Topamax and cold turkey

I've been on Topamax for over a year for hormonal migraines, and it's working great for the headaches. I started out at 25mg twice a day and now I'm up to 100mg twice a day. I've lost 40lb (mostly due to the drug -- but my appetite is starting to come back) and have just recently started experiencing the anxiety and tingling in the extremities. I've always felt I've had trouble concentrating and "finding the word", but I attributed it to lack of sleep because I have two small children. My most recent side effect, however, is most worrisome, which is the reason for my visit to this website. I am experiencing severe abdominal pain, almost constant, and it seems to be increasing. I had abdominal pain and diarrhea when I first started Topamax last year, but it stopped after the first month or so. I'm just wondering if maybe long term use can cause ulcers or other stomach problems. Anyone have any experience with this? I know from experience that Topamax dosages have to gradually weaned up and down, so I'm considering decreasing my dosage to see if my stomach problems will stop. I'm just in so much pain, yet my migraines have almost stopped now with 200mg a day, that I'm reluctant to change my dose.

I have been taking Topamax since 2002 for migraines. I started out slow with 25mg at night for a week then 50, 75 then 100mg after one month. The following week I was suppose to start 25mg in the morning. I received headaches from that. I only stick with 100mg at night and have not suffered from a migraine since. Unless I am hung over. I did get the tingling in my hands and now I hate soda. Which to me is a good thing for all the sugar it has in it. However, when my script runs out and it takes me two or more days for a refill, I get extremely sick. Must be a withdrawel thing. So do not miss more than one day.

My doctor put me on Topamax for migraines, but I can not handle the effects. I just started the 75 mg dose just as I was moving into a new college apartment with new roommates, and I felt like I was going crazy! I couldn't eat anything without feeling completely ill, I was spacing out, and I couldn't remember words.. for three whole days I couldn't remember the word 'tapestry.' I finally had to look it up in the dictionary.. not a good sign for a college student. The worst, though, was the overwhelming sense of panic that was getting worse by the day. I was no longer myself! The last straw was a panic attack, complete with hypernentilating. I have never felt so scared in my life. I actually had to go the ER to get something to calm myself down.

So, I decided to stop taking it. My parents talked to my pharmacist, and she told them that Topamax IS the type of drug you can stop "cold turkey." But after a week, I feel almost as bad as I did when I was on the drug! I still can't eat anything. Also, I wake up hours before my alarm goes off, completely sick at my stomach. I feel panicky and nervous. I have several bouts of diarrhea and this morning I almost didn't make it. I share a bathroom with three (normal!) girls, and it is getting to be embarrasing and annoying. Please, can anyone tell me.. when do the side effects go away?? I want to be a normal 19 year old again!

Do not stop this drug cold turkey. I am not a fan of Topamax but I see many people posting about wanting to stop immediately. I have had a really bad experience on this drug with side effects but you cannot just stop taking it. I am currently weaning at this rate: 25mg every 5 days. From what I've read, this is pretty much the standard when weaning off topamax but you should always consult your doctor. Cold Turkey stopping can result in seizures and all kinds of adverse side effects that can make your current topamax experience look like a walk in the park.

Went of of T 'cold turkey" after being on for 1 mo. I am left with ringing in the lt ear and now 2 wks. being off T am experiencing hot flushes throughout my body and up in my head with throbing headache.

I had been taking topamax for 4 years for complex migranes and then stopped cold turkey after feeling like there was a tight band across my waist and watery diahrea and soreness in lower back , burning itchy pain..... went to the emergency room 14 times for them to tell me that I was crazy. I had a feeling like water was running in my head, normal cat scan of brain. water feelings throughout body... they still come and go but last a couple of seconds.... feels like sensory or nerve damage of some kind.... don't know if this is a side affect or not..... Doctor finally is getting something done. she checked my heart becasue I have MVP... and I am shedualed to get a mri of brain... I have a herniated disk in lower back, scoliosis, degenerative disk disease.... nuerologist checked for nerve damage due to herniation. won't hear back anything on that till after mri of brain. won't hear back about the heart till april.... Just found out that I am borderline hyperthyroidism... and the doc is sending me to a specialist. thyroid is inflammed and big.... My bones are crackly and pop alot and sore.... The water feeling and burning and tingling hands and feet scare me alot but I try to not think about it... Try to stay positive.. I am only 29.... I feel like I am 70 sometimes...... Does anyone have these symptoms after taking topamax...????? Yes I do have the thinning hair but that could also be the thyroid... and fatigue... problems sleeping and hot flashes. palpatations..... any help would be nice... Thank you,,,, love and light to all, jess

Hi All,

I have been taking Topamax for about 3 years now for migraines, and it has been a godsend. I am taking 200mg a day, 100mg in the AM and 100mg in the PM. I experienced all the usual side effects, confusion, dizziness, bad taste, tingling, blurry vision, etc. but these do go away with time. Here are a few things that can be done for some of them. For the dizziness, your doctor can prescribe for you Antivert. For the tingling, your doctor can prescribe for you, I think it was called HZTC or something like that, it was a water pill, I am not sure of the name, but ask your doc, I am sure they will know the correct name when you ask them about it. All of the side effects will go away with time. I did not experience the hair loss, so I can't say if that will go away, but the others will. If you do decide that you want to stop taking Topamax, please do not go off it "Cold Turkey", I have read up on it, and you could put yourself at big risk by doing this, seizures, etc., remember, this was first a seizure med. Please wean yourself off.

ANSWER TO: Fri, 12 Jan 2007 06:47:48 -0600 by tracyann, #36221

I have tried to email some of the people that have posted but I have a feeling that really does not work on this website as I am getting no responses.

Normally it takes about 4-6 months to get any real serious impacts from TOPAMAX. My wife began losing her hair when she hit 100mg and about 5 months into her treatment. She is stopping use of TOPAMAX but has decided to come off just as she went on as the side effects initially almost drove her crazy so she decideed not to go COLD TURKEY off the drug. The doctor is cutting her dosage to 75mg for 3days then 50mg for 3days then 25mg for 3 days and then off the drug. She has consulted a dermatologist about her hair and he agrees that she needs to get off the drug before she goes bald. She will begin another regimen recommend by Dr Williams in Alternatives and will begin 20mg of B12 and also B6 and Folic acid to combat her migraines. Once she found out that you can also get OSTEOPOROSIS from the drug that was the nail in the coffin for this drug.

I have had trouble breathing with Topamax. I have been on the med twice. The first time, my doctor suspected that the mix of Allegra D and the Topamax caused an allergic reaction, the feeling of someone sitting on my chest and a breathing difficulty. So, she told me to stop both of them cold turkey. I did. The side effects went away, I felt better after 3 days. My migraines came back so I went to see a neurologist who wanted to try the Topamax again. I agreed to try it. I feel that familiar breathing problem, but not as bad. This time around, I think it is triggering asthma attacks which I have never had before. Someone was cutting the grass next door and when I breathed it in, I couldn't breathe. I had to shut the windows quickly and I coughed until I caught my breath. There was a natural gas smell in my apartment bldg. last week, I was in the hall for 4 mins. and had to leave quickly because it took my breath away. It took me 20 mins. to stop coughing. When I smell nail polish or the remover, etc. now, I can't breathe. I left the house yesterday and was panting while driving. I can't walk on my new treadmill without breathing hard. That never used to happen. Other side effects include pain behind my eye when I go out in the sun, my lips burn every time I go out in the sun, so do my ears, tingling in my thumbs and feet that can be painful, allergic to my cats now (breaking out in hives), and just not quick with the mind like I used to be. I know I shouldn't be driving. I've only been taking it for 6 weeks.