Topiramate Compared to Alternatives

For Migraine Prevention: I have been taking this medication 50 mg. Since Jan 7 ,2019. At first after reading all of the side effects and reviews I really just wanted to tell the doc forget it try something else. I guess the side effects are really just person to person. I have had the tingling in my hands and feet, and maybe some mental fog but nothing worse than my mommy brain farts. I have lost a few pounds so far like 3-4. Like I said I didn't want to take it, but I didn't want it to be that one med that worked that I passed up.

For Migraine Prevention: I have been on Topiramate for over 4 years for migraine prevention, and in the very beginning was great. Went from 20+ migraines a month on a 50 mg dose to less than 5 with very few side effects (coke tasted bad, I drank water) no big deal. Now I’m up to 300mg a day and since then I’ve had kidney stones, major tingling in hands/feet, severe back pain, dry eyes, and migraines at least 4 days a week on top of other side effects. I don’t know what to do. I’m hoping it’s just the medicine doing this.

For Migraine Prevention: I had migraines that lasted up to nine days. My neurologist started me on 25mg Topamax and the frequency dropped off immediately. I actually loved the way I felt on Topamax. I had boundless energy, no appetite, and was always in a good mood. After two years, I decided to stop taking it because my skin was breaking out and I think I felt a little too confident in myself. I drove a little faster, said really odd things to people (no filter) and seemed to be turning into a show off about how skinny I was. Not my best personality! I stopped taking it and didn't gain any weight, but the headaches are back. Once my dermatologist gets my skin cleared up, I might go back on it, but will be very mindful of the side effects.

For Migraine Prevention: I took Topamax as much as 300mg/day for 15 years and my last dose was 150mg at night. I recently changed to Lyrica which is also an anti-convulsant and am taking 100mg/day and find it more effective than Topamax without the memory and lost word problems. I discontinued Topamax because it slowly got to the point where I could not remember something for an hour. Topamax also was causing erectile dysfunction problems for the last 3 years. I do not have this problem with Lyrica. In the end I was getting 5 or more migraines a week and now get 2 or 3 a week and expect to increase Lyrica to 300mg/day.

For Performance Anxiety: I don't know the legitimacy of reviews on this site, but these are all in line with what I have experienced. Stage anxiety can really hold people back in life, and it has for me for a long time. Lying awake thinking about this sort of stuff, and it used to absolutely terrify me. Propranolol has changed my life, I take one before a presentation or speech for work and I have 0 physical symptoms. I can present in front of an audience. You still need to learn how to be a good public speaker and gradually improve but it really is a miracle pill and I can't recommend it enough. Go get some if you are reading this and have a big speech you are worried about, you will absolutely smash it :)

For Performance Anxiety: So yea...pretty much what everyone else on here is saying in their reviews. I had my doctor prescribe propranolol since I get a lot of performance anxiety at work when I have to present or speak in front of even a few people, or if I'm called on and it worked PERFECTLY! I took some in the morning after waking up, 40mg 3 hours later, and 40mg 3 hours after that which was 1 hour prior to a job interview in front of a panel of 6 people. I normally would've frozen up, got bad anxiety, and found a way to get out of there. But happy to say, not only did I stay, I think I did very well the whole interview! Didn't have to worry about anxiety at all! Yes, I did have normal nervousness leading up to the interview, but as soon as it began I felt more and more comfortable as it progressed and had no problem answering the questions.