Topamax and Memory Loss: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Anonymous
• January 6, 2010

For Migraine Prevention "The side effects of this medication far outweighed any benefits. I honestly didn't notice any decrease in migraines or other types of headaches. Besides that, I couldn't eat a thing (lost tons of weight), my face felt numb, my hands and feet tingled, and I was so tired during the day that I found it impossible to be productive at work. Plus, it makes you forget words! I know another girl at work who went on this, and she's fine! I guess I just couldn't tolerate it. My doctor ended up putting me on Cymbalta, and it prevented migraines for me. Cymbalta is a great antidepressant because it has given me no side effects whatsoever! And normally, I get the sexual side effects from them (I've tried a lot)."

• Anonymous
• February 6, 2011

For Migraine Prevention "I just started taking Topamax a little over 2 weeks ago. I am up to 100 mg a day. I am starting to really notice some short-term memory issues, however, I have not had a migraine, let alone a single headache since starting the medicines. Everything has started tasting weird since starting the 100 mg dose. I used to drink at least 4 cups of coffee a day and can't stand to drink it at all. The bonus is that it has helped with the caffeine withdrawal. I am also a smoker, and it has helped reduce my craving for tobacco! I have read a lot of the posts on here and am seriously concerned about many of the side effects, such as hair loss. However, the weight loss aspect is really appealing. I haven't lost anything yet though."

• Anonymous
• July 14, 2011

For Migraine Prevention "This medicine did reduce the frequency of my migraines. However, it caused severe memory loss, problems with concentration, and an inability to remember certain words. This led to my GPA plummeting after years of hard work to keep myself on the Dean's List, severely decreased my scores on the GRE, and decreased my chances of getting into graduate school. I'm off the pills now and looking for a different option; there is no way I can keep my job in tech support if I start the pills again."

• Anonymous
• April 21, 2011

For Migraine Prevention "I have been taking Topamax for 6 years. It was originally prescribed when I experienced a major change in my migraines at age 46. The migraines have been controlled; I have only had one every 2-3 months. Before Topamax, I was having migraines twice a week. (Imitrex is great, but taking it so often was frightening.) I have had kidney stones (wasn't drinking enough water), difficulty finding words, memory problems, and fatigue. My goal is to reduce my dependence on this drug by increasing my overall health and fitness with better eating habits, exercise, and stress reduction."

• Anonymous
• May 16, 2011

For Migraine Prevention "I was on Topamax for about a year. I didn't notice any major side effects at first. I was loving the weight loss (didn't consider that a bad one). It did help decrease the frequency of my migraines. Unfortunately, I started noticing that I was having trouble remembering things. I was feeling like an idiot and was back in school, so it was not a good combination. I wasn't in school when I started on this medication, so I didn't realize how much it was affecting me."

• 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."

• nik...
• March 9, 2010

"My neurologist started me off on 75 mg a day. I started with migraines about 2 months ago. I have never suffered from migraines before. Topamax has helped me quite a bit with the pain, but I'm still new to the drug, so I will keep you guys updated. I hope I can lose some extra baggage I have too. I have some tingling in my hands and feet. I get tired during the day too. I forget some words, and my communication has decreased somewhat. But it's okay. I am not feeling the pain I was feeling before Topamax."

• efl...
• December 16, 2011

For Fibromyalgia "Had cognitive thought and short-term memory loss issues."

• tnl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 15, 2012

For Seizure Prevention "Confusion, forgetfulness, tingling, lights in the corner of the eye shining, drops of water dripping on my head at times, but the weight loss was good, but it's not worth it for me."

• lea...
• October 14, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "Caused hair loss, moods were crazy-very anxious and memory loss. After 8 weeks, the weight loss is not worth it. 5 lbs, and I bet that was just in hair loss!"

• nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2019

For Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy "I had the worst effects from this medication. Made me very loopy and could not remember anything. It made feel like my balance was off. I would not recommend this medicine for anyone."

• Anonymous
• May 18, 2010

For Migraine Prevention "Trouble concentrating and some memory problems."