May 19th
2009
6:00 PM
I am 39 and have had true migraine attacks since I was a child. I say true migraine attacks because they are different then just a bad headache! The pain, throwing up, dry heaves and weird aura are "hell on earth!" I have noticed that if my headache isn't a true migraine and I take the Imitrex, the side affect are ten times worse! Reading a lot of the messages on this site makes me wonder if doctors are prescribing it for the common bad headaches! There are side effects either way but much worse if the headache is not a true migraine. My side effects have been neck pressure,sleepiness, queasiness, and very sore arm pain. But it is not worse than the migraine so I take it when needed. I do not recommend cutting this pill in half! God Bless the migraine sufferers! I know how the torture feels!
-- By shabbychic | Reply | Private Message me
September 19th
2008
9:42 PM
I was on topamax for about 2 years. I took it for frequent migraines caused by my sinus's. I had all the normal side affects but got used to it after awhile. The only one i didn't get used to was the hair loss. During this time I started allergy injections and now i'm up to my maintenance level. So i decided to ween myself slowly off the topamax. I have been off for about 2 months now and I have been fine on the headache side, but i have started to get other symptoms (i think withdrawal symptoms). They have progressively gotten higher in number as the days go by. First my hair loss has not stopped. I gained about 10-15lbs, I am edgy and climbing the walls all day. I have a really hard time relaxing. I recently developed horrible insomnia, and about a week ago i started having digestive problems including water retention, bloating, gas, irregular bowl movements, and acid reflux. And I've recently had bouts of tightness in my chest and throat which make it difficult to breath (lasts about an hour). I didn't have any of these symptoms while i was on the topamax (except the hair loss), nor did I have them before it.
I am seeing an endocrinologist in a few weeks to make sure nothing on that front is causing any of this, but i really feel it's from taking and going off the topamax. If you can find other ways to deal with your migraines, DO!
August 27th
2008
12:00 PM
I am almost 41, and have had migraine headaches most of my life which I could manage with 800mg of Naproxen Sodium, or a Norgesic Forte, and when Imitrex came out, I could just administer that. Six months ago, my headaches got so frequent that I had to start taking my Relpax (similar to Imitrex) and/or Fioricet more than 2X per week. According to my neurologist, this is a no no, as both of those meds can couse rebound headaches. He started me on Topamax, 50mg per day. It did nothing. He bumped it to a 100, nothing. Now I'm a 200 mgs, I am still have a migraine in left temple as I write this. I have the tingling, the daytime sleepiness, but my mind is fine, and my appetite is just swell (regretfully). What the hell am I going to do now? Ask him to bump me up to 400 mg? Now I have these headaches every "F"ing day, and I can't take anything. I just have to suffer.
Topamax is NOT working!!!!!
-- By coppertop | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
August 14th
2008
5:16 AM
To add to my comment below, those of you who are migraine sufferers (like myself) Yasmin is perhaps your answer. I used to get migraines once every week to every month depending on situations and things happening in my life. After a few months on Yasmin my migraines have more or less completely disappeared while I am taking the active pills, and occasionally I will get one while I am on my period itself, but that is because I am not ingesting any hormones. I would recommend it for getting rid of migraines; however it took a few months for me to see the results so you must give it time.
-- By animalover262 | Reply | Private Message me
June 10th
2009
9:53 AM
Headache or Migraine sufferers BEWARE! I was prescribed this medication for an upper respiratory and double ear infection. After a week of taking the medication I have been laid up with migraines and headaches that come and go for days. Every morning I am severely nauseous and have vomited four times. I really want to cure what I have but what is worse: the infection or the medication? I plan to stop taking it.
-- By amybrown | Reply | Private Message me