Neuro symptoms and conditions

I started Topamax in November of 2007 the usual 25mg and worked my way up to 150mg. I have always had pretty thick hair and now have hair loss in the widows peak and top part of my hair. Needless to say I am devastated. I have cut myself down to 50mg in the am and 50 mg in the pm. My Neurologist states that she has not heard of hair loss but even this web site and the drug company states that it can cause hair loss. I have with the help of a very good massage therapist determined that my migraines are cervical so I am seeking a second opinion and taking myself off this drug. Not worth the hair loss if I don't need to be on this drug.

my daughter is 16 takes Yasmin for severe periods and cramps, stomach pain, moodiness during her periods. She has just started complaining about headache that hurt really bad, not like migraine headaches, she already had a history of those and said that they feel different. I'm worried, has anyone experienced this?

Behold the rash. I was doing so well on this med (compared to Topamax and Keppra). I finally thought, "Hey, I am on a med that isn't going to make me stupid or psychotic.". I woke up this morning with a rash on my neck. I've phoned my neuro's service and am waiting for a call back.

I'm wonder what the early systems of SJS are? What does the rash look like? Mine is (and I looked via a cell phone pic because it's not visible due to its location) red with these bumps all over it. It doesn't itch but it burns a little bit.

The most serious side effect of Keppra on me was loss of libido/impotence. I've been taking it for a year and this has seriously affected my sexual realtionship with my wife. I do hope I can get a substitute drug soon from my neuro.

I have been taking Singulair since it came on the market almost 10 years ago. I am now 26 years old and working on a Masters in Psychology. My theory is about this drug that people that are experiencing depression, and suicidal thoughts are prone to having this without the drug. I cannot skip a day without this medication or else I start having severe flair ups. I am writing because it always seems when there is a good drug on the market it gets pulled because of the side effects. I hope Merck does extensive testing and surveying to make sure of these allegations before the drug is discontinued. Also I took Singulair the entire time I was pregnant and my child has no kind of birth defects etc.

hi started my topamax 25 mg at bedtime i take it for migranes been top for 3 weeks now i have noticed side effects however iam taking other meds and im having trouble distinguishing which side effect goes with what lol ..e.g.. paxil for anxiety , panic attacks and HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE for borderline blood pressure , i have experienced the tingling in the hands and the feet ..lack of appt,i wouldn't say my desire for sex is gone but im experiencing vaginal dryness and itching and numbness as well as problems climaxing sorry tmi lol ... thought it was a yeast infection but its kinda different? any girls ever exp that before while on top? im getting scared now reading the post about loss of hair im already very thin and have little hair as it is any help or suggestions would be great thx ...

I am a 52 year old male from South Florida. Two years ago my Dr prescribed Lipitor. I started to feel weakness in my legs after mowing the lawn but I dismissed it as just being worn out from the summer heat and humidity. About six months ago the little toe on my left foot became numb and it spread to my other toes. I get continuous spasms in my left big toe and now the toes on my right foot are becoming numb. When I sleep at night I am continuously being woken with leg cramps in my feet, calfs and thighs. My feet feel heavy, my legs feel weak. There are times that I just lose my balance. I have a physical job and when I get home I don't want to do anything. I am going to see a neurologist on 3/31 to see what he thinks. My biggest fear is that I now have permanent damage. I have not read any articles about individuals having a full recovery after stopping the medication.

What a wonderful site.. thanks for all of you and your stories. I too was a Lipitor user ... 20mgs/day for at least 6 years. I didn't notice any problems until last summer. I couldn't grip a golf club so I didn't play all summer. My doc told me it was arthritis. Strange, no history and never had any problems til then. As the months went on, things got worse. Burning in my upper left arm muscle, so intense it would cause me to have to sit down. Heart racing, pain in back, shoulder and jaw, I thought I was having a heart attack. Started reading about Lipitor and told doctor I wanted off. Of course he said no way and he did an MRI thinking it was skeletal. He sent me to a neurologist, who immediately told me I have statin myopathy. Cause...Lipitor!!! Amazing he admits this, also told me his own doc prescribed it for him and he will not take it because he sees too many patients with these side effects. I am liking him and his honesty. I have been off Lipitor for 2 weeks now. Hands are much better but muscle weakness and burning and sometimes tremors persist but I am optimistic that this may take time but I will recover.

I have been experiencing a flu like symptom for over a year now. They started about 2 months after I began taking 350mg of lamictal a day. Symptoms include exhaustion, headache, soar/achy throat, post-nasal drip, TONS of nausea, lack of digestion & regurgitation of food. I am tired and feel warn out all the time... I have had everything checked by doctors and they've found no health reasons to explain these symptom's.

HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS????

I started Topamax October 12 my Neuro said start at 25 mg and work up to 50mg in the morning and 50 mg at night. The first week I was tired like most people have mentioned. Almost instantly Diet Coke tasted terrible. I was a little dizzy and light headed. DC still taste flat but the other symptoms have gone away. I have never experienced the tingle or weight loss. I am on a low does. No stomach problems for me. One thing is my cramps this month were 2x worse than normal . I am 45 and on Topamax for migraines mostly I think hormonal. I am going to give this a fair shot. I really have not felt more energy. I really wish it would help in that way. I am also taking wellbutrin and prozac for depression that runs in my family all the way from my Great Great Grandmother. I too have have a mild headache off and on when I would normally have a migraine and a advil took it away. I had to take an imitrex last night, and am hoping that is the end of this hormonal headache for the month!

hey me again. I forgot to mention why I am on topamax. I have a wierd face twitch, used to be a deliberate looking wink which now involves an entire head jerk to theleft and an inability to open my eyes, that my neuro thinks my be the result of focal seizures, also I have regular migraines and daily, literally daily headaches. Because of some other more personal issues and symptoms I feel like I might have Tourret's instead. Last week I had an EEG done. My face was moving so much it was unreadable. I had a second one done. I fell asleep and the twitch slowed down, then I had an MRI done. I find out the results of it all in two days. Will topamax help if it is Tourret's? Does any of this sound familiar? Thanks

I'm starting my fourth week on Topamax. I'm not sure if I really need to be on it though. My doctor sent me to a neuro for an EMG because I have bulging discs in my spine. Well, the neuro seems to think I have migraines and put me on Topamax and he added "this'll really make you lose weight". Well, I don't think I've ever had a migraine...just sinus headaches. I'm supposed to start 100mg tonight but I'm afraid to keep taking it. I keep getting double vision and tingling in my feet alot. I don't feel like myself and I'm not sure if there have been studies of the effects of this drug long term??

I've been on Topomax for about 3-4 months now. I've had memory loss, slurred speech, decreased concentration (I have to re-read something several times to understand it) tingling in the hands and feet, depression, increased anger, loss of appetite, weight loss. I'm now at the point where I have a rash on my leg, severe nausea, and abnormal bleeding. I going to follow up with my neuro and PCP to see what's going on so we'll see. My migraines have decreased from 3-4 a week to maybe 1 a week, so it has been worth it so far so I can function for work and for my kids as a single mother. I've suffered from migraines for about 10 years and can't take the pain no more!!! If anyone has experienced the nausea, rashes or bleeding please reply.

tightening at the base of the head and neck. Sore neck

I started taking 25mgs Topamax nightly, a fortnight ago, but I found my chest was tight upon laying down in bed.

On the eighth day, I started the Topamax 25mgs in the morning.I had trouble breathing most of the day. It felt like everything was squashed up in my chest.

I have since taken myself off it until I get to see my neuro next month. Made me feel more than a little scared to continue.

Topamax is w/out a doubt the WORST drug I've ever been on. It made me brain dead. I couldn't find a job on Topamax. I would be in interviews and would space out and couldnt' answer questions. People looked at me like I was crazy. I felt like I had Alzheimer's at 38, especially when my neuro prescribed Exelon, the drug for Alzheimer's to counteract the cognitive side effects. As I said, couldn't find a job, had no insurance. My topa-lovin' neuro was giving it to me and getting me on the patient=ass program through Johnson/Johnson, the maker's of TM. She didn't want to help me get on another anticonvulsant PA program. Finally, I had to charge another med on my credit card because I couldn't take this toxic gunk in my body anymore. The decay of my mind has escalated to the point that I don't know if I will ever be back to myself again. BEWARE of this drug. I haven't even covered the eye pain, insomnia, headaches, leg cramps (i can go on).

I have been on topamax for almost a year now. I had been having a nearly constant migraine cycle for three months which had to be broken with migranol nasal spray. I then started on escalating dosages of topamax. By 100mg I realized that life was wonderful but that I couldn't retain much information which was a problem as I had just gone back to school for an advanced degree. Upon consultation with my doctor, we reduced my dosage to 50mg and things improved dramatically.

I have experienced some fingertip and toe tingling which have been completely tolerable. I take the medication right before bed so that I don't have problems with fatigue during the day. I do get out of breath easily when I exert myself and carbonated beverages taste horrible. But my migraines are under control.

I have a Ph.D. in molecular biology and a few years of neuroscience research under my belt. I would like to say that it is EXTREMELY important for people to understand that no medication is going to work identically for any two people. What works for one person, may not work for everyone. I know people who swear by imitrex but this medication does absolutely nothing for me. You have to be your own advocate when it comes to medications and treatments. Your genetics will also determine how well, if at all, you respond to any medication. For some topamax is a life saver, for others it will be the bane of their existence. This will always be the case for any medication. Be tolerant of others' experiences and understanding of each others' pain and progress will be made.

I've been on Lamictal for about four years (I also take Topamax) and it's never given me much of a problem as far as I could tell - until now. At least, I think - HOPE? - it's the Lamictal. Out of the blue two weeks ago, I became so lightheaded and dizzy that I couldn't imagine what was going on. It got so bad one day that it tripped off an aura and I almost had a GM for the first time in over 5 years. I've been to the (regular) doctor who did blood tests to check for various problems, and have an appointment with an ENT tomorrow to check for inner ear problems... because I couldn't imagine that I would suddenly develop a Lamictal issue this far into taking it. But, reading your responses it appears that I possibly could be. Thank you for posting your experiences, I'm going to call my neuro right now.

Hi all. I was diagnosed 3 or 4 years ago with epilepsy. So far, I have on about 5 different epilepsy meds. I can't recall the first 3 but had to get off them because of physical side-effects. My last one was Dilatin which worked pretty well for a year. I slept great - 8 hours on the dot. Then, I started to have short seizures that began to successively lengthen. So, I was switched to Keppra.

I started at 250mg/2xday on Keppra and now am up to 1000mg/2xday. I also started taking B6 100mg/day. A couple of days after starting Keppra, I started to get slight headaches. These went away after about 2 weeks. I also got a numb patch on the same place on the bottom of each foot. When I went up to 500mg/2xday, the numb patch spread, I started to feel off-balance, and I started to get the "rage" symptoms. I went up to 1000mg/2xday and most of the bottom of my two feet went numb and cold, I began to get slight tingling in my fingers and a mild case of tightness in my chest. I still felt off-balance and the rage symptoms were there. It began to get hard to get to sleep and I would get up unnecessarily early and not be able to fall back asleep. I want off this med. Maybe it works great for other people but for me it I take it at the levels I need to, I won't be able to work or do much of anything.

Hi Everyone,
I have been taking Topamax 25 mg for 1 week. I can't stand it. Today I am to up my dosage to 50 mg.I am not sure if I want to do that. The side effects suck.. I think I would rather just deal with my migraines, at least I know how to do that since I have had them for over 25 years. I have tried everything and nothing has worked so the Dr. and I thought we would give this a try.
I am trying to keep my place of employment happy with trying to cut down on the migraines but nothing works.
Most days I just want to give up.
Hopefully we will be able to figure something out.

I can't stand the pickhands and feet, the stumbling like I am drunk( and I dont' drink) nothing tastes right anymore, I have the shakes and I ache.
And all it does is makes me sleepy and like I am in another world.
I went to work today and made it half an hour before I came home because I stumbled and almost fell over. And when the boss talked to me it was like I wasn't there. So I came home. I don't know but I don't like it at all.

Have only been on Zocor for 5 weeks, and liver enzymes up, shooting headaches on left side of head, episode of blurry vision lasting about 10 minutes the other night, and itchy scalp, as well as tiny reddened bumps on my scalp. Md wants to repeat liver enzymes in one month, and keep taking my Zocor, I, however have stopped using for last couple of days to see if symptoms go away. I'm supposed to see neuro for ruling out brain tumor since md doesn't think it's Zocor that is causing the problems. Everything I read on this site sounds very familiar.

Im 39 years old I have been on topamax for 3 months now on 50 mg a day first and now for the past month it was increaded to 75 mg a day. I have begun to have panic attacks/ nightmares. I also suffers from memory loss and inability form my words ( I guess thats the best way to describe it) my neuro gave me topomax for what he calls complicated migraines where my left sarm and leg became numg along with headaches and neck pain. The pain has decreased although the occurrrences have not subsided and Im not sure if Im going to saty on the Topomax. I have lost 8 pounds. The panic attacks and anxiety and debilitating.

I took 10 mg of lisinopril for about two weeks. I have developed intense leg cramps at night , a numb rt foot and tingling sensation in my arms. I haven't taken the med for a week now and my symptoms persist. I saw a neurologist yesterday and passed all neuro tests. Is it possible to continue with these symptons after being off this med for a week? I am normally a very healthy, active, slender person,
age 49. Could my sympotms have been caused by the lisinopril?

I went to a neuro specialist for migraines today and within two minutes he was handing me a sample of Topamx -- without taking any history or listening to what I was saying. And he is a prominent "leader" in his field in Newport Beach, California. I can't believe it. He wanted to hospitalize me for three days and start me on Topamax tonight. I asked him the side effects and he told me only weight loss (I'm 5'6, 115 pounds!), fatigue (I have a weakened immune system already) and kidney stones (I'm a Libra -- and while that sounds funny, that sign rules the kidneys!). He also said I might search for words and chose the wrong ones. Well, I'm a published journalist. Great! What an Idiot. I asked him how long I would have to take it and he said about two years! My husband threw out the pills when I came home and told him the story... and now reading your postings I want to warn those of you our there to be sure that you really need this medication if you are taking it for only for migraines. I'd rather spend a day sick in bed a few days a week that have all of these horrific symptoms appear. Thanks for letting me share and good heath wishes to all of us.