Topamax User Reviews & Ratings (Page 3)

• sha...
• April 20, 2023

For Migraine Prevention "Topamax was the worst thing that I have ever taken, and I wish I were exaggerating. Everyone is different, but Topamax has messed me up so badly mentally and physically and has not helped with migraines. I have never been suicidal, but I became fearful of what I might do to myself while I was on this medication. I do not recommend this medicine to anyone."

• Tur...
• June 2, 2016

For Fibromyalgia "I love this medicine. My doctor originally gave it to me for weight loss, but it got rid of all my joint pains. I had pain everywhere. It was a miracle drug for me. I am noticing some memory loss and difficulty concentrating, but I'm 52, so it could be age. I'm going to cut back on the dosage and see if I notice changes."

• Anonymous
• August 1, 2009

For Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy "After having developed neuropathy post surgery, I was suffering daily. I had tried Neurontin with little relief and was prescribed Topamax initially at 25mg. Over the last 6 years, I've been titrated up to 300 mg and can tell you that this drug has helped tremendously. Initially, I had common side effects: difficulty finding words, I lost weight about 20 pounds, and found that I had some tingling in my hands and feet. These issues generally resolved in time, or I have just grown accustomed to them. For anyone who initially has issues with the side effects, try and stick with the medicine for a little bit unless totally intolerable, it gets better."

• 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."

• tin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 27, 2013

For Fibromyalgia "I was put on Topamax 2 months ago after a serious car accident that left me in a flare-up of my fibromyalgia. I have not reacted well to medications in the past and have had serious reactions, which led to serious consequences from the other meds I was on. Topamax has been the only medication that I have been able to tolerate well. It does take a while for it to start working though, and I have had a few side effects, but none that I'm not willing to put up with, and 2 of them have gone away since I started the Topamax."

• Hob...
• January 15, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "I've been on Topamax for a month for basilar-type migraines, which cause vertigo and headaches. Since being on 50mg of Topamax, I've had 1 vertigo migraine attack when I had been getting them 5 days a week. This medicine has made a huge difference for me. I also have noticed I have more energy and I'm just happier in general. I've lost some weight as well. I'm really happy I've found medication that works for me. I had some side effects like feeling out of it and tiredness for the first 2 weeks."

• Zoe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 11, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I tried EVERY medication out there, I swear. It has always ended badly, bad side effects, bad combinations, etc. And because of that I have been more against taking meds. Once we finally figured out that depression wasn't my problem, and I was diagnosed with a mood disorder (unofficially Bipolar II since I'm still not 18), I'm finally on 75mg of Topamax, 20mg of Prozac, and then I take Adderall XR 30mg and Adderall normal 10mg and this combination has had any positive effect, without any negative side effects. I do think I have suffered from the side effect of memory loss and slow thinking, not enough to make me stop taking it though. It has helped me so much and I recommend to anyone who is having trouble finding medicines that work for them."

• cra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 2, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "My original intent with Topamax was never weight loss (mood), nor would I have ever believed the results I've obtained 19 months later. Quick negatives: my mental agility decreased significantly, I misspell my own name, most food & beverages taste like rubbish, and the generic version is subpar. I was always overweight. I'm in my mid-30s, male, and slimmed down from 275 to the low 180s, size 42 to 32, XXL to L. The weight stays off! I still drop a few pounds every month. However, it's impossible for me to get off. I tried once and went into severe depression, but I'm at a healthy weight now with perfect blood pressure."

• Aun...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 8, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I have been through so much with this medicine! I ended up dizzy, confused, very irritable, with pain behind my eyes so bad it would give me headaches every day. I was scared to death to drive as my perception was off, sometimes it was so bad it felt like the road was moving, not my car. I had memory loss and couldn't say things correctly or even make deposits at work, I felt as if my brain was trying to come out of my skull. Because of this, I had to go to the gynecologist because I had abnormal periods and to the neurologist because of my head! I also had breast, arm, and leg pain to the point where I couldn't wash my hair or get ready. My legs were so bad I couldn't make it up the stairs! My husband was scared, and I was scared I was losing my mind and had something major wrong with me. This medicine wreaks havoc on your body, brain, and eyes! NIGHTMARE DRUG... I stopped it 3 days ago and I'm getting better already... I'm 42 and a healthy person, or I was!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 2, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "Taking Topamax with Zoloft ... my first week was tough but I feel so good. I have PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. In the 4 months I had three episodes, and that's so good because I was having episodes every day. I feel good."

• Mik...
• August 31, 2014

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Awful. I lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks before I had to quit Topamax due to side effects, which were terrible. They included: memory loss and 'senior moments' which increased 10-fold. I think this medicine dropped my IQ by at least 15 points, that 'I'm not part of this world' feeling of disconnectedness, and overheating to the point that I simply could not work out. Gained the 10 pounds back within 3 weeks of quitting."

• lov...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 3, 2019

For Bulimia "I am a 47-year-old LICSW crisis clinician and have been bulimic since I was 15, with periods of restricting, over-exercising, and overeating. I went to therapy and a 12-step program for anorexics and bulimics anonymous (the longest sober time out of 12 years in the program was 5 months). After Topamax, things changed, and I realized my obsession with food, purging, and running 10-15 miles every day was in my brain-not in a higher power. Topamax is truly amazing, and I can't believe no one told me about this until I was almost 46 years old. I lived with an eating disorder for 45 years of my life. My memory is different. I have to live with it. People with medical issues have to deal with a lot of medication side effects. I will take it."

• Anonymous
• September 26, 2010

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I haven't been on Topiramate very long, only a couple of months. Started taking it for RLS (restless leg syndrome). I was really surprised to see that it is sometimes used as a weight loss medicine. I didn't really notice any difference in my appetite. However, my last visit to the doctor did show that I've lost 5 lbs. I don't like the tingling, crawling skin sensation side effect. That went away after a few days."

• Lin...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 29, 2015

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started taking 50 mg of Topamax for the first month and went up to 100mg for the next three months. Lost 40 pounds. For the next year and a half I have kept off the weight but have not lost any more. I still need to lose 30 more pounds, but have seemed to plateaued. And I am at 200 mg now. Don't know what to do."

• sur...
• July 7, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I have taken Topamax for the last 8 months as a mood stabilizer. It has worked great. Not only has it helped with my moods, but it also helped me lose more than 30 lbs without struggling to lose it. It was easy and great. I am happy again, and I don't feel like I want to chew off everyone's head when I start to get irritable or around 'that time of month'. It's been a lifesaver."

• 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."

• man...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 30, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on every medicine. I've had electroshock therapy. Medications don't really work for me very well. I'm only taking Lithium ER 450 mg right now 'cause my body can't handle more of it. I was taking Topamax for headaches, I thought, but my psychiatrist said it might help my mood. Been taking it for years. I didn't know that it did work for me until I stopped using it. I broke into a manic episode because I started taking that Garcinia weight loss thing, and I wasn't on the Topamax. Well, I guess Topamax DOES work."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 2, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "I have taken Topamax for about 5 years. I take 100 mg in the morning, 100 mg in the afternoon, and 200 mg at night. I almost never have a migraine. I used to have one 4 out of 7 days a week. I don't have any side effects, not even drowsiness."

• Blo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 26, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "I have been on Topamax now for 2 years. I reached a breaking point where I almost lost my job because I was calling out of work so much with 3-4 (sometimes 5) migraines a week. I was initially annoyed because I wanted it to work immediately, but I still had migraines. You have to titrate the dose up 25 mg a week. I initially went up to the recommended 100 mg, but I hated the 'loss of words' feeling I had, and found that I had about 1-2 migraines a month. So I decided to go back to 75 mg and see what happened. I had less loss of words and finger tingling, and yet my amount of migraines stayed at 1-2/month. This has been a lifesaver for me. I don't know what I would do without it."

• Eri...
• March 9, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "Topamax ruined my life! Kaiser put me on it until my psychologist said, “get off of it if it’s not working,” after I told her I had been on it for over a year! This medication caused tingling in my hands, feet, face, and caused me to see people’s faces in distorted ways like a horror film! My headaches are caused by a 2cm round tumor in my left temporal lobe near my cortex at the hippocampus hypothalamus, it causes light seizures and horrible right-side brain headaches! Even though neurologists say it’s not connected, I know from research it is connected, and no one is helping me deal with the horrific, debilitating headaches! So when Kaiser said, “try Topamax,” I said, sure, why not! I lost 2 years of my life with my son, who was a junior in high school, it’s a miracle my husband of 25 years stayed married to me! Topamax ruined 2 years of my life."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 26, 2014

For Fibromyalgia "This medication, in combination with other medicines, gave me my life back. I had unsuccessful or allergic reactions to other meds that I had tried. I thank my doctor and this medicine every day for giving me my life back."

• Lit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "Having thought I was suffering from every ailment under the sun, I discovered it was actually side effects of these tablets. Breast pain, confusion, exhaustion, tingling sensation in fingers and feet, inability to string a sentence together, irritability, anxiety, depression, shortness of breath, heavy limbs. Unfortunately, I am clearly not suited to these tablets. Although, on a positive note, they have stopped my migraines. I'm currently weaning myself off of them, from 75 mg, 25 mg... I've just been prescribed some high-strength B2, to start at 200 mg per day, to increase to 400 mg. In light of these not suiting me, next will be amitriptyline."

• Com...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I was put on 25 mg of this drug by my psychiatrist to control my appetite, but felt, well, just 'off.' I told my psychiatrist that I will stop taking it because I didn't like the way it made me feel and never took it again."

• NAS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 27, 2014

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I was very excited when I started taking this medication. And then... I had read the side effects, and I was like, oh, this is crazy. I will say I was on no other medication. I have never had hair loss like this. It was gobs of hair in my shower. The previous posters that refer to brain fog - yep, that too."

• pap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I've only been on this medication for 2 weeks now but it has changed my life. I have lived with chronic migraines since my entire life... since I was 18 months old. I have lived with daily headaches and almost daily migraines for the past 10 years and it has taken over my life. Since starting Topamax, I have had 2-3 manageable headaches and I have my life back! It has even taken away chronic fibromyalgia and arthritis pain, given me back my ability to sleep soundly for hours at a time, and has gotten me out of a daily triptan habit that almost caused a stroke a few weeks ago. The side effects (brain fog, drowsiness, etc.) are nothing new for me given I have fibromyalgia. A life without pain is worth it to me! What a miracle!!"