Topamax symptoms and conditions

I was put on Depakote for my migraines after I had a bad experience with Topamax. It helped great with my migraines, but the weight I gained from being on it was not worth it. I have not taken it in probably 3 years, but I still cannot get my weight back to what it was before. I have always been one of those people who couldn't gain weight. Well, thanks to depakote, I am now one of those people who can't keep from gaining weight. I wish I was never introduced to the drug. I stopped taking it on my own, and my migraines are fine now. I have them sometimes but not every day.

I have been on NuvaRing for almost 4 months and it has been awful. I have been extremely tired, stressed to the max, a horribly angry person, never want to have sex, plus it hurts to have sex when we do, headaches, and feeling anxious and nervous about everything. I gave birth 7 months ago so I though most of these side effects where just from that, but I though by now things should be getting better, and they haven't been. They have gotten worse. My relationship with my fiance has went down hill due to my anger issues, my not trusting him because of messed up visions and ideas in my head, and not wanting to have sex. I also have a history of migraines and battled them for 5 years before having my son. I was on a medication called Topamax, which helped, but also caused my to lose a bunch of weight. I am little to begin with so the weight loss was not a positive thing for me. My migraines with the NuvaRing have been so horrible that I have been thinking about getting back on the Topamax, which I do not want to do. Now that I have read this I am pretty sure the NuvaRing is causing my problems, so I am going to take it out today and hopefully this will help and my relationship will get back to where it was and I won't have as bad of migraines, and won't need to get back on Topamax.

I took Topamax 50 mg for about 2 months and experienced a change in menstrual bleeding. I wonder if Topamax effects progesterone levels. I had light spotting 5 days before period due for both months. This medication also made me very depressed and angry. I quit taking it about 5 days ago and felt the depression lift on the 2nd day after stopping the medication. This was my 2nd round for Topamax. My first time taking it I worked up to 100mg and lost 15 lbs in just a few weeks. I had no appetite. I also go very sick with a respiratory infection and dry coughing. I had menstrual problems with the first round too but didn't figure out if may be the Topamax until my 2nd round. It did help my migraines significantly. But I'm uncertain how if potentially messes up menstrual cycle. The warnings for the medication says "menstrual problems" but doesn't go into detail. Anyone else have menstrual problems.

I stared Topamax about a month ago and at first I was completely out of it. I couldn't remember anything to save my life, my speech was slurred and my brain was just in a fog...and I'm only 25. After about 2wks that eventually went away, however, I still cannot drink carbonated drinks, that taste flat and have a tangy taste to them as well, its gross. The one side effect that really bothers me about this medication as well is that I'm always nauseous. I haven't weighed myself lately but I definitely have lost weight because I never want to eat anything. The nausea seems to be more of an issue than the migraines. I was getting them about 3-4 times a week, now I get them about 1-2 times a week. By week 4 on the medication I started to break out on my face/chest/back really bad too, and I haven''t had acne since I was a teenager. The other odd thing is I feel like I've constantly had my period while on this medication too. Has anyone had any of these side effects as well? It's only been a month so I figure I will try a little bit longer and see if it helps or if I have to go up a little bit more in dosage if it helps but at this rate I'm thinking I may just need to try a different medication. The other bad thing is that I have become extremely agitated lately, which I'm sure my poor boyfriend can agree with because he gets the worst of it. I feel like my personality definitely has changed on this med...

My daughter has had seizures for 20 years. She was on Depakote and Tegretol for about 15 years. We switched neurologists because of the continued seizures and involuntary movements that made her fall. She is now on lamictal (300mg) and topamax . Her seizures seem better, although she still makes the movements. But what is very different is her speech. She is speaking very nasally to the point I almost can't understand her and she repeats her sell constantly. Going to the neurologist next week.

After after a few months on topamax I went on lexapro for my mood change. I lost weight, had the metallic taste, loss of words , stumbling and more. I have weaned off because I could not stand the side effects. I still have migraines frequently. I truly believe the topamax has permanently changed my personality. I cannot get off the lexapro. Also I believe I have some kind of kidney problem left from it. Is all this possible?

SINGULAIR'S LABEL HAS BEEN UPDATED:

The following has been added to the "Precautions" section of Singulair's label:

"Neuropsychiatric Events
Neuropsychiatric events have been reported in adult, adolescent, and pediatric patients taking SINGULAIR. Post-marketing reports with SINGULAIR use include agitation, aggressive behavior or hostility, anxiousness, depression, dream abnormalities, hallucinations, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, somnambulism, suicidal thinking and behavior (including suicide), and tremor. The clinical details of some post-marketing reports involving SINGULAIR appear consistent with a drug-induced effect.

Patients and prescribes should be alert for neuropsychiatric events. Patients should be instructed to notify their prescribe if these changes occur. Prescribes should carefully evaluate the risks and benefits of continuing treatment with SINGULAIR if such events occur (see ADVERSE REACTIONS, Post- Marketing Experience)."

I began getting debilitating headaches 3 years ago. They were everyday and not the classic headache (no visual, nausea etc). It felt like a jackhammer to the back of my head every single day. My neurologist told me they were migraines. I was skeptical as every other migraine med had not worked. I began on Topamax at 25 mg twice daily. I started at this dose for a month. The body really needs to adjust SLOWLY to this med. My side effects were pins and needles in the hands and feet, strange taste in foods, flat tasting sodas, drastic cut in appetite. My doctor assured me these would go away. Headaches did not start to improve until the second month when I went up to 50mg twice daily. By the third month I was up to 100mg twice daily and I feel like I have my life back. I still will have occasional migraine breakthroughs, but nothing like the misery I had before. Within 5 months or so, food began to taste normal again and the pins and needles stopped. I dropped 30 pounds total on Topamax. It has been a life saver for me!! My advice for anyone thinking about this drug is to ease your way up slowly until your body adjusts. One week on a dose is not enough time.

I conducted a search for "long term effects of Topamax" and discovered this site, and am so glad to have done so. I have been on Topamax for around 2 years now, at the 200mg level, for chronic, sustained migraines. I have figured out, through tracking, that I will get a migraine lasting 3-4 days during ovulation and again on my period. The Topamax has helped considerably with the headaches, although I do still get at least one per month. It is generally not of the same duration, though, and is fairly easily controlled with pain meds.

I've been a bit worried, though, about continuing the drug for life, as it seems I need to do to control these headaches--thus the search. I, too, have experienced the "mental fog," and general decreased cognitive abilities. I am an extremely intelligent person, a writer, a former English teacher. Why am I unable to pluck words from my brain when I need them?

I've also experienced the tingling and numbness in various extremities, sensitivity to cold, blurred vision, fatigue, and loss of taste sensation. I've also become a royal bitch to my husband and children--although I had no idea that this could be related to this medication. I feel relieved to know this now...to know that I can change and be the person I once was. I don't like myself very much right now, but it's like trying to stop a runaway train. I can no sooner prevent or alter my knee-jerk reaction to things than I can stop that train.

I've been off of the Topamax for approximately two weeks now, and have already gained 5 pounds, although I work out 2-3 hours daily and play competitive volleyball 2-3 times per week for several additional hours. I had initially lost around 18 pounds and kept it off, even when my appetite returned. I'm uncertain, though, why I'm gaining the weight back so rapidly. I'm eating fewer than 1500 calories/day and exercising like crazy. It doesn't make sense.

I don't care about the weight, though. My chief concern is the return of my cognitive function. Has anyone experienced a return to their prior cognitive state after getting off of this medication?

I have had a TERRIBLE time. 3 months-of almost non stop bleeding (3 1/2 weeks, 2 1/2 weeks and 16 days and counting )and I do already have overactive bladder but now all the sudden if I don't run to the bathroom as soon as I have to pee(even if my ladder is not full) or if i sneeze I pee myself and i am 29!!-this never used to happen!! My obgyn finally decided to switch me to the pill thats 3 months of active and 1 week of sugar. The whole reason i tried this was bc my periods were beginning to get longer (7-8 days) and this made them so much worse. She did a biopsy and an ultrasound both of which were normal. I already have a non-hormonal iud (which i have had for 3 years) but we left it in bc i take topamax (which decreased the effectiveness of birth control) for migraines so i need the iud for birth control. im just trying something else to improve my periods and obviously this is not it! i am beginning to wonder if the topomax also causes an increase in bleeding too...

I began taking Adderall when I was about 16 yrs old.My doctor prescribed me 30 mg of Adderall RX. At first I would take it ALL the time (more than I was prescribed) and my grades improved tremendously..but then all the bad side effects began happening. I would get horrible back pains, had trouble swallowing (felt like I was swallowing a ball of dry food - usually happened late at night) Insomnia that kept me up all night. Another side effect that led me to stop taking the meds all together was that I felt like it was slowing my brain down. I couldn't construct sentences as easily as I once used to, and I felt like a ROBOT. I was numb to everything, my friends even started noticing my change. I was just a different person on this medication and not my usual bubbly self. So I stopped taking the medication daily and would only take it when I really needed it - for example, SAT'S, test, etc. When I got to college I began taking it as well for tests, long lectures, etc..but I started getting horrible migraines at night - not even Tylenol would work.. I used to have to lay in complete darkness and try to go to sleep. HORRIBLE. Anyway..has anyone found any remedies for the side effects you feel later on in the day when you start "coming down" from the medication? Tylenol doesn't seem to work..also, is it okay to be on sleeping pills and adderall? My doctor prescribed me both but I really felt like she was just handing out meds just cause she could so I didn't take them.

Hi. Im a nurse who was put in Topamax for mood stabilization in January of this year. Tapered up from 25 mg a night and now am on 200 mg a night. I have lost ZERO pounds although I have no appetite and cant stand the taste of a soda. I just wanted to share my nightmare. I have not had any tingling or numbness, which is a main side effect.

I do have a terrible metallic taste in my mouth and my mouth never feels clean. YUCK. Sodas flat. My personality is flat.. I am exhausted. My friends say the person they knew is gone, my appetite is gone.

My back hurts all the time like it's very tight in the kidney region....I cant spell, I cant remember yesterday, I sleep all the time when Im not working...I drop things, I don't remember what I was doing 10 minutes ago, I feel like I am on the outside of my body looking in.

My vision is blurred somewhat at times.

I work for a neuro-psychiatrist. I have decided to taper myself down. I don't think it has done anything but made me so flat I am not here anymore. Who wants that? Looking back, I was not in need of mood stabilization but a vacation.

The only thing it has helped me with is it has stopped the desire for Klonopin which is normal for Topamax. It works on the receptors in your brain that make you crave benzo's. I took my Klonopin as prescribed.

Im thinking I want my old self back. I miss laughter. :(

I was placed on Topamax, off label, for suspected bipolar illness (now disproven). My cognition, word finding abilities, memory has been so adversely affected that I am now on disability. I had 5 kidney stones due to the development of Renal Tubular Acidosis, nearing renal failure (a side effect doctors don't warn patients about). This in turn led to osteomalacia, softening of the bones, only discovered after I broke all three major bones in my leg and snapped off my foot stepping off the lowest seat of a bleecher. I've suffered tingling in arms, hands, legs & feet (nerve damage), lesions in the brain, muscle spasms, heat & cold intolerance, insomnia etc... Although I lost weight, I gained it back (then some) as soon as I reduced the dosage of 800 mgs. Upon stopping the drug to save my kidneys, thus my life, my kidney function returned to almost normal within a few months, although there is residual damage. All other side affects remain two years later. Losing weight is not worth dying! Beware of this drug being used off label! I would never trust this drug!

I became extremely ill after beginning Topamax. A trip to Urgent Care started me on Z pack for URI and gave me cough medicine. Cough along with incontinence and exhaustion became more severe over 3 weeks. Wheezing worsened but chest xrays done by my PCP showed no pneumonia. I have asthma and allergies which were treated by my PCP with Singulair, Advair and a rescue inhaler with no success. It wasn't until I started thinking about possibility of Topamax playing a part and doing research myself that the puzzle was solved. 3 doctors and a pharmacist knew nothing about the affect this drug has on asthmatics. I was miserable for an entire month due to this drug which could have been completely avoided if doctors were better informed. I had to convince my physicians by taking myself off Topamax in order to alleviate my symptoms. I hate to think where I would be today if I had continued taking the drug and had not found this web page!

My experience was a seven day short-lived trip through hell on Topamax.

I began experiencing a constant headache for several months in February 2009 (no prior history of headaches). I am healthy 32 y/o male. After multiple MRI's and CT scans came back negative I had a very severe headache that sent me to the ER. The ER helped arrange for me to see a Neurologist, who after patient listening to my laundry list of symptoms concluded I was having migraines (even though I had no sensitivity to light, sound, or nausea). I had been doing a decent amount of research on headaches and didn’t agree that they were migraines but decided, he’s the neurologist, I should trust him. Let me also say at this point, I am not a person looking for a pill to cure my problems, but I was getting desperate as my headaches were ruining my life. I was prescribed Topamax.

I was suppose to start with three days at 25mg, then go to three days at 50mg, and finally up to 100mg per day. The first three days were uneventful when I hit 50mg and then 75mg…I was out of my mind. I read these messages and see people at 400mg with no problems…it makes me cringe to think of dosing that high. I stopped at 75mg…here were my side-effects. Tingling in my face, lips, hands, arms, and fingertips, chest pains (I do have GERD and it jacked up my GERD bad!!!), pain in the back of head, taste confusion (soda tasting flat), and pressure in my eyes and temples…But those are NOTHING compared to the complete feeling of anxiety that over took my body. I had a mild nervous breakdown at work, became paranoid to the point where I was afraid to do routine tasks. And the MUSCLE SPASMS…those are the worst part. I have muscle spasms all over my body, just random fluttering of muscles in my chest, arms, back, neck, head, and face! I became suicidal and had the worst night terrors ever, of things, that I wasn’t even afraid of.

I have been off Topamax cold turkey for four days now and the anxiety has significantly subsided. I have worked through a lot of the anxiety with my wife and I now believe that stress is the cause of my headaches, not migraines like I tried to tell the doctor…but the muscle spasms have not stopped (they have decreased) yet…but I can’t wait for the Topamax to leave my body.

I used to think these messages boards were part of the problem, but they are very helpful. Do your research before you put anything into your body…trust yourself and if you disagree with your doctor, get a second opinion. This has been a life changing event for me.

Health and Happiness to all

I am a female in my mid-to-late 30's. I was on Topamax for about a year. The memory, vocabulary, concentration, focus, loss of words and 'confusion' got so bad it became a real problem at work and the rest of my life. When I started forgetting how to get home, the neuro doctor took me off of it. Those problems decreased a bit, but never entirely disappeared. After weening off the medicine, the full-blown headaches/migraines returned (Topamax only moderately relieved pain). So now in addition to the pain in my head, I have the lingering sides-effects to deal with. It cost me my job. I've been off Topamax for over a year and still have not regained control of my own thought processes. Among other things, it's embarrassing because I feel stupid. I no longer understand about half of what I read, have trouble following (and remembering) conversations, habitually forget what I'm supposed to do/have done/am doing. Forget being able to follow a series of directions. I am afraid Topamax has caused permanent damage to my cognitive brain functions and I have no idea what to do about it. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

I had my Mirena put in back in June of 2008 right after I got married. I, too, was lead to believe that the effects of the progesterone were purely "localized" to the uterus and would not cause any symptoms at all.

Since then I've experienced SEVERE migraines and dizziness, loss of libido, greasy skin and hair, weight gain (size 6 to size 10/12), numbness/tingling in my feet, crying, irritability, and SEVERE brain fog. For the migraines, I went to a neurologist who wanted to prescribe me topamax and said the only major side effect is cognitive difficulties! HA!!! I already have the worst brain fog, can't remember anything, am tired.... rather..... exhausted all the time, and can't function.

This Mirena surely works well as birth control, seeing as I have NO SEX DRIVE at all! LOL. But seriously, it's great not to have a period, but I knew something was wrong when I was needing medication (antidepressants for the mood swings, provigil for the fatigue, botox nerve injections for the menstrual migraines) for this medication IUD!

Since no OBGYN believes me when I say I think it's the Mirena, I've began to think I was crazy and this was all in my head. So I started on the internet and all my symptoms sounded like MS. So I had thousands of dollars in testing including a full body MRI/MRA. Negative. Had ENT see me for the vertigo. Lots of tests. Negative. Anemic? No. Thyroid? Normal.

HOW MUCH MORE DO WE HAVE TO SPEND ON HEALTH CARE TO FIND OUT WE ARE "FINE" WHEN WE FEEL THE WORST WE'VE EVER FELT???

Then I found this site!!! I think it's the Mirena now! So I want to get it out. But then on the other hand, I feel SO GUILTY that my husband paid $900 for it and I only kept it 1 year. That's expensive birth control! But then again, all the tests, doctor's bills, and feeling lousy cost more! (Not to mention that my doctor cut my strings too short so we can't "check" them each month so to be certain that my IUD is in place he makes me get an ultrasound every 6 months for $250!!!)

My ONLY FEAR is that I will have this out and the symptoms WON'T go away and it was NOT the Mirena after all. Then I will have gone through the pain of putting it in, taking it out, and the cost of "throwing one away" and then what am I supposed to do? I'm 29 but in school and can't get pregnant for a few more years. I don't want to go back on the pill because the mood swings were terrible. But I never had migraines or anything on those, so why is the Mirena causing problems?

Any feedback or encouragement would be helpful right now. I need advise!

I have been taking Topamax for almost five years. I am currently taking 200mg in the morning and 250mg at night. The tingling in my feet and hands come and go. The weight loss has tapered off. My neuro and I very slowly worked up to this level but it has finally put a halt to my migraines. I may have one once or twice a year. He says this is the highest we could ever go so thank goodness the headaches stopped. The past year I have begun to be very forgetful, Over the past three months it has started to affect me on a daily basis. Over the last week, I haven't been feeling like myself and have started to feel emotionally numb. Meeting with my neuro today, Not sure if its the meds or not causing me to feel numb or just life's' stress.

I was taking Topamax for about 4 years for chronic/daily migraines. It helped tremendously after I had taken almost everything else with no success. Then I had an episode where I ended up with 5 kidney stones. They passed but my neurologist wanted me off the Topamax in case that was the cause of them. I went off and my headaches came back with a vengeance. I had them daily until I begged my primary care doctor to put me back on Topamax. I honestly would rather have stones than daily headaches. I am a mother to four and have a husband and a job. I can't live with daily migraines. After being back on it for about two weeks the headaches have disappeared. I take 200 mg twice a day. I do have memory loss and loss of words big time. It is VERY frustrating. I feel stupid. But I can live with that. I have tingling cheeks , lips and hands. I'm sensitive to sun and have to wear my sunglasses a lot more now. I now talk in my sleep- a little nervous about that :) I lost weight last time around but haven't yet this time. I am very happy, not sure if that is the RX or just me reacting to not having headaches. I guess you have to weight the side effects with the benefits. The choice is ultimately up to you. Good luck everyone!

I am a 38 year old male suffering from a combination of occipital neuralgia and migraines. For 20 years, until a year ago, i would endure pain that was only manageable with narcotic pain relievers (imagine all the gamut of such kind). I would have neck and head aches typically 3-4 times a week, accompanied by vomiting, dizziness which would put me to bed for the entire day. Work and family suffered in magnitude comparable to my own suffering. So then I finally saw my GP for that. The pain meds went up the roof, imitrex, maxalt was added to the equation with only marginal side effect. I saw a neurologist. He had me do an MRI and put me on Topamax starting from 25 mg, which I upped to 200 mg within 6 weeks. Past the initial side effects, the headaches subsided, the frequency reduced and i was able to enjoy weeks at a time with no episodes. Stayed at 200 mg for 5 months. In the meantime, the MRI came back positive for some brain inflammation. False positive they said, does not fit the clinical picture. Second MRI, same positive, this time proceeded with LP, which was negative. Third, MRI still positive; making the neurologist uncomfortable. While dealing with MRI results, the topomax had yielded positive results as far as pain management was concerned. But little by little I noticed that I was becoming more irritable, more impatient and more forgetful. Someone would have to remind me of something several times before it would even register in my mind. I empathize will all the posts that mention feeling like having Alzheimer's. I didn't care in the meantime. As long as I didn't have to deal with the pain it was ok with me. But the situation became worst and worst. I couldn't concentrate on anything, the mere task of remembering to do something was insurmountable. I would wake in the middle of the night and find myself staring at the bathroom mirror for no reason. I would have terrible panic attacks which i control with valium. But yet i continued on with topamax convincing myself and being convinced by other people around me that i just had a "personality disorder". Finally, work begun to suffer. I was loosing track of meetings, deadlines and when this happens someone knocks on your door (boss) telling you that something just doesn't click, something just doesn't feel like a personality quirk. Other people playing doctor would slap on my face that i just had ADD, that I should take something for that and get on with my life. But something was wrong. Pain or dizziness or lack of concentration etc are all electrochemical processes in your brain. It turns out that topamax was helping my headaches but it was not slowly deteriorating other cognitive abilities. Finally, the neurologist decided I should wean of the topamax, stepping down from 200 - 150 and then we go to 100 and so on. I dread the re-occurrence of the headaches. I am waiting for them to happen again at some point as I drop the dosage. But in the end of the day, I'd rather be in pain and in control of my life rather pain free and absent minded.

Hello to All
I'm 33 yr old female who began taking Topamax 2 years ago, after diagnose with Pseudotumor Cerebri,(elevated intracranial pressure),doctors still don't know why i have PTC, it is common overweight women, certain medications, secondary to disease, which all did not connect with me as I was not overweight, have never taken any medication, other than OTC allergy or pain relievers, and all secondary diseases I was tested, and nothing, with a history of migraines headaches, that suddenly became unstable, with vision disturbance I was put on diamax, it lowers elevated intracranial pressure, finally help for this horrible headaches, , I had a side effect it elevated my glucose levels to dangerous levels, due to elevated intracranial pressure I was hospitalize, undergoing several lumbar punctures and eye surgery for decompression of my optic nerve, doctors still unsure of my diagnosis, but telling me I must have surgery for a spinal fluid shunt, I was terrified, I decided to try and consulted with another neuro ophthalmology who had a totally different opinion, I switch doctors and this is when I was prescribe TOPAMAX 25MG to start, now I'm taking 250mg daily, at first the fact that I was going to be OK, that I can continue my life without shunt, no more lumbar punctures, the fact I was not loosing my eye sight, I can go running, rock climbing, after been told I couldn't, I was convinced TOPAMAX was a miracle. The 1st side effects constipation; decreased sweating, drowsiness, dry mouth, loss of appetite I lost about 20 pounds, family friends were really concern, after a while I gain it back, numbness, tingling, I was ok with it, because I no longer had debilitating headaches, had perfect vision, surgery was out the question. and I was stable, but then I suddenly experience seizure, 3 different occasion, no explanation, severe joint leg pain, trouble with speech, bruising, light sensitivity, severe acne, irregular menstrual cycle, vaginal issues, anxiety, heart palpitations, and the worst one yet, the reason I began to search on line mood swings, I'm in the medical field and the people that I work with tells me I'm just getting older, depression, 1st sings of menopause, I'm very active healthy women, with normal daily stress 2 children and 16 years marriage, I have seen my family doctor, had blood work done, and all normal. I have told my neuro about my experiences, and he says is not topamax, my ob says take birth controls it might help, im just lost any one suggestions?

Hello everyone..I have many great things to say about Neurontin. It has been a miracle medication for me. I was in a car accident in 2000 as a passenger my face and head hit the windshield at 80mph. my jaw was broke and the back of my teeth were broken.
Little did I know it was extremely traumatic! My MRI's came back fine and I moved on with my life. About 6 months later my life began to change a brown spot covered my eyesight in the left eye. I began falling all the time and having seizures.
I had another MRI's of by brain done it came back negative. Not one Doctor could seem to understand what was wrong with me. I was put on Topamax for bad headaches that seemed to help. I began loosing weight and continued having seizures(Granmal) where you lose ur vision and it began to effect my speech and i would become confused.
My life was like this for 5 long years. Life didn't get better, I began to be soo tired and felt exhausted all the time. One day out of no where , I couldn't raise my head to get out of bed for work, my whole right side was burning and i was in pure agony!!! i will never forget that day. I had to have my Daughter help me up and i could barley walk...I pushed myself to keep going thinking this is all in my mind!! theres nothing wrong with me.. The MRI's are negative. I proceeded with my day in so much pain and limping all day.
It finally went away and I was fine again fo a small amount of time, I started not being able to remember things ....and forgetting from one second to the next and getting lost when I would drive...i began to panic and have anxiety, I felt like my life was out of control. I called my Mom and she said she had noticed a change in me, things I guess I didn't even know. She said I couldn't hold a conversation as before and i would slur my words and I couldn't recall what she would tell me.
My attacks moved to 4-5 times a week sometimes having seizures 2-3 times a day. I ended up having to be taken care of and moving where my Mother was so she could watch over me. I didn't get better. I couldn't work and I couldn't do much of anything.
My Mother took me to a MS specialist and he was the one who noticed there was something wrong! My face and legs would jerk and I couldn't sit still ..I had so much going thru my mind what could be wrong? I had 2 Sets of MRI's this time and it wasn't fine this time...My Spinal Cord was barley attached to my Brain Stem and CV 5-6 in my neck.
I was at the stage of being in a wheelchair not that I hadn't been using one from time to time and needing a cane.
I was sent to ER Surgery and had a stay in the Hospital and really thought I was a lucky Person to have made it for 5yrs without dying. It has been 4years and I still have soo many problems, I'm held together with a steel plate in my neck that holds mt together.
I'm now 41 years old and I wonder what my future holds. I'm not the same girl I used to be and probably never will be. I have to have Neurontin 600mgx4 a day and 1000mg Keppra a day...Without it I would not want to live the pain is unbearable for me! The only negative side affect is my hair falls out and I have severe Insomnia. Neurontin is a Miracle for me!

I wish all of you the BEST! Prayers for all of you.....

I am noticing that whenever my symptoms arise and they do, then the Doctor increases my dosage which increases my weight. I am fortunate enough to have a new Doctor who wants to try Lamictal, which doesn't make you gain weight. Also Topamax is known for suppressing the appetite. Its very frustrating dealing with these medications. I have gained a tremendous amount of weight.

I took Benadryl for over a year with my topamax (for migraines). The doctor said it was ok so I continued and got a good nights sleep. A few weeks ago I got up and went to the bathroom. My urine was cloudy and smelled terrible. I started drinking water and even drank a full glass before I went to bed. I woke up with the same problem. I quit taking the topamax and benadryl.My urine cleared up the next day. About a week later I took a benadryl before bed (no topamax) and woke up with the same terrible smell in my urine. I know think that long term use is going to cause kidney problems.

I'm 38 years old and I started Topamax in July of 2008 for severe migraines. I've had an average of 12-15 migraines per month since my early 20's and nothing was working. While initially adjusting to Topamax I had the tingling in my hands and feet during the first month but then it went away. My neurologist increased the dose very slowly from 50mg to 100mg to 150 mg. The migraines have decreased in response to each dose increase. At 100 mg the migraines reduced to 10 per month and at 150mg they reduced to 6 per month. My dose is now being raised to 200 mg which the Dr. says is the maximum recommended for treating migraines. The worst side effects I've experienced are extremely dry mouth (from 150 mg+) and slight hair loss. My starting weight was 138 and I lost 11 pounds very gradually before my weight stabilized at 127. I haven't noticed any problems with food or drinks tasting different. For some reason, I always have insomnia for the first week after a dose increase but then it goes away. I've only had mild concentration problems but nothing notable or problematic. So far, the medication has been remarkable and I can't believe what it's like to live life without so much migraine pain! I hope other people can have the same benefits from this medication.