Topamax and healthy hair

There is a strong warning regarding heartbeat irregularities and Topamax. It is in the PDR and professional literature but is usually not told to patients.

I am an RN, wanted to lose around 30 pounds and my doctor prescribed this medication. He did not tell me about any side effects other than possible dizziness when first starting the medication. I wondered why my thick and healthy hair was falling out by the handfulls and why my Diet Coke was undrinkable.. figured out the soft drink part but had to ask him about hair loss before he offered up that it is a very common side effect. But those are the simple, more common things which most people now know about. The cardiac effects are NOT well known until a person really looks for that particular effect in professional literature. People NEED to know. I have been in the hospital for several days and am still having a very rapid heartbeat with a serious irregularity which I have never had before taking Topamax and which is documented in SOME literature for physician prescribing only.

Today I will be having heart tests and possibly even a heart cath. to determine if the Topamax which I stopped taking 2 weeks ago is the cause of my own irregular heartbeat ( Ventricular Ectopy) and chest pain.

IF you don't need this medication very badly for seizures, please do not take if " off label".
The risks are sometimes much more severe than the condition being treated.

I wish you all health and happiness. God bless.

Texas RN

I have been on topomax for about 10 days(50 mg for first week and 100 mg since then). I have severe hair loss, loss of apetite, memory loss, loss of words, confusion, not able to think clearly, mood swings and depression. I am worried at all these side effects. I sometimes think, if I have to chose between severe headaches and all these, is it worthy to continue Topomax? My Doctor only warned me of tingling effect on fingers and toes and nothing else. Today I had been to another doctor for second opinion and he actually asked me a few question as part of check up and the it struck me that all these things are happening to me. I was kind of ignoring these effects so far thinking they are part of post partum depression.

My 14 year old daughter was on Topamax for migraines for 7 months and when she went off, she lost considerable amounts of hair. I'm not noticing regrowth - and that scares me for her. She had such beautiful blonde hair and I'm concerned that this is going to get worse as opposed to better. Has anyone noticed regrowth???