Has Anyone Used This For Migraines ?

just been perscribed the drug and i'm a bit concerned reading all the side effects

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Have been using it for several years to prevent migraines. Once the dosage is up to where they stop, you'll feel fin. Worst part is dry mouth and weight loss.

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i need info asap,,,my relative was rescribed topamax...i do not know if she is taking it or not...she is violent and suicidal now....help .....i do not know where to take her i am afraid she is going to do something she will regret or she will die

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I have been using Topamax for months now for my migraines. I was having them on a daily basis and they were consuming me. I have four children and a husband and to be quite honest, they got the worse end because I took my pain out on them. I started out on 50mg, but had to go to 100mg. I also go to college and Topamax makes it hard to gets your thoughts together alot of times (especially when you first start taking it), so I now take it at night before I go to bed and half the week I take 50mg and the other half I take 100mg. I'm happy to say that I am passing all of my classes, right now with As- which before would've been impossible. They're not easy classes either- Biology, U.S History, & Criminal Procedures. What it boils down to is this--- this drug is like any other drug- there are side effects and it doesn't work for everyone. My side effects are a dry mouth, tingling fingers and heels, and weight loss (thank goodness!). However, I would take this side effects ANYDAY over the excruciating pain that I felt on a dily basis from my migraines. I am free from the chains that bound me! I haven't had but a couple of migraines in months! My docotr also prescribed my a medicine called Ambien. It's a sleeping pill. At first I didn't want it, but I only take a half of the pill and I must admit, I will take them for the rest of my life, because I never knew it, but I never got any REST. I got sleep, but not rest. I would get up at night, or go over things in my sleep, and I would have no energy at all during the day. I felt my body was falling apart. After taking Ambien, I am ready to start my day every morning, and I can actually get out of the chair! I believe that also helped me migraines. I wish everyone the best of luck! God Bless you all. The best medicine is prayer. Pray before you go to the doctor- pray about your medicine and believe that GOD has a plan--Because HE does!!!

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I just started Topamax a week ago and I haven't gotten any relief from my headaches yet. I'm tired of having these headaches all the time. Actually I can't say I haven't gotten any relief yet. I have had two days this week with no headaches. So, maybe after I go to 50 mgs a day I'll notice another change. I hope so.

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I've been taking 100 mg a day for about two years.It took a month or so to take a full effect, unfortunately I have serious sinus headaches too, they don't seems to help them any. Good luck!

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Why would anyone take a drug with side efects like this ? The only reason I can think of is because they hurt so bad and they don't know anything better to do ,and because there insurance pays for it. My take is that there is not a desease or head ache out there do to the lack of drugs. I prefer to think in terms of feeding the body what it needs, so the body can take care of what is not working, instead of masking the isueses over with drugs. I know plenty of people that have done this and no longer deal with there migrains or head achs.

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my sister was on this med and it gave her a seizure you have to be very carefull what you take when your on this..

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I have read several stupid remarks regarding this drug, such as masking the real issue, no relief after a week, it has side effects, so why risk it, etc. Here is the real deal from a real user...
Yes there are side effects. Drugs have those because they are foreign to your body and you are, in essence, coercing your body into a healthier state than it otherwise is using chemicals. The question to anyone choosing to take anything from an aspirin to chemotherapy is... are the expected results worth the RISKS AND SIDE EFFECTS? Not every drug is safe for every one, so be an educated patient/consumer. I would expect that anyone who is to the point of being prescribed Topamax for migraine prevention is ready to take that risk, and the side effects are NOTHING compared to a life riddled with migraines. I think it is also important to note, that in reading the side effects, these are listed as prescribed for epilepsy… at a MINIMUM OF 800 mg/day. You will NEVER be prescribed this amount for migraine prevention. If you are… find another doctor. On Topamax, one should go through what is called a “titration period” where the dosage is slowly increased to find the target dosage. This will usually start at 25mg/day and rise to 75mg/day in the first month where this dosage will be maintained for a period of time (6-8weeks) to watch for side effects. After this, depending on several factors, from health, severity of migraines, initial response to Topamax, etc., the dosage can be titrated up. The maximum I have heard for migraine prevention has been 175mg/day. I have had a tremendous response at 100mg/day, so everyone is different. IMPORTANT: at 200mg/day Topamax will interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.
This medicine is not for someone with the occasional headache, menstrual or monthly migraine. Also, the results do not come overnight. The migraines slow down as the dosage is increased or maintained at your personal target. It is about breaking the cycle. The goal is to get them to occur perhaps once or twice a year (practically never), instead of all the time. Lastly, you won’t stay on Topamax forever. Like I said, it is about breaking the cycle. Some people may use it for 6 months, while others may use it for 3 years, but everyone eventually comes off. It is like resetting a clock.

This is my story:
I was a very happy, healthy, active 28 year old. I just finished a degree in Biochemistry, felt on top of the world, and I was ready to go out and conquer. Then the migraines started. I had always had one or two a year, but they began to come on monthly, and then weekly, like a wave. I landed a fantastic job, so I needed to keep working and be on top of my game. Finally, my migraines were weekly, lasting a minimum of three days, causing substantial periods of partial blindness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and body aches. To the person who commented on depression and suicide… this way of life is extremely painful and difficult, family, friends, and certainly jobs do not understand, and so… even in the most emotionally stable individual, severe depression can set in. The pain can be so severe, particularly when your migraine meds refuse to kick in, that all you can think to do is bang your head against a wall, and I have even felt myself wondering if the medieval remedy of bloodletting my just help. These types of feelings or thoughts should be recognized as pain and depression induced, and should be a sign to family and friends that it is really time to take action; this has become a debilitating condition. The only Migraine med that I responded to was Imitrex, and I was taking far beyond the safe dosage each month. My insurance wouldn’t even cover the amounts I needed, so I was always begging my doctors for samples. Ten months of this passed, and I found no relief. I was shopping with my sister, when I fell to the floor with a shooting pain in my head and my legs went limp for a moment. I thought I was having a stroke at 29, so she took me to the emergency room where every test known to man was run on my head. It was just another migraine, and the warning signs had morphed into this delightfully frightening stroke-like experience. I was finally sent to a neurologist, who suggested Topamax. And, I will say, I was reluctant. I did not want to take meds everyday. I did not want to admit I was having a problem. I started with Topamax nearly 6 months ago. My side effects have included numbness in the hands and feet, mild confusion and forgetfulness, and a weight loss of 9 pounds. Originally, my doctor had me splitting my dosage between morning and evening, but because I typically have trouble getting to sleep, I have started taking my full dose at bedtime and I sleep like a baby. It has also helped reduce the fatigue, confusion, and forgetfulness in the day, so if this is an option for you, I highly recommend it. As I said before, I am now up to 100mg/day, and I experience a migraine every 6-8weeks. However, they are much milder, involve no blindness or vomiting, and always respond to the Imitrex (I do still have to get up to the full 200mg sometimes). I’ll take this schedule over three days a week anytime!!! And hey, I am not at the end of the road. Every month is better, every migraine is milder.

If anyone has any questions, please write to me at [email protected].

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Elizabeth what a great response! I am a 38 year old female, currently working a full-time job, a full-time college student, and a full-time mother of three children. I have suffered from migraines since my teen years. Within the last year my migraines have become severe like yours and I too feared I was suffering a stroke. I have had every test known to man, with no outcome. My doctor suggested Topamax, so I have been on it for about 4 weeks now. I have just started 100 mg two days ago. I haven't felt much relief yet, but I do have a few side effects such as dry mouth, tingling of the hands and feet, I also tend to have hyper-activity vs. grogginess while on this medication which is the exact opposite of what most people have experienced. I usually try to take mine early in the day so I am not up all night. I have not experienced any weight loss as of yet, but I have noticed a decrease in appetite and the taste of food is very unappealing. Having tried just about every migraine medicine on the market, I have high hopes for this medicine and I hope that I am not disappointed! Good luck to everyone who is new to this drug, I hope we all achieve our desired results!!!!

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If she is displaying those type of thoughts best to consult her pharmacist and tell them the symptom. Most likely a allergic reaction. Hope this helps

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Used topamax did not help with migraines, I also suffer with chronic sinusitis which can ignite the migraines. My Dr. Calls it dope Amax cause it makes you dizzy, and doppy. Got introduced to Rizatriptan Benzoate. Now I can prevent a migraine if I catch it in time. Big if mind u.

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