Topamax and Loss Of Appetite: What Users Say

• Bec...
• July 7, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "I was given Topamax about 2 months ago for recurring migraines; it did nothing but make my life a living nightmare. I started with complete loss of appetite followed by extreme nausea. After that, the psychological effects started. I became extremely paranoid. The anxiety and paranoia got worse the longer I was on Topamax, which was soon accompanied by intense depression. Next came the hallucinations. I would see paintings moving on the walls, see colors and shapes moving across the floor, and I would hear voices multiple times a day. I fully regret ever taking this drug. I want my life back."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I’ve taken this medicine, Topamax, two separate times. The first time it helped me lose weight and I didn’t have many side effects, but went off of it once I got in a serious relationship and heard it can make birth control less effective. However, two years after I got off of it, I went back on it because of my binge eating disorder and it was horrible. This time, I had side effects, I was losing feeling in my hands and feet. My face would go numb. It didn’t really help with appetite, and it started to impact my memory. I almost immediately went off of it, and I’m still experiencing memory issues. I’ll be talking and can’t remember words in the middle of a sentence. Or I’ll tell someone something and then a couple of minutes repeat it because I forgot if I said it or not. Keep in mind I’m 21 and shouldn’t be having memory issues like this. I don’t recommend it..."

• Los...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I'm definitely losing weight extremely fast with this medication. I took 25 mg at night the first 30 days and I'm now on the start of the third month at 50 mg at night. Also, 37.5 mg Adipex every morning. With Topamax, I CANNOT eat. Everything I eat makes me sick. It definitely changes your sense of taste and smell, which has pretty much stopped my smoking. So, there are huge benefits, just the side effects can be a little unbearable at times. I've lost 28.7 pounds in 2 months."

• Liz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 2, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Two weeks ago, my Dr. prescribed Topamax to help aid my weight loss and reach my goals. All was well until last Friday, every food and drink, except for water and Gatorade, made me nauseous and sometimes vomit. Constant constipation or raging diarrhea. None of the foods or drinks had much taste. No appetite but growling stomach. My feet were constantly tingling. I started getting dizzy and blacking out. Horrible breast pain and just felt horrible. It was the lowest dose prescribed, so I stopped it last night and have an appointment tomorrow morning. The more I researched the drug, it's horrible for your body - eyes, digestive system, urinary system, and reproductive system to name a few. Just not worth it!"

• Anonymous
• January 14, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I started this medication for weight loss, 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 LIGHTER! 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!"

• Cas...
• June 10, 2016

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Ok, so I am going on my third week of Topamax. I have seizures, uncontrollable migraines, and obesity, so let me begin with saying this. I have noticed a significant change in my body as far as the weight loss goes - 6 pounds since I have been on it and still losing. However, I have lost my appetite, I have no desire to eat. I may eat only once a day, that's the only downside I have noticed. I have noticed a change in carbonated drinks, they don't taste the same anymore. I am currently coming off Tegretol, which was only treating my seizures, and I was gaining so much weight. So, I'm thankful that Topamax is working for me, and I only have to take one pill a day to treat all my ailments."

• Jen...
• May 30, 2015

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I was on 25 mg to start and ended up taking 100. I lost weight. But the price I paid in side effects was not worth it. I lost so much hair that when I try to braid it, it's like braiding tiny strands of dental floss. It looks so ridiculous, long I had to chop it all off just to conceal how grossly thin it is. People call it Dopamax for a reason. It made my memory Swiss cheese, and when I had to process information, it felt like fighting through seaweed. The worst side effect was the depression. This stuff makes me downright suicidal. It helped me lose about 80 pounds by starvation. I never wanted to eat. I became anemic. If you've never had that before, you'll find simple physical tasks to feel like they're inciting heart attacks."

• Sun...
• May 10, 2016

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "After getting a blistering skin rash from Lamictal, Topamax was prescribed. It did decrease my appetite. I went from 209 lbs back to my regular 135, which I hadn't been in 7 years. This took place in about 10 months. At about the same time I started taking it, I was rear-ended and suffered a MTBI and scored very low on my neuropsych exam. My old psychiatrist retired, and the new psychiatrist is against Topamax because of the 'foggy' side effects that are common. Now, a little over a year later, I feel okay about this med considering the alternatives - wish there were better alternatives!"

• Tyl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2023

For Migraine Prevention "I don’t typically write reviews on medications but feel I need to for this one. I have had migraines with aura for quite some time, but recently worsened over the last year. I finally saw my PCP for treatment and was placed on 25 mg of Topamax, which I was to slowly increase over a 3-week period to 2 tablets twice a day. The first week was 1 tablet at night for 7 days. I started the medication on a Monday, and by Wednesday I already developed absolutely no appetite and persistent nausea. But I continued taking it, thinking it would pass. By Friday, I had developed fatigue and general malaise. On top of that, I still had no appetite and had eaten very little over the five days I had been on the medication. My mood was terrible, and I felt like I was in a persistent state of being hungover day after day. DON’T take this med if you can use other options for migraine prophylaxis. This medication causes more burdens than benefits."

• Rom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "I was prepared for the basic side effects: Carbonated beverages not tasting right, and also some loss of appetite. I was put on 100mg from the get-go. I also had the fairly common side effect of just feeling confused, though this wasn't all that severe and I was still able to do well in school. I also experienced tingling in my hands and feet, and though this was irritating, it was bearable. The real kicker for why I quit taking this medicine was when I began to have what felt like panic attacks and severe confusion, along with elevated heartbeat and dizziness. Also, my fingers would move on their own and seem to get stuck sticking straight out, and I had no control over it."

• DIA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 10, 2014

For Migraine Prevention "I used it for migraines. My side effects were: depression, dehydration, impaired thinking, confusion, drowsiness, memory problems, nervousness, trouble concentrating, weakness, loss of appetite, vertigo, and severe anxiety. After stopping this medication, I still suffer from severe anxiety and vertigo."

• Joj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "This is the worst medication ever. Started at 25 mg for 7 days at night, then moved up to 50 mg. On night 7, advanced each week up until 100 mg. Didn't get past day 12 and decided this was not going to work for me. Vertigo, nausea, loss of appetite, irrational fears, phobias, drug-induced fog, depression, ringing in ears, and can only smell certain strange odors, which are unpleasant. All carbonated drinks are flat and tasteless. At this point, your quality of life is beyond worthless. It helped with migraines...but I was so preoccupied and sick with side effects I'm not sure what was worse."

• usm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2014

For Migraine Prevention "I've been on Topamax for about 5 months now (100 mg AM/100 mg PM) and am finally giving up faith. The negative side effects outweigh the slight change in my migraines. Carbonated beverages taste terrible, I have to force myself to eat, I stutter constantly, I can never find the right words and often switch words in a sentence. My memory is horrid, and I always see tracers, which is enough to drive anyone crazy. The only pluses are the slight decrease in the consistency of my migraines and the weight loss."

• a...
• March 27, 2014

For Bulimia "It helps. For me, it wasn't so much the appetite suppression that worked, but the way it makes me more conscious of the situation before I binge. It makes me stop in the middle of the binge or just before completely and ask myself what's up with the need to hit the self-destruct button. In case that I do binge on Topamax, my binges consist of less food, and I eat slower, defeated by the situation."

• chu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 10, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started this 4 days ago, taking 1/2 of 50 mg at night, so 25 mg. I will do that for 7 nights, then up to 50 mg for 7 nights, then 75 mg for 7 nights, then 100 mg for 7 nights, and so on until I reach a mg my doctor and I are comfortable with. So far I have not had any side effects except not being hungry. In the last 3 days I have hardly eaten anything. I've been very thirsty for water, soda tastes like crap, and I was very addicted to Diet Coke. I haven't weighed yet, I've been meaning to. Last I weighed was a month or so ago, and I was at 180-ish. Today is July 10, 2017. I will weigh after work and see where I am so I have a better idea of how this will affect me! I've gone from 120 to 180-ish in the past year with different meds."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 28, 2012

For Migraine Prevention "I started taking Topamax in January of 2012 for migraines. I was getting one a day. I did experience brain fog at first, but I found that after about a month or two, I was mostly back to normal. I have experienced weight loss and loss of appetite, and I'm also lactose intolerant, so I'm trying to work on eating a healthy amount. I have found that drinking a lot of water really helps with the tingly feeling in my feet and hands!"

• ben...
• June 25, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "Topamax helps tremendously with mixed bipolar and rapid cycling. However, I was an athlete at the time, rode cycling, and was a psychiatric nurse. I went from 120 to 105. This was not a bad experience for me. My manager illegally pulled me into her office and told me, granted she is not even an RN, that 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. P.S. Have you ever seen a serious road cyclist have an ounce of fat on them?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "I went from 1 or 2 migraines a year to about 9 a month. After a year or so of this, my doctor had me try Topamax. I've been on 25 mg, once a day, for the past three weeks, and I'm very happy with it. I've only had the beginnings of 3 migraines (immediately took my Relpax), and they went immediately away. I feel like I've got my life back. My only side effects are a slight loss of appetite (which I'm not unhappy about) and a little tingling in my feet. Well worth it."

• Bez...
• September 20, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I've had migraines since I was 25 (am now 68), and my life was hell until I discovered Topamax 18 months ago. I must be one of the lucky ones because I didn't have any horrible side effects, just some mild finger tingling. I lost a little appetite but made no difference (I'm slim anyway and probably lost 5 pounds), otherwise, it has been a miracle! I started with 25 mg, increased to 50, then to 100, didn't like it, went back to 50, and am now on 25 again and feel great. Sometimes I also take the generic and have no problem at all."

• TLO...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "I have been taking Topamax for 2 months to help prevent severe daily migraines with aura. It has helped me tremendously. I did lose 6 lbs the 1st week, mainly due to diarrhea and lack of appetite. I almost gave up on taking it because of the stomach cramps I was getting, but they subsided after the 1st week. I have changed a lot about my lifestyle since taking Topamax, so I don't know how much of my weight loss can be attributed to the drug itself, but I definitely have lost weight (12 lbs) and don't crave sugar. I stopped drinking soda over a year ago, so I don't know if it tastes different now. I do want water more than anything, which is fine. It does make you drowsy and foggy, but I take my dose at bedtime. I do get weird tingles a few times a day in my hands."

• Jau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 28, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I began taking 25 mg of Topamax once daily due to my migraines lingering 2-3 days at a time. Topamax did a number on my body. I completely stopped eating. Every time I tried to eat, I took one bite and would gag. I felt so extremely full constantly, even though I knew I had not eaten. Topamax completely destroyed my appetite, and although I've been off the medication for 6 months, I still never crave anything. I eat when I'm hungry, but I no longer have any cravings. While taking this medication, I lost a lot of my memory. I was constantly hazy or confused, and I felt like I was always searching for my task. I became malnourished and, confused that I quit taking the medicine completely. I would never recommend this medication because of side effects!"

• Chu...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 27, 2017

For Migraine Prevention "I was prescribed Topamax as a migraine preventative and experienced just about every side effect. I started 25 mg/day at night for 7 days, moved up to 75 mg after 3 weeks, and remained there. Within 48 hours, I didn't have a headache at all but was experiencing side effects of tingling fingers, no appetite, and a change in the taste of foods/carbonated beverages. I did have a hard time concentrating, I'd get confused and would randomly slur words. I weighed 120-ish when I started, and within a few months, was 110 or less. I did work out and noticed no matter how hard I pushed, I didn't sweat and randomly got dizzy. Side effects are no joke, but you adjust after a few weeks."

• Ccg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I've been on this medication for 3 weeks. At first, the effects were unbearable: brain fog, memory loss, loss for words, sleeping all day. I'm going on my 3rd week and almost all side effects have subsided. I still find myself at a loss for words sometimes. I started at 121 lbs; I'm now at 116 and still losing. I find myself never wanting to eat. Soda tastes flat. I don't mind. I like the medicine. I take 50 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night prn."

• Jua...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 11, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "This drug isn't for everyone. The side effects are completely crazy. I have been on it for almost 12 months now. It has provided relief from migraines by almost 95% of the time. This has been a big deal for me. Side effects I've experienced: hands and feet tingle periodically (some days are worse than others), hair loss started 3 months after taking it but began to cease 6 months later, definite brain fog (some days I feel like I'm losing my mind), grogginess (I can only take my dose at night, otherwise, I'm a zombie during the day), changes in vision, loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability. At first, I convinced myself the side effects were worth tolerating compared to having a migraine. But as time goes on, I'm beginning to think I'm wrong."

• Tos...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 25, 2017

For Migraine Prevention "Was on Topamax 200 mg 2x a day for eight years. It cut back on my daily migraines. Went down to about 2-3x a week. I lost 125 pounds in the first year I was on it. No appetite. Food tasted metallic, flat, or just weird. I did get one kidney stone. After years of being on a high dose, I started getting chest pain. My doctor took me off Topamax about 7 years ago. I had bad withdrawals after weaning off, no seizures thankfully. Migraines have been daily again for the last 18 months. Tried to go back on Topamax, but I can't tolerate it anymore. After one 25 mg tablet at bedtime, I woke up with a severe headache, dizziness, and nausea. The next night I took one tablet, and the side effects were increased. I stopped. Side effects were bad for two weeks. No thanks."