Been taking Topamax 300 mg a day for the past 4 year. I also tak...

Starleena, When I was taking 400 mg of Topomax I felt the same way. I felt like I was in a daze, forgot what I was trying to say mid-sentence, my college vocabulary was reduced to that of a grade schooler. I could no longer finish my cross word puzzles I'd been doing my whole life and my home was covered in sticky notes for reminders because I would forget as quickly as I thought of something. I felt like a complete idiot. I reduced my dosage to 200 mg and I am clear as a bell and all of the above ceased and returned to normal almost immediately. Hope this helps you. Titrate to a level that works for you.

Hi. You sound like you could be my twin sister. I had rediculous migraines. Like every other day. I used to go through atleast 20 Imitrex per month. I also took 450 milligrams of Wellbutrin daily. I then took Topamax for migraines. I was so confused that I could not even find my way to a restaurant one night to meet my husband. We had been going to this place for 5 years. I decided to do some serious research because I am only 25 and have 3 very young children. Wellbutrin is a huge migraine causer. One of the most common side effects of Wellbutrin is migraines. I spent 6 years on Wellbutrin and every doctor I went to said it could not be. I stopped Topamax and went on 75 milligrams of amitriptilyne. I was exhausted. Tired is an understatement. I could hardly get up, but my headaches actually vanished and I still was able to take the Wellbutrin for my depression. I then realized that I was getting depressed because I was tired. The drugs were counteracting eachother! No headaches, but depressed. That is how I am unmedicated. I gradually weaned off Wellbutrin and then amitriptilyne. I now take a really good multivitamin, magnesium and B2. Absolutly no prescriptions. I am not quite as alert and ambitious as with Wellbutrin, but I have not used a Zomig or Imitrex in # months. Advil works now for the very infrequent headaches I some times get. Advil was joke for me 6 months ago. Get some amitriptilyne and wean yourself off every thing. Start living. Precriptions dominated my life for years. Daily exercise and a little sunlight is just as effective as Wellbutrin. The more medicines you take, the more you will need. We get a symptom from one medication and cover it with another. I urge you to explore some alternatives.

Try a non-med for your migraines. I'm going for massages and accupuncture once a month. Then see if you can get weaned off the topamax. I still get migraines but they aren't as bad as being on the topamax. Also, now when I take Imitrex, I also take 800 mg of Ibuprofen, that seems to help. I still get 1-2 migraines a week, but it's better than feeling like my life was falling apart - which is what I felt like on topamax, like a skinny psychotic.

Hi Starleena,
I also have migraines like you - extremely frequently. If I have one only 4 out of every 7 days, it is a good week. I recently was approved by my insurance company for Botox, which I was prescribed in addition to Topamax. This has helped me and may be helpful to you as well. Insurance companies will usually only approve this as a last resort, so you may have to try many other migraine medications first. I had to try over 13 before this was approved. The botox is injected into my forehead, scalp, neck and shoulders (4 syringes total). It doesn't have side effects like the Topamax because it is not systemic but works only at the injection site. It does hurt a bit because you get injected so many times in such sensitive places, but it is nowhere near as uncomfortable as the pain of even one week of migraines. I don't think it has stopped my migraines, but it has certainly lessened the pain. I go back every three months when the effects begin to wear off.
The side effects of the Topamax are unbearable to me and I am coming off of it. Like others, my memory is shot. I no longer experience any tingling, drunken feeling, or dizziness however. I was on 100mg but am now down to 25. I am coming off slowly to avoid seizure or any of the other really nasty surprises. I think it actually started to cause headaches in me after a while. There are days when I am not having true migraines but feel sick (almost poisoned) and have a different kind of headache.