Topamax and Depression: What Users Say (Page 2)

• hey...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "It’s a little early for a review. It’s currently December 27th, 2017, and I started Topamax on Dec. 7th. It’s been 20 days, and I am a total binge eater. I’ve never been overweight, it’s not even in my genes to be overweight. I’m going through extreme depression, and being on over 12 different medications the past 5 years has been rough. I was 115-120 lbs all the way up until I was 18. I started getting medicated when I was 18 and started gaining ever since. It’s normal to gain weight with age, obviously, I’ve seen just about everyone I graduated with has gained weight. I blame Seroquel for my weight gain. HOWEVER, I weigh 161 lbs starting Topamax, it’s been 20 days and haven’t shifted in weight. Will post an update later on."

• Anonymous
• December 9, 2022

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I gave this medicine a 7 out of 10 because I believe overall it is the best medication I’ve been on in regards to suppressing appetite and weight loss. But the side effect profile is rough. I started taking it because I could not stop gaining weight and eating because of my antipsychotic medication. I have a very high appetite. I started taking Topamax to help, and it worked very well. I lost 35 pounds while on it. I didn’t have the desire to eat, but I also struggled with some side effects. I had pretty significant hair loss from the medication, I struggled with menstrual bleeding for the whole time when I was on Topamax for a whole year. I got migraines every single day. It made my depression worse. My body really struggled with this medication. I got off the medication. I have gained every single pound back. I’m going to try to get on the extended-release version and on a lower dose and see if it helps with side effects."

• chi...
• August 12, 2009

For Seizure Prevention "Was taking this medication for a seizure disorder. I was on it for about 4 or 5 months, but had to go off of it because of all the side effects. I was extremely depressed, crying at least 7 or 8 times a day. Memory loss, could not sleep, tingling in feet and hands. The only good thing about it was I lost 32 lbs in about 6 weeks."

• DWm...
• December 9, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "I'm 41. I've been suffering from severe migraines for years. I cannot say that Topamax doesn't work. However, the loss of cognition, the depression, sleep deprivation, and severe constipation were just too much."

• Esp...
• June 2, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "I used Topamax for less than a year. I loved it for the first 7 months because it got rid of my headaches and reduced my appetite. Then I began to notice side effects that made me anxious to get off of it. My fingernails became really thin, I was depressed, and my hair was really falling out. I was taking 600 mg of Topamax, which sounds like more than a lot of people, but I found out online that many other people experienced the same symptoms on lower doses. I had to wean myself off Topamax and am starting Elavil."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2023

For Tourette's Syndrome "This medication made my life hell. I didn't have a single good experience with it. My depression was debilitating, my anxiety caused attacks almost every single day, and I often couldn't sleep because of it. I started taking the medication for my Tourette's, but it only made it worse. I had no control over my tics, and they were so frequent I was in pain 24/7. I became aggressive and irritable, couldn't sleep, had double vision almost constantly, had problems talking correctly, and had a hard time knowing where I was and what was happening around me. Every single side effect I had, in my first week of taking the medication, I showed every sign of an overdose even though I was only on 100mg. I would have even more to say about it if I were actually lucid enough while taking it to remember. I also have epilepsy, and coming off of Topamax triggered a seizure despite being incredibly cautious. If it weren't for Topamax, I would've been a year seizure-free and able to drive. Don't take it!!!"

• Diz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2020

For Seizure Prevention "I was prescribed the Topamax 25 mg 2 times daily as a result of severe and disabling attacks of vertigo. After 3 days of taking this, my memory got so bad that I could not remember if I had even taken my medication 5 minutes later. My mental thought process was totally negative to the point that I was in belief life was over. By the 5th day, I realized that I had become very defensive, aggressive, verbally abusive, and had no empathy nor regard for others. My PTSD was in the danger zone and I had become the monster I had fought daily for decades to control. Two days after totally quitting, which I can't say is recommended for everyone, my head is clear, my memory is normal again, and I am in disbelief that I allowed such a dangerous medication to even be prescribed to me."

• Ang...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 28, 2022

For Migraine Prevention "Works great for migraines and weight loss (for me, that was because I couldn't eat anything because I was nauseous most of the day, and food tasted bland) and had a minor effect on my anxiety, which was really bad at the time, but this drug was mostly kind of a nightmare for me. I got extremely sick with a horrendous cough and sore throat to the point I could hardly talk for months (I've had Covid, and the weird cold side effects were like Covid light to give people an idea) without hacking up a lung and ended up in the ER with it, which is what led me to get off of it, and it made my depression and mood so low that I wanted to die. My marriage was already on its way out when I started taking this drug, but Topamax definitely helped put the nail in the coffin."

• SMV...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2021

For Tourette's Syndrome "Took 50 mg (2 tablets/day) of topiramate/Topamax for 3 months for Tourette's syndrome. It helped a bit for the first month; however, it seemed to stop working about a month and a half in. However, I held out some hope. Major side effects I experienced while on this drug were: unusual tingling sensations in multiple different body parts and areas (1 week in); severe vision changes (blurred vision [struggle to read road signs and words on a page even with my normal prescription glasses on] & palinopsia [visual trails left behind by oftentimes moving objects-occurring both in light and dark], which I'm pretty sure are permanent) (~1.5 months in); severe depression (never have experienced clinical depression symptoms in my life, and now it was suddenly occurring out of the blue for weeks on end; only have experienced lifelong anxiety symptoms) (Month 2-3). Overall, Topamax made my vision worse and made me suddenly severely depressed for weeks on end with no reasoning."

• Ken...
• January 10, 2010

For Migraine Prevention "I had my first migraine at age 19 and am now almost 45. They have changed as I have aged. They are worse now than ever before. Topamax has left me with side effects, which do NOT include weight loss. I might be more willing to hang in there if I lost a few pounds. I am still having migraines on 75 mg per day, I am depressed, anxious, and just scattered. I hate the way I feel and therefore am going back to the doctor to talk about coming off the drug. I am taking more Relpax than ever before, even after about 6 months on Topamax. I wish it worked for me because migraines interfere with my life."

• Anonymous
• February 24, 2011

For Migraine Prevention "I took Topamax for a month. It helped with my headaches very little, and the side effects were terrible. My feet and hands would go numb several times a day. My short-term memory was completely gone. I had a hard time finding the words to speak, especially in the evenings. And the very worst was the depression and anger."

• Ket...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 2, 2017

For Seizure Prevention "Topamax, I’m not sure what a decade of using Topamax has or has not caused. It is NOT reliably controlling seizures until I started a ketogenic lifestyle. In fact, the high-fat diet has totally taken away my tremors in my head that I felt on a daily basis. My clinic had me in for 5 days in the hospital testing and determined to lower my Topamax level upon leaving by 100 mg. I was on 400 and lowered to 300. Today I have depression, fibromyalgia, and most of my ligaments hurt. Joints feel like they are rock-hard, swollen, and painful. I can barely use my thumbs anymore, but I refuse to go to the doctor for fear of more medication. They never find anything wrong, but the proof is in the pudding: bulging Achilles and wrists, right-side pain, and every joint I have hurts."

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 17, 2023

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Well, if you’re willing to put up with all the side effects, it works for weight loss. My doctor prescribed it to me for weight loss because I have a problem binge eating. However, the side effects of depression, mood swings, contemplating where my life is going, and overall feeling like a cancer patient outweighed the want to feel the need to cheat in my weight loss journey. I understand there are people out there who truly benefit from a drug such as this for health reasons. However, for my doctor to prescribe me, a 22-year-old female, mostly healthy, was questionable because she did not mention the serious side effects it can cause. Within a couple of days, I noticed a change in my vision for the worse. I also had no idea this medication was sued at one point due to birth defects due to mothers taking the medication while pregnant with a child, and as a person who definitely wants a healthy baby in the near future, I will not take this chance just to be thin. The tingling in feet!!!"

• Duc...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 28, 2022

For Migraine Prevention "My neurologist prescribed this for migraine prevention. Did an excellent job at that, BUT the side effects made me quit after one year. Ultimately, I think it was another med causing my migraines, as I'm off the Topamax a week now and only one headache so far. I'm 28 F, a bit overweight. The side effects, in order of severity, were: emotional numbness (I felt like a shell of my former self), fatigue, overheated easily (sweated less), feet/hand tingling and occasional numbness, clumsiness, dry eyes."

• Dov...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 26, 2021

For Fibromyalgia "This drug had absolutely no effect on my fibromyalgia symptoms, and on top of that, it severely worsened my depression and suicidality. The only benefit I experienced was it inhibited sweating, which was a nice relief, albeit not the point. I tried it alone and also with Keppra, to no avail. All of this occurred in my early teens, so I can't remember the exact dosage - I believe I was taking the recommended dosage as suggested by Table 1 in the dosage guide, but only once a day."

• fir...
• October 1, 2009

For Seizure Prevention "I have had extremely positive effects from this drug, but I do have to take Prozac with it as it causes mood swings or depression with me."