anyone ever take Topamax for migraines?

[happyteeth]

So I started Topamax last Friday and its not mush better yet. Has anyone here taken it? like it? disliked it?

[papie]

I took it a few years ago. If I remember correclty, it takes a few weeks to adjust. I didn'T have any issues with it. I don't take it anymore, I stopped to get pregnant 5 years ago. My migraines only came back in full force lst winter, and now I take Elavil and it keeps them under control. I think the reason he gave me elavil is because topamax was not compatible with nursing or something?

[Deleted]

I had a girlfriend who took it. She liked it.

[lucky513]

it works well for my SIL, it made my husband loose his shit on his mom he had crazy temper issues on it

[Kit]

Papie, how do you like the Elavil? That's what my neuro prescribed to me and I like it for the most part, but there are some undesirable side effects that I have been experiencing.

[happyteeth]

Aug 20, 2012 13:48:32 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I did. I took it for like two weeks before I ran screaming to the doctor to take me off before I regressed completely like Charlie in Flowers For Algernon. lmao.

It made me insanely stupid. It made everything taste lousy. It was like speed, only with none of the pleasant side effects of efficiency.

well shit, thats not good!! haha

[gbck]

it made me think my throat was going to close off and my eyeballs would explode.

(I know people who like it, I'm not one).

(Right now, I"m doing a concoction of corguard + proplanol. But it's not working, so I don't recommend--it used to work, but my crap has changed)

[papie]

How long have you been taking it? The first month I was so sleepy, like so exhausted I couldnt function at all. Then it slowly got better. I've been taking it for about 6 months and barely have any side effects now. à

ETA: this is for kit, re:elavil

[walterismydog]

I took it and it made me itch like crazy. I looked like an insane person scratching myself all day long. I felt like I was on drugs...like real drugs. I lasted about 2 weeks before I could not do it any longer.

[bcv513]

I've been on it for about 7 years. I take 50mg in the morning and 50mg at night. It really helps. I used to get migraines at least once a week. Now it's once every couple of months. I was hoping to get the weight loss side effect, but no luck on that one. My neuro recommended stopping it at least a full year before TTC

[wildswans24]

I took it for about 2 years. It was a lifesaver. I was getting migraines multiple times a week. And this was the first thing to give me any relief.

As far as side effects, it did suppress my appetite (which I was happy about). And sometimes I felt a little jittery in the morning. The jittery-ness made it hard for me to concentrate. This happened maybe a few times a month, and only lasted a few mins. It usually happened when I was getting ready in the morning, and so I'd have a hard time focusing on doing my makeup or hair. My brain would be all "oh, let's put powder on! NO! Do your hair. NO! Go get your lunch packed".

But, even with that. It was more than worth it for me. I eventually weaned off it. And so far ::knock on wood:: I haven't had to go back on. I get a migraine maybe once a month now (during my period). But nothing like I use too.

[happyteeth]

I get migraines really bad every few years. the last couple months have been insane. I posted a few weeks ago about a migraine the lasted for almost 4 days staright, I wanted to die. I saw a Neuro and started 2 Fridays ago. Its only a little better. I do feel sleepy, and maybe some tingles in hands and feet but nothing else. I'm only doing 50mg once a day and I know the usual in 50mg twice a day. The thing is im going back to school in 1 week and staring my program work for dental hygiene and its uber intensive, so im kind of torn: do I ask for twice a day and risk side effects in school, OR continue on and risk awful migrianes in school?? Damn the timing :-(

[Kit]

Aug 20, 2012 13:59:39 GMT -5 papie said:

How long have you been taking it? The first month I was so sleepy, like so exhausted I couldnt function at all. Then it slowly got better. I've been taking it for about 6 months and barely have any side effects now. �

ETA: this is for kit, re:elavil

I started it earlier this year. The doc told me to take it before bed to help with the fatigue. If I take it any later than 9 pm, it is too hard for me to wake up the next day. But I don't always want to be in bed that early so if I have a late night ahead of me I usually have to skip it. And it has completely eliminated my sex drive. That is my main issue.
Sent from my mobile phone

[TrickyBob]

I took it before. It helped my migraines except for all the other stuff,

soda tasted like crap, which was okay.

I would get forgetful and couldn't complete sentences.

And then it gave me kidney stones and the sheer pain from trying to pass kidney stones all the time was too much. I would drink tons and tons of water, knowing the medication needed it, but no matter the amount I kept getting them.

I stopped taking them after it kept happening and I narrowed it down to the pills. It was like seeing the light of day for the first time after stopping; I could speak clearly, I never got kidney stones again, food tasted normal.

[bcv513]

Kidney stones are a definite side effect. That's the first thing my doc drilled into my head. And the short term memory loss is no joke. I carry a notebook everywhere at work. If I don't write it down, it doesn't get done. A little scary to be like that at 29, but I couldn't function before.

[Deleted]

Aug 20, 2012 13:48:32 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I did. I took it for like two weeks before I ran screaming to the doctor to take me off before I regressed completely like Charlie in Flowers For Algernon. lmao.

It made me insanely stupid. It made everything taste lousy. It was like speed, only with none of the pleasant side effects of efficiency.

This this this.

I was on it for a few years and I swear it lowered my IQ significantly. I couldn't find the word for basic things (like sweater or backpack) and would mumble up all my sentences.

Unless you have exhausted your other options I wouldn't recommend it.

ETA: It also made my fingers, toes and nose have that pins and needles sensation that you get after a limb is asleep. Only this was constant.

[mrs.jacinthe]

I took it (name-brand) about 6 years ago for more than a year. Worked like a charm, no side effects other than weight loss, which was acceptable. Migraines pretty much stopped, I weaned off it, no headaches for 2+ years.

Went back on it in 2010. The generic edition seems to be different. I was much fuzzier, thirsty all the time, had trouble with memory, etc. Also started having kidney problems and neurological side effects (nerve pain and extremity tingling). Weaned back off it after 6 months - no headaches since.

If I go back on it again, I will ask to be name-brand only, even if it means I pay more out of pocket. The side effects from the generic were just too extreme.

[alzi]

It worked well for me, I was on it for many months and it totally reduced the amount of headaches I got.

[Deleted]

I was on it for about 2 years. The side effects can be hard to deal with. I lost about 15 pounds (and I didn't need to lose to begin with). I would forget to eat, it would be 3 in the afternoon and I would be like, "oh yeah, guess I should eat something!". I also started having terrible memory issues, and word finding problems, which was the worst. I still have issues with that, and I've been off of it for over a year. It also made me really apathetic, like no emotions at all, or very depressed. After my migraines started to come back, I went off of it since it wasn't worth it anymore. Now I wear a mouth guard at night and it has all but eliminated my migraines, since they were coming from clenching my jaw.

[milosh]

I was on it for about a year and a half. I loved loved loved it! The weird taste in my mouth only happened while I was just starting it and slowly tapering off from it, only a few days each time. I didn't have any migraines on it, it was wonderful! I had to get off of it because it makes the pill ineffective. We are TTC now and I am back on amytriptaline because I can take it while TTC and through pregnancy. I think I will go back to it after we have a baby. It was wonderful!