing it. I suffered severe weight loss and lack of appetite, I went from a healthy size 10 to 48 kg and was almost size zero. After discontinuing topiramate, I began having bulimia symptoms and am sure I would have starved to death if I wasn't taken off it. It did not help my depression or other bipolar symptoms. It made me not able to empty my bladder properly, resulting in kidney stones and a severe urine infection. I would urge anyone considering taking this drug to do your research into the physically devastating side effects carefully and only do so with regular monitoring by a psychiatrist and not for it to be left to a GP to monitor."

• But...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 5, 2018

Topiramate for Seizure Prevention "My doctor put me on Topamax because I could no longer afford Lamictal for my bipolar disorder. It was the worst experience of my life. It gave me a severe headache, loss of coordination -- if I was walking forward, I would suddenly start walking on my tiptoes in a sideways direction. I couldn't spell or form sentences. I had slurred speech, and my eyes were glazed over. I also had mild anxiety the whole time I was on it. The only good thing was that I literally had no appetite and lost a lot of weight. I only took it for about ten days a week and went back to Lamictal. I'd rather be poor than have to be on Topamax."

• cha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 5, 2023

For Migraine Prevention "I was on topiramate (up to 200 mg) for 3+ years, this was to prevent/decrease the frequency of headaches I was having related to Chiari malformation. I never noticed any side effects while on the medication, such as memory loss, etc. However, I did experience a major loss of appetite, which exacerbated my anorexia nervosa. Due to low nutritional intake, I developed metabolic acidosis, which resulted in a hospital admission as I was extremely unwell. I recovered within 3 days of IV fluids and proper nutrition. I absolutely would recommend this medication as it improved my quality of life significantly while I was using it, however, I would recommend taking extreme precautions if you are intending on using it while dieting or following a keto diet."

• bba...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 15, 2019

Topiramate "So I have idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and so far I am up to 50 mg of Trokendi XR and already have the tingling caused by another medicine. I have had decreased appetite, and I have always been a binge eater, so I don't mind the change in eating habits, but haven't experienced any confusion. I have prior issues with depression, etc., but they do not seem to have changed with the medication. I am down to two migraines a week, max."

• Mel...
• September 17, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I have been taking Topomax 25 mg 2x a day for 2 weeks now. I was prescribed this medication for mainly migraines, but I also have restless leg syndrome, which disrupts my sleep schedule. So far, the only side effects I have noticed are that it makes my hands tingle (compared to hitting your funny bone). This medication makes me really sleepy, so I only take it at night (helps with my sleep schedule). I also have noticed that I don't eat as much, which is fine with me! I haven't had any migraines since I started taking Topomax, which is wonderful given the fact that I usually suffer from one at least daily!"

• Dia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 1, 2020

"This medication, topiramate, was torture for the entire 7-9 days I was on it (for pseudotumor cerebri), at the lowest dose (25 mg daily, taken at night). Experienced a rash on day 1, with several red spots all over my face, chest, and arms, complete with incredible itching; severe insomnia, wasn't able to sleep more than 2 hours/day; crazy agitation/nervousness; racing thoughts; uncontrollable eye movements, especially when closing them to try to sleep; worsening of my already existing dizziness, nausea, and vomiting; more fainting than usual; complete loss of appetite; anger mood swings; memory loss. Also experienced a number of vision disturbances, like cloudy vision, blurrier than usual, loss of color saturation or seeing everything tinted in a single color, seeing flashes of light/lightning bolts, severe eye pain, intolerance to light, worsening of balance, tremors. Did absolutely nothing to help the horrible pressure headaches associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri)."

• Joy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I was put on 25 mg twice daily of topiramate. I had horrendous side effects. I managed to take this drug for 2 weeks, however, after the first week, I had to decrease my dose to 25 mg a day as I hadn't slept properly for nearly 4 days. I completely lost my appetite. I had terrible mood swings and irritability. I found it extremely difficult to concentrate and struggled to remember things. My doctors told me to persevere with this drug as I wasn't getting migraines with the 50 mg dose but couldn't tolerate the side effects. After being on 25 mg for a few days, I woke up one morning and nearly collapsed and felt very unsteady on my feet. I went to see my doctor, and they took me straight off it due to a bad reaction."

• ama...
• June 22, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "I was given this medicine in Dec 2012 and got up to 100 mg and had to stop taking it. I was angry all the time, couldn't think, tingly feet and hands most I could live with, but the anger I could not. My 19-year-old daughter also went on it for migraines and has almost none now, has no side effects, and lost 42 pounds in the first 3 months. Once she was at the perfect weight, she stopped losing, so I decided to do some research and maybe try again, so I started this time on 50 mg a day, but I take 25 mg in the morning and 25 mg in the evening. So far, mild side effects, a little tired, a little off balance, but not bad and loss of appetite. That's good, I had about 50 lbs to lose. I started last Wednesday and I have lost 7 pounds in 3 days. I have to make myself eat."

• Alf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 29, 2021

Topiramate for Migraine Prevention "I have visual migraines and paranoia about taking new medication, so I started at 12.5, and within a few days, they were pretty much gone. I went up to 25 mgs and stayed there for about two weeks, then started having some weird visual problems, so I had to quit. Works great, though, and was having appetite suppressant side effects as well, so that was great!"

• She...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 8, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "I've been on topiramate for about 9 months, and I've had really weird side effects. I have the usual tingling, numbness, and weight loss/loss of appetite that most everyone seems to have, but I've also gotten really bad heartburn. It gets to the point where it feels like I'm gonna throw up, and an episode might last anywhere from 2 hours to the whole day. It's not when I eat certain foods either. I also still get really horrible migraines, just not as often. I can't go on Imitrex anymore because I have 'complex' migraines, but sometimes no medicine helps. Does anyone else have these problems too?"

• Ada...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 6, 2022

For Tourette's Syndrome "It has significantly reduced my Tourette's tics and some symptoms. The only side effect I've had is some loss of appetite. In around a year, I've probably lost around 11 or 12 pounds. I could lose another 10 or more, and I'm doing fine. I'd recommend speaking with your doctor or specialist about looking into this medicine for Tourette's."

• Tic...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 15, 2021

For Tourette's Syndrome "I was on this for 3 years (anywhere from 50-100 mg per day, depending on my progress at follow-ups) to control tics as well as help my chronic migraines. I’ll start off by saying it basically cured my migraines. I went from 10+ a month to 1-2. So it’s great for that. I don't know how helpful it was for my tics as I was on other meds too, but the side effects were horrific for me. Completely zapped my appetite, caused a ton of weight loss, and gave me terrible aphasia. I really struggled verbally sometimes. Would not recommend unless you also have migraines. I give a 5 overall because of that."

• Anonymous
• November 5, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "I found that topiramate was reasonably effective in preventing my migraines, however, it completely rid me of any and all appetite. Within the first week, I lost about 7 lbs, and within 3 weeks, I had lost a total of 20 lbs. I'm not a big guy (5'6", 160 lbs), so it was a very significant weight loss. I became very weak and ill from fatigue due to no appetite and weight loss. It did lessen my migraines, however, I still had them about once a week or so. The weight loss, fatigue, and overall effectiveness of the medication caused me to discontinue its usage."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 6, 2016

Topiramate for Seizure Prevention "I hate this med. It is super cruel, and I don't recommend it to ANYONE. I have been taking it for a few months, and it hasn't helped much with my headaches. The side effects are brutal. I have no appetite, and I am basically forcing myself to eat. I've almost passed out 5 times this week from not eating enough and lost 30 pounds thanks to it. It also causes severe gum irritation, which SUCKS with braces, and it makes you really foggy and hard to concentrate. I will say Qudexy helps with seizures, but nothing else."

• kel...
• November 30, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "This is one of the medicines I cycle through for my migraine control. My body gets 'used' to them, so about every 4-6 months I have to change drugs. Fortunately, I can rotate back after about a year off. This is one of my favorites because the side effects don't interfere too much with my day-to-day life: tingling in the hands and feet, decreased appetite, and a bit of increased anxiety (but manageable). For me, the benefits of having my migraines under control (ones that went on for days and weeks, 7-9 scale pain on a regular basis) far outweigh the cost of the side effects."

• add...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 5, 2023

"I used to take 50 mg of this medicine, and it ruined me. It made me into a new person who seemed dead and controlled by someone else. I couldn't think straight, I started seeing things everywhere, and everything started deleting itself off my head. I would forget things instantly, and my brain lost its capacity to connect thoughts like I was becoming demented. I was forgetting my own name. My psychiatrist lowered it to 25 mg, and everything got MUCH better. However, I feel like I'm not myself still. I don't recommend this medication at all. I took it for compulsive eating in OCD, and it did lower my appetite and my impulsiveness, but on 25 mg, it doesn't do it anymore."

• bec...
• October 29, 2024

Topiramate "I’ve been taking 100 mg 2x daily for several years for tremors. I feel now it’s not working as well as it did originally. I’ve also lost a lot of hair, I don’t gain weight at all. I really have no appetite."

• Dav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 1, 2023

Topiramate for Epilepsy "No other medication has ever brought my seizures to a stop other than Trokendi XR. I was very excited because of this positive reaction to Trokendi - NO seizures! Yet as the months moved on, my side effects became more and more apparent. I lost my appetite and physical energy, which led to the beginning of depression! I became anorexic and lost over 20 pounds in about 3 months. My weight went from 160 pounds to 138 pounds. The worst part or side effect was I lost all my physical energy!! I became jello. I was always tired. I had so much fatigue and felt the need always to sleep. I had no desire to do anything. I was becoming depressed because of this, my life was not the same anymore. This scared me greatly because I had enjoyed my life, I was an active person who became a couch potato with no desires or pleasures in life. Because of these side effects (mainly lack of energy), I had to stop taking Trokendi and go back to having seizures."

• Twe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2018

For Tourette's Syndrome "I started experiencing tremors (tapping my teeth involuntarily). I am taking topiramate 25 mg twice daily, and next week I am to double the dosage. It is helping the tremors, but a side benefit is that I have lost 8.5 pounds in less than a week and my appetite has diminished. I do feel sleepy and somewhat unmotivated. I will report back later after I have been on the medication for a longer period of time. So far, I am pleased."

• HTL...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 13, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "I took this for my chronic migraines (first 25 mg, then up to 50 mg). It did nothing for my migraines, sadly. My side effects were tingling hands/feet/face, like a pins and needles feeling. I also lost 25 lbs in 3 months because I had no appetite. I also got severe depression while on this. I tapered off because I am already on the low BMI spectrum and was scared how much weight I lost. I had bad withdrawal symptoms - tremors, headaches, very cold, fever, extreme nausea, vomiting. My depression and appetite improved once I got off this drug."