How Do I Know If Topamax Is Working Enough To Justify Sfx
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Hello,

I have been taking Topamax since November 6, 2015, and for the past 3 weeks have been at 200 mg a day. I was getting over 15 "incapacitating" migraines a month, with somewhere between 5-7 of those being so bad I could not get out of bed or even had to go to the ER. My triggers are mainly food and airborne allergies. Right now, I am pretty much housebound and on a very restricted diet. Migraines are not my only reaction.

In the past 2 months, I've had 14 "incapacitating" migraines, of which 6 were bad enough to keep me in bed and 2 sent me to the ER. It sounds like a 50% reduction in migraines, but I've been housebound mostly, and use a mask when I go out most of the time.

So I'm wondering, is a 50% reduction of migraines while still being housebound good for Topamax? Is it worth the horrible brain fog and other side effects? How has anyone else judged the benefits vs side effects?

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Hi Verwon,

Thanks for replying. I am hoping that by others sharing what they did, I can get a better idea of what will be best for me. However, since I made this post it has come to my attention that "fatigue" can be a side effect, not just "tiredness". I know most people wouldn't think there is a difference, but I've had really bad fatigue: like, I'm lucky if I can do one big thing a day - that might include a shower on bad days - and not have to nap, and I feel utterly exhausted all the time. This started when I increased to 25mg of Topamax, and on 200 mg, I am like a zombie. The thing is, my neurologist told me last December (less than 2 months on Topamax) that "fatigue" like I had was "not a side effect", only "tiredness" was, and he literally told me to make an appointment with my PCP for that afternoon. Because I had also just left a very stressful job the week after starting the Topamax, my PCP diagnosed me with post-stress fatigue and told me to give it time, in a few months I'd be back to my old, busy self.

So now I'm wondering if it's worth it not only because I am still getting migraines because it's an allergy reaction, but if all this "fatigue" I've been suffering for months (I can't even work part-time) is actually being caused by the medication. If that were the case, I would come off this medicine as soon as medicinally possible.

Thanks!

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Hello, Conya! How are you?

Well ultimately, it's really up to you! No one can force you to take any given medication, so do you think it's worth it? Are you getting enough relief?

The FDA lists its typical side effects as possibly including nausea, dizziness, weight loss and dry mouth.

Can anyone else with migraines provide any ideas or suggestions?

I used to get them, but it turns out mine were due to blood pressure spikes, so I'm afraid I'm not much help on personal experience.

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