How Long Do Topamax Side Effects Last? (Top voted first)

I began Topamax a week and a half ago as a migraine prevention. I am experiencing random facial, hands, and feet numbness. Mental fogginess, dull headaches, and tiredness. For those of you who have had success with migraine prevention and have taken this medication for a long time: How long did your side effects last? I have heard only a few weeks. I'm not sure If I can deal with this constantly much longer. I am contemplating which is the lesser of the two evils side effects vs. migraines. I have lost 10 lbs. though. Any advice?

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I took 200mg TOPAMAX for 20 months for Bipolar I Disorder. It stabilized my moods & I lost weight. Then suddenly I became very confused & distracted. I experienced memory loss & great difficulty find the right words (this was most almarming for me as I've always had a large vocabulary), as well as spelling issues. It got so bad that I couldn't remember my daily work procedures which increased my anxiety levels to the point where I had to take a leave of absence from work. Two & a half years later (still unable to work) after several nuerological tests there is no other explanation. I stopped taking Topamax 2 years ago & I still have the same problems with memory. I personally will not take this or any other anticonvulsant or antipsychotic medication ever again. I have taken antidepressants (for more than 20 years) without any of these side effects. Be very careful about what you take. Take personal responsibility for your health & thoroughly investigate each medication for side effects & drug interactions ( I found out too late that 11.9% of the people that take Topamax experience memory loss, something my doctor failed to mention). Pay attention to any new symptoms & reactions you may be experiencing, then adjust or discontinue medication. You know your body better than anybody else, including your doctor, and you have a right to say 'no'. Keep searching until you find the right med at the right dosage that you can tolerate & pray for guidence. Doctors just make their best 'guess' at what 'might' work for you, while protecting themselves as much as possible from any liability...it's their 'job'. Your 'job' is to protect yourself from harm while facilitating the best possible course of treatment. Good Luck!

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At age 58 and after an entire life of migraine disease, I was finally put on Topamax. I have had side effects ranging from fatigue, but unablility to sleep, tingling heels, restless legs, stomach and bowel distress, lack of apetite, mental confusion, depression, and memory loss.

But gradually the headaches became less frequent and less severe. Then the side effects began to taper off.

I am no longer sick all of the time taking Relpax more than is safe for my body and at a level which was probably causing rebound, transformed migraines.

I sleep well with no restless legs and few tingling heels. I am still lacking in energy, and apetite, but find this easier than life sick and medicated in bed with ice on my head and a black sock to block out the light. I am still forgetful, but only sometimes, usually with word retrieval, but the frustration is worth freedom from pain and the damage migraines do to my brain.

In short, Topamax, like any medication, has risks. But the risks may be worth the benefits. For me, Topamax has its draw backs, but is -- all in all -- a wonderful relief for which I am very grateful.

I hope anyone suffering from persistent recurring migraine disease will have the good fortune to try Topamax and will also have the ability to stick with it long enought to determine it's true worth.

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I just started taking Topamax (well the generic version) a week ago and have had terrible side effects too. Most notibly not sleeping. Under the advise of my dr I started taking my med in the am. I'm still on 25 mg and don't plan on increasing my dose until the side effects decrease. I may have to stop all together. I thought I was the only one suffering. Thanks for posting it's good to know I'm not alone.

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For me Topamax was a nightmare,I went to the dr for fatigue and weight gain,he thought thyroid looked a little out of wack so on med for that which made me ache and feel bad,went back took me off thyroid meds,said he misdiagnosed me,put me on topamax for migraines 25mg to increase up to 100 in 4 weeks. I started having muscle pains,bottom of feet hurt,everything on me hurt,brain fog,memory lapse and the worst fatigue you can imagine. I felt like I was dying. The pain was horrible,go to bed tired and wake up more tired,gyno thought maybe I was getting Fybromyalgia,sent me to specialist.....this is a wicked wicked drug. I forgot to take this 3 days ago in the morning and guess what...I didnt have much pain. so started really digging and lots of people have had simular problems. I am off this drug,pharmacy said at 100 mg I could just stop since I was taking for migraines. My doctor is an illness creator,pill pusher and I will no longer go there,lost 4 months of my life. Relpax is a good little pill if you get a migraine once a month or so. 20 min and headache is gone. Im not sure what other problems topamax has caused in me yet. good luck.

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Ive been a topomax user for seven years. I was initially introduced onto 150 mg at around 21 as I have chronic migraine syndrome. Because I was worried about being 5ft 4 and only weighing 8st (115lbs) I started dropping the weight and losing the appitite as you do with this drug. So I got painfully thin. Getting the tingles and stiIl getting migraines ..decided this just wasn't working as my migraines apprear on a week to week accurance. With headaches daily. .... I've tried other drugs such as sodium valproate .... Which blows you up like a balloon and swells you up with water retention causing weight gain increased from uk dress size of 8 that i have been for many years and i have never fitted into a size 12 or 14 ever it was pretty much unbeleiveable ... this just didn't work for me and didn't reduce my migrains..... Next I was put onto anti depressants such as amitriptaline these seemed to reduce the migraines however the side effects again were awful I almost had a personality change. I wanted to avoid everyone I felt irate towards people all the time. My job itself was a customer care role I have held for several years and I was on the brink of losing it as I was snapping at customers. So it was time to consult to doctors that this wasn't for me. I felt I needed help so since I have seen a private neurologist. He has been brilliant I have been introduced back onto the topirimate ( also known as topomax) ... I have slowly weaned myself back on but he has recommended to up my dose this time to 400mg I am currently on 358mg as you can see I'm almost there before my review date in feb I have been gradually increasing every 2 weeks by 25mg. Although its a pain in the ass to comply with the memory loss the tingles the weight loss and the string of other side effects that we all have to grumble about. I'm almost at the stage where I can wake up without a hangover feeling in the morning ! And my migraines are minimal ... I'm sure I would rather put up with a few side effects than have a daily dose of that ? .... It all depends on the severity of the migraines I guess... Everyone has their opinions :) ... I suppose I would love to not take the topomax and be side effect free but I wouldn't like to be back to square 1 again with my migraines ! But if anyone else has tried anything else shout up!

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With regards to hair loss..."Biotin,also called vitamin H", can and will prevent hair loss. Drink water lots an lots of water . I'm bipolar 1, I'll need to be on medication for the rest of my life. All of which carries side effects, but I rather learn to live with side effects than be the person I become without medicine. No medication comes without some annoying side effect, its a trade off and everyones experience with meds does not mean it will be the same for you. Knowledge is power its good to research what could happen so you can be prepared. Many meds take time to reach therapeutic levels. Many side effects fade over time.
As was mentioned you can request name brand, generics contains more fillers. Such as the main ingredient in name brand is higher than generic.
Generics have @ 15% less of the main ingredient at the same dose. Be safe , live well and remember you are NEVER alone

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I've been taking generic topamax 50mg twice daily for 2 years for migraine prevention and whilst some of the initial side effects disappeared once my dose stabilised (tingling feet, bad taste in mouth, fatigue) the long term cognitive issues and hair loss continue. My short term memory, word retrieval and basic cognition (simple maths and spelling) are shot and I've lost half my hair (fortunately it was very thick and curly). I'm going to my Dr to discuss changing to the name brand and/or decreasing my dose to 50mg daily to see if that makes any difference. If these aren't options then I think I'll have to stop taking it even though it's been wonderful for migraine control as I'm terrified that I'll be one of the few who's cognition doesn't return to normal after stopping it and if my hair doesn't stop falling out I'll be bald!

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You poor lady. In the 60's your doctor had few choices and fiorinol and fioricet were among them. However they are incredibly addicting and cause not only serious side effects like gastroenteritis and kidney disease, but also as in your case, most likely daily rebound migraine headaches. I have had them from physician prescribed medications containing acetaminophen/Tylenol. It robbed me of years with my children and life in my forties and set me up for future sensitivities.

Today I am controlled by better prescription medications which are made to prevent the migraines from beginning and then have emergency medication to hopefully abort a headache before it becomes intolerable.

Sadly it takes a skilled physician, sometimes one who has suffered with migraine disease personally, to provide the best treatment. And usually only a neurologist specializing in migraine will have the interest to go the distance with you.

I doubt your pharmacists and physicians or the government are aiming to take a good medicine away from you. Rather, they are trained to know that, at your age and with the current information about migraine disease, your old doctor simply was fueling your headaches to continue rather than to cease and he/she was also feeding a nasty addiction which might cause you to fall or become ill in other ways.

Sudden withdrawal was a horrible thing to do to you, however, and could have caused you to have seizures in addition to the agony of the rebound migraines and the inflammation caused to the membranes surrounding your brain .

If you have family willing to help, it is reasonable to request physician help to wean you off of the fioricet/fiorinal and an anti-inflammatory drug which will help greatly with your pain and overall condition. A neurologist should evaluate you for migraine control treatment and emergency migraine attack treatment. This might be a bit of a trial and error thing, but there are good drugs today which can help greatly.

In fact, at your age, once you are truly off of the fioricet and your system has been brought back to normal without inflammation, you might find you have outgrown your migraines as most women past menopause do.... And wouldn't that be a marvelous blessing!!!!!

Pass the word on to your children and grandchildren to NOT take barbiturates or opiates or narcotics for migraines because they do not really work. They might take the edge off, or put you to sleep, or make you not care so much... but they do not work to banish the problem and create worse and more PAIN and the worse terrors of ADDICTION!

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I've been on Topamax since Jan for migraines and seizures. I've have problems focusing, memory loss, I'm tired all the time, tingling of my face hands and feet. Also I am very depressed. I can drive because of the seizures. And my family wants me to quit my job but my boyfriend how I live with thinks I should keep working. But he complains about driving me around all the time. I hate this medication. I'm on 100mg a day and going to ask the dr if he can change it. My side effects keep getting worse.

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I took Topamax to combat migraines for 8 years. I started out by working up to 200 mg but was bumped up to 400 mg. It was an absolutely horrible experience and I weaned myself off the medication a couple of years ago. Please understand, I experience two different kinds of migraine. One type is what people generally think of when you say migraine. It starts with auras and progresses to light and sound hypersensitivity and shooting pain over my eye. The other is a constant headache that started when I was 18 and never stopped (I just turned 46).

For years no doctor even believed me. When I was 34, I went to a headache center and was finally treated seriously. Unfortunately the medication chosen was Topamax. It provided some relief. The side effects were horrible. At one point I couldn't remember how to spell my daughter's name or when her birthday was. I lost words as I spoke. My personality changed, I had no focus, my vision changed, and foods tasted completely different. My hair started falling out and I experienced severe anxiety. I thought I was crazy.

About 3 years ago, my new doctor mentioned some of the possible side effects of the medication. I realized I wasn't just crazy and decided to stop taking it.

I had been warned that I needed to go off slowly so I started reducing my dose every two weeks. Each time I cut the dosage I would have muscle spasms and twitches. My face was particularly highly affected by the twitches. They were horrible.

I have been off the medication for two years now. Food tastes the same again and my personality has returned to normal. My headaches are back full force with a third type of migraine (complex) having joined the company. I believe I have nerve damage because I still experience muscle twitching, though to a much lesser degree. I don't forget my words as much as I did before, but it does still happen on a regular basis. My ability to memorize things has been greatly diminished. I don't think I will ever be at the ability level I was before taking the medication. It has altered my life forever.

I was a teacher. I was an excellent teacher. I really miss it.

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I haven't used this medication, but what you are experiencing are normal side effects of it and I can tell you that in most cases, they start to taper off about 4 weeks, as your body adjusts to the medication.

Have you consulted your doctor about them, yet? If they are very severe or problematic, this might not be the right medication for you and you may need to try something else or have your dosage adjusted.

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Topamax/­

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The side effects are pretty much long term I'm afraid ... As you see in my post I've been on topomax for several years I'm pretty much used to the side effects now ... The milder the dosage you don't seem to notice the side effects it's more or less the pins and needles and the feel of being cold all the time with the less dosage and the need to stop and pause for words ... You get a little foggy minded at times I get wound up with this but at least I can blame it on my medication And not myself . So at least it gives me some comfort I've not completely lost it and I know they are only side effects .... :) .... It's not as bad as everyone makes out at the end of the day I would rather be pain free from my chronic migraine and chronic pain and fatigue syndrome :) .... Hope I've helped ... X

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I was part of the original Topamax drug study in the mid 90s and it ended my seizures for 10 years with zero side effects. It was truly my wonder drug. I had to switch before getting pregnant because there was so little data on the effects on pregnancy so I went to Lamictal which worked great for 8 years.

In May I had some breakthrough seizures on Lamictal (due to stress, lack of sleep, and missed dose) and am now transitioning back to Topamax but having side effects I never had before. It's been 1 month and I am working up to 100 mg twice/day. Lost 18 lbs. Tired at times throughout the day and sometimes need naps. Memory is bad. Oddly enough I can no longer taste carbonated beverages. I just resigned my job last week because I can't function at the fast pace I could before and it was too stressful. And my hair is brittle and comes out during shampooing/brushing, etc.

But I will take all of these side effects and more if it controls my seizures and gives me my life back. I want to be able to go to the store and take my son to soccer practice and not worry about if I'm going to have a seizure while taking a walk in the neighborhood. Some of these are dose-related so you may never experience them if you are not on high doses. Some go away after your body adjusts (like the taste perversion and hair loss). I'm not saying this is a great drug - it's a powerful kick-your-a**-drug but for all the bad effects it may have on some people there can be good effects on your life too. It worked for me for 10 years. I'm crossing my fingers for another 10 seizure-free years.

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Last week I had an appointment with a neurologist. Also, I had over 16 viles of blood work done. They are all in the normal range(which I knew they would be). I take 8 bottles of supplements. Recentally I went off them for two days just to see if it would make a difference..,and It was extremely unbearable. My husband was so concerned that he made me vow to NEVER go off them again. Now I have to have a series of tests and procedures done. Brain MRI... It's just horrible. I found that my headaches are better when I go see a chiropractor. They almost immediately go away. I cant warm you and others enough- Unless a person has epilepsy, then no way should they take this medicine. I can't even begin to explain how horrible it feels to loose your memory,communication skills, thought process,self confidence, and energy. Also, being agitated and moody doesn't help matters at all. This isn't once in a while. In fact there may be a few short conversations that I can have in a day that are okay. Maybe 3-4 sentences. I have a history of not taking medacines and I still take none. This took me SO LONG
to write. I started noon and its now 5pm. Thank Goodness for word correct... God Bless!

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I was put on Topomax about 4 months ago for Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, 50mg twice a day. My seizures are triggered by the sleep cycle and cause horrific hallucinations, among other things. After years of nothing working, this has (so far) been my miracle drug. I'd read a lot about this particular drug and the nasty side-effects, but I was at desperation point and willing to try anything.

I do have a burning, pins and needles sensation every now and then at the bottom of my right foot. Nothing I can't put up with in comparison to the seizures. The weight loss has been extreme and rapid in my case. I find I can't tolerate foods high in sugar and refined carbs. My appetite has been totally obliterated.

In regards to my mind being less alert, in my case it's the opposite. I'm more focused and generally more alert. Of course this probably has a good deal to do with sleeping properly for the first time in over twenty years!

Anyway, that's my experience with it.

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Get the Brand if you can, so much better it's worth the money and each time I had to increase the side effect which was just tingles which I took with orange juice so lasted a whole five mins, was gone. The generic is crap and made me ache all over and get short of breath, other ppl I spoke with on the brand none had no serious side effects. Hope it helps :)

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You name it, I have tried all meds to prevent migraines over the years. I have suffered from migraines since about 8 years old.....I am now 73! So when I was 28, I finally found a doctor who gave me Fiorinal w/codeine which I took for several years, it has Aspirin in it. Then he switched me to Fioricet w/codeine with the Tylenol taking place of the Aspirin..which was irritating my stomach. So, all these years, 45 I think, I have been taking Fioricet w/codeine. Gradually my body built up a resistance to them...so I had to increase them...and my headaches increased also due to neck, back and many other problems, Fibromyalgia, Osteoporosis, Trigeminal Neuralgia....not fun getting old along with so many aches and pains. My old doctor passed away...it was difficult finding another who understood my problems but I finally did. He was so good, actually knew te doctor I had for so many years. So he continued giving me the pills I had taken for so many years, BUT now the druggists give me an awful time when my doctor faxes over my prescription...this started about a year ago. I was taking 4 a day....! Both CVS and now Walgreens are saying NO...I can't have them. I asked my doctor what is going on...he says he doesn't understand it. So in the meantime....I continue with the daily migraines...in bed most of the time. If they are taking these meds away from all people, why don't they say why...and help those of us who are dependent on them an alternative for withdrawal? Ihave asked my doctor for something for withdrawal, he gave me a lower dose bu I still have the headaches. I have had MRI's, CAT SCAN's, you name it..I have had it...even counselling...but there is a family history of migraines...going back to my grandmother, my dad, two aunts...now my daughter and two of my granddaughters. I have had nerve blocks....DON'T have one...painful and a waste of time. I have been in the hospital twice for help, once they almost killed me by overdosing me with injections called "the cocktail"....I convulsed and blew out my knee, then had to have surgery on that. The other time they gave me morphine....way too much, took me weeks to recover! I finally ended up two weeks ago having 8 cortisone injections...back pain gone!!!! A wonderful Christmas Present!!!! But wondering if my doctor can do the same with the headaches....cortisone injections?!?! Anyway...my point is...all this withdrawing of pain meds from those who really need ithem HAS to be Government.....did we not hear we would not know what was going to be in the HealthCare Bill until it all happened? Well, it is happening!!! I think they are trying to get the addicts who do not have physical problems...out of the way...then maybe the rest of us who DO have physical ailments can get ourbeds again....IF we don't die first from withdrawals. I am having a difficult time....trying to just take Tylenol....probably way too many...and sleeping a lot. Hopefully I will get through this and live a couple more years....good luck to all! I will pray for those of you who are suffering from horrible body ailments. The Fioricet gave me a life...I thank God for that. There was a time I could not care for my two children back in the '60's....but my wonderful doctor was a God-send to me for many years....at my age now, I really don't care anymore...just hate the headache pain!!!!!

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I have been on Topamax for a little over a year for migraines. At 100mg, I only experienced the tingeling at first, but now the forgetfulness, word-finding problems, fogginess, depressions, etc. only just began about 3 months ago. This led to problems in my marriage, and thinking it was me going crazy. So I entered into therapy and was put on antidepressants. I agree with others, taking Topamax is a personal choice. But if I had read these posts before I started this medication, I would never have risked these side-effects. Especially if they continue once I finally stop taking the drug (hopefully starting tonight once my doc calls in the lower-dose script). I just know that I'm scared and upset that I didn't know this before I started. Now I read all the little fine print on every package of medicine that comes into our home!

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i took topamax for 3 months and started having blurry vision, memory loss, dizziness,trouble focusing at work, mood swings,etc. I stopped taking it completely 2 weeks ago. I still am having some problems at work and making some mistakes every day. It upsets me so much, I don't know what to do. How long before I get better?

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I have been on Topomax daily for about 5 years (severe migraines) until just recently when a new dr. weaned me off of it in favor of a beta blocker. With the Topomax I had tingling in my hands and feet, changes in taste(not being able to taste carbonation and artificial sweetness tasted terrible), loss of concentration, grogginess and "brain fog" for the entire time I was on the medication. I even got lost going home from work a couple times when I was especially tired! I didn't actually realize how bad and foggy I felt until I was off the meds altogether. I feel amazing now! I am remembering things again, I can finally concentrate and I am not tired a the time. I hope that all out there being prescribed this med for migraines know that there are alternatives with much fewer side effects. Please talk to your dr about alternatives or get a second opinion. Well wishes to all on this med and all who suffer from the things it treats.

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