Topamax and Weight Loss: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Pre...
• August 7, 2008

For Migraine Prevention "I have used Topamax off and on for the past 5 years. Off due to pregnancies. I am once again on and love the drug. Although the side effects are something to get used to, tingling in the hands, etc., those can be corrected with the correct dosage. The best side effect is the weight loss, which certainly helps. My migraines have completely gone away. I have been a migraine sufferer since I was 5 years old, some 27 years. Topamax is a wonder drug!"

• Anonymous
• July 6, 2010

For Migraine Prevention "I suffered from chronic migraines misdiagnosed as tension headaches for 10 years before being sent to a neurologist who started me on topiramate right away. It was very hard at first to get over the fatigue, but the immediate improvement in my headaches was a life-changing experience. The weight loss was an added benefit. My hair has thinned a bit, the taste changes are mild, as are the tingling in my hands and feet (a few seconds here and there like they fall asleep-except it's in the middle of the palm or the sole). The chronic migraines (4-6 days a week) are now down to about 3 days a month, and the fatigue is no longer bothersome."

• Ama...
• March 12, 2011

For Migraine Prevention "I suffer bilateral migraines and have been on Topamax for several years off and on now. I have mixed reviews. I LOVE Topamax because nothing else works for me. In fact, I was given Maxalt and Propranolol together and wound up in the hospital almost dead. You can NOT take those two together. All medicines have side effects, so does Topamax. I liked the weight loss in the beginning, but be careful with it. I lost 80 lbs and couldn't stop. I forgot to eat. Topamax makes me just not hungry. I have it fixed now and watch out for it, but it was very scary. The memory loss has been a problem at times, but has been funny too. I have not experienced the HOT they spoke of... I FREEZE ALL THE TIME!"

• jus...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 23, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I have been on Topamax for a little over 6 years. I started at 25 mg and slowly went up to 250 mg. I experienced the weight loss, tingling, and the other minimal side effects at the lower dose but was encouraged to stay on the meds. As I increased the dose, I started having hair loss, dizziness, and 'white outs' where I would not be able to see at all for up to 20-30 seconds at a time. I also started having the memory issues. I started seeing a new neuro and we dropped me down to 100 mg. The hair loss stopped, but I still get the vertigo. I am now down to 50 mg. I suffer from eye pain in my left eye and still the random dizziness-which is horrible. Weaning off of this, I do Botox injections now for preventative with some relief."

• Pat...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 3, 2022

For Migraine Prevention "40 (F). Started taking 100 mg Topamax daily (50 mg morning, 50 mg at night) as a migraine prevention drug when nothing else worked (I have cluster headaches, migraine with aura, and have experienced seizures during attacks). Works brilliantly for me, and I now get few migraine attacks (I used to suffer severely). Initial side effects included paresthesia (tingling of hands/feet), soda being a bit weird (less 'bubbly'), and some weight loss (2 kg, or 4 lb, a month). Topamax also had a very positive effect on my Bipolar Disorder! I have Bipolar 1, and it is very treatment-resistant. It is often used off-label as a mood stabilizer. I did not know this until others commented on how unusually 'calm' and focused I seemed. Only downside: potential kidney effects. I have had prior kidney infections and stones, but recent scans show benign cysts and tumors. Not sure if it is the Topamax use; so something to consider here."

• CM1...
• November 15, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "I am 42 and have suffered with migraines since I was a teenager. When Imitrex came out, I thought that was a lifesaver, and it was. I used to get a migraine and have to go home and hide under the covers for a day or two, but Imitrex isn't a preventive like Topamax. The only side effects were in the first 2 weeks with subtle numbness and tingles and loss of short-term memory. The longer side effect has been the weight loss, but I had been overweight by 20 lbs anyway, so this has been a blessing! I look great and have only had a few minimal headaches since June."

• Anonymous
• March 24, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "I'm 19 and have been suffering from migraines for the past couple of years. I've been taking Topamax for 6 months now, went from 25 to 75 mg daily now, and have noticed some reduced frequency in my migraines. I'm also pretty thin to begin with and can't afford to lose any more weight. I've lost 15 lbs already and noticed the 2 days I ran out of the medicine. I actually felt hungry and ate. I think it's time to consider some other options."

• Anonymous
• May 10, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "I've been on Topamax for 2 weeks now after switching from Elavil. Now I'm seriously questioning that decision despite the problems Elavil caused me. The insomnia is outrageous. I have to set an alarm to take my morning dose at 5 a.m. so that my evening dose can be taken around 3 p.m. This way its effects have kind of faded off by bedtime, and with the help of some prescribed sleeping pills, I'm lucky to get a tiny bit of sleep. Of course, along with that, I have tingling, slight numbness (not enough to even complain about), dizziness, decreased appetite, taste aversion, and weight loss, of course. I haven't had too many experiences with confusion yet. On a positive note, my migraines haven't returned."

• kar...
• December 5, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "I took the time to read every review and register. I have been on Topamax since May of '09, it is Dec. 5th '09. I was put on Topamax after being taken to the hospital for a TIA (mini stroke) due to complicated migraines. I don't really know how I feel about Topamax. I still get migraines a lot, and most of the side effects. I've lost 70 pounds. I am weak. But the banana tip is very helpful. My math is shot. And I stumble on my words. Short-term memory is a loss. But I will give the medicine more time and try the bananas to help with the side effects. I take 150 mg 2x daily. I started at 25 mg. But I have other illnesses that factor in. No one has mentioned TIAs. No one has this from their migraines? Thanks for the info. It's all helpful."

• Anonymous
• June 30, 2010

For Migraine Prevention "I took this medication for nearly two months before seeking a second opinion about my hormonal migraines. I was only having 1-2 migraines a month; however, they would last 4-5 days at a time. When the pain medications didn't help, my doctor started me on Topamax. I do a great deal of technical writing and crisis management in my job, and my migraines really got in the way. I was able to deal with the weight loss and taste changes, but the difficulty in concentrating became a serious issue. When I started losing hair, that was the last straw. If my migraines became worse, I may return to Topamax, though."

• Shl...
• November 17, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "This medication worked for me for a while, however, my body became accustomed to it, and it stopped working. I also experienced the majority of side effects, mainly weight loss, but also decreased cognition and spelling abilities. I discontinued this medication specifically because losing my ability to think and communicate was horrible. Before I started this medication, my migraines were never affected by food (caffeine, sugar, etc.), however, since discontinuing the medication, I can no longer drink coffee/soda or have sugary desserts and foods. I also feel like my speech and communication skills (verbal) have been affected."

• Gem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2022

"I can't speak for others' experiences with this one, but here I go (was on it for schizoaffective disorder). I definitely appreciated many aspects of Topamax, such as the very significant weight loss and even the dumbing down effect (because it helped my mind to relax and be more open). But overall, this drug has insanely increased my irritability levels, and if I didn't have Lithium, it probably would've led to severe suicidal thoughts and urges as well. Seriously, for many people, it's a great medication, and few can compare to it, but for others, it's a horrific poison. Too many providers are not educating their patients about its side effects before putting them on it."

• Anonymous
• November 18, 2008

For Migraine Prevention "After 25 years of suffering with migraines, I've finally found something that works, bearing in mind I'm only 27. Although when my dose is increased, I have really bad gastroenteritis, and my taste has completely changed, not to mention my weight loss, this is a really powerful drug. I believe it is working for me."

• Anonymous
• January 19, 2012

For Migraine Prevention "I took it for about 3 weeks with no improvement in symptoms whatsoever. Side effects included complete loss of appetite and rapid weight loss, mood swings, intense nausea, insomnia, hallucinations, memory problems, and constant confusion. Everyone reacts differently, I guess, but this was not the medicine for me."

• myg...
• May 6, 2017

For Seizure Prevention "Switched to this after getting a nasty mouth rash from Lamictal-and would rather have that than all the stuff I have to deal with from Topamax... 24/7 exhaustion, breakthrough seizures daily, horrible, horrible memory loss (will have taken my medication and no more than 10 minutes later have to count all the tiny things to see if I've taken that half day's dose). Living a miserable life on this medication, cannot wait to get onto something else. Tried to give this a chance, and it gave me nothing but a terrible time, almost like being unmedicated with a constant dead leg and arm, UGH. I'm a small person in general, so the weight loss was not a welcome change either. Topamax does nothing!!! for my complex partial seizures or epilepsy."

• 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)."

• Aus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2022

For Seizures "I’m 25 years old and have tried many meds for my seizures. I had 3 brain surgeries and was on Lamictal, Vimpat, and Clobazam. I needed to go off of Clobazam because my body was adjusting to the drug. I started Topamax, and it improved my nighttime seizures, and the side effect of weight loss was great because all others cause weight gain. I was weaning onto it and was sent for blood work on the Lamictal levels, but the day after, my neurologist called. He said I needed to stop the Topamax immediately because the average liver enzyme level is 50 and mine was at 1,000! I wasn’t feeling bad or anything, but he is an experienced neurologist and said he had never heard of this happening to anyone before. It’s sad that it happened because it was decreasing the seizure frequency, and the weight loss was working, but it poisoned my liver. It sounds rare, but it worked. In my case, that’s why I rate it low."

• Ban...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 12, 2018

For Seizure Prevention "Not sure about this drug. Started at 25 mg 2x a day for 2 weeks, worked up to 50 mg 2x a day. Still having seizures 1-2 times a day. Had it upped to 100 mg 2x a day, and now I don't have seizures, but there's so much pressure in my head I feel like it's going to pop. It also makes my 2 mg Xanax ineffective. I've gone from sleeping 12 hours straight to maybe 2-3. I've lost 10 pounds, but it's horrible to say I'd rather have a seizure to release the pressure and be chunky. Calling the doctor in the morning."

• mig...
• May 22, 2010

For Migraine Prevention "I have been on 200 mg/day of Topamax for about 6 years along with a bunch of other things, and it seemed as though my headaches were worse. I kept begging to increase the Topamax as I had stopped having any side effects. Finally, I fired my pain doctor after he told me just to go 'cold turkey' off of morphine (I wanted to stop taking it, but not exactly that way!). Life is so much better without daily pain medicines, and I found a neurologist who took me all the way up to 400 mg/day on Topamax. I did start to have some more weight loss and taste issues and sleepiness, but my migraines became much more manageable with Imitrex and much less frequent. That is down to maybe once a week from near daily."

• Anonymous
• December 8, 2008

"After 25 years of suffering with migraines, I've finally found something that works, bearing in mind I'm only 27. Although when my dose is increased, I have really bad gastroenteritis and my taste has completely changed, not to mention my weight loss, this is a really powerful drug. I believe it is working for me. Ok, I am now updating my review... I am now 37 years old and I still take the Topamax daily, 25 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night. It works for me really well. Maybe 1 migraine a month, and it is very manageable with Relpax. I still get a little bit of tingling in my hands and feet, and my weight has stabilized. I love Topamax. The only complaint I have is the price."

• Top...
• May 3, 2022

For Migraine Prevention "Worked well for migraines and mood, caused some weight loss too. Unfortunately, I experienced worsening tinnitus (took for two weeks) that was unsupportable. My tinnitus went back down to pre-Topamax levels after discontinuing the treatment."

• mom...
• December 21, 2009

For Fibromyalgia "It's a wonder drug - my daughter takes it and lost so much weight. Her headaches are gone, she feels like a million bucks."

• Lev...
• August 1, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been diagnosed with anxiety for over 10 years. I have been taking Lexapro and have Bipolar for 3 months. I have been on Topamax. I love it. I have lost weight and feel great."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 14, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "It helps with fewer migraines, but I lost a ton of weight. I usually was at 130-135, but with Topamax, I was at 112-115. I never had an appetite."

• Nee...
• August 21, 2007

For Migraine Prevention "Two of my sisters have been taking Topamax for a couple of years for migraines. Both have seen their appetites decrease, thereby causing them to lose weight, which they both needed to do."