Topamax and kidney stones

My 6 year old daughter is taking topamax. Since the time she been taking it she has forgotten who she was and everyone around her, she went for an excellent student to not be able to do simple things like reading writing and math. She does even seem like the same child. She is very emotional and I just want my little girl back.

I've been on Topamax since Sept 2007 and the only side effects I have had were at the beginning were the tingling in the hands and feet when I was brining my dosage up. Soda tastes awful but I no longer drink it and that is a godsend after being a heavy drinker of it for years. I do find there are time when I can't find the right word to say, or I forget what I was doing, but I deal with it. I have lost 20 pounds since being on the medication. After being on it for 6 months the tingling is gone, I usually counteracted it by drinking plenty of water in the morning, that got rid of it. The drug has taken away the migraines, and regular headaches I have suffered from for years. It has also stabilized my moods and taken away my anxiety issues. I'm 36 and have never felt better. Topamax is definitely not for everyone. For those that are suffering, please do contact your doctors and try to get off the medication.

I've only been on a few days and already experienced the flat soda effect... that's the whole reason for soda.. I like the fizz... not cool.

My doctor warned me about the tingling, it's a sign of low potassium, so she said to start eating more bananas... so no tingling yet.
Also consume a lot of water to reduce risk of kidney stones...

So far I've only experienced the flat soda that I know of..

I have had migraines for 4 years almost on a daily basis and nothing has worked. Finally started Topamax, the first week iI felt like i had a stroke, my speech was slurred, I couldn't concentrate, I was exhausted couldn't make complete sentences, numbness in hands and feet and every thing tastes bad., I had been on 4 pills a days to start so decreased to one-i believe it it 50 mg. worked well then headaches began again after 2 weeks, so increased to 2 then again in a few weks to 3 now i have had only 3 migraines in 3 months. Still have the numbness and taste aversion but I have never felt better as far as migraines. My new problem is I am having a lot of digestive issues including cramping and constant acidy, bubbly,gassy, bloating feeling and no gas x, pepto or anything works??? Is this a side effect or something unrelated??

You know, it's very irritating when people post "STAY AWAY FROM THIS OR THAT" etc ... just because *they* or someone they know had a problem with it. I've been on Topamax for about 4 months now - up to 300mg/per day, only side effect is the metabolic acidosis if I overexert in the heat (which is damn annoying) - I haven't yet reached tharaputic levels because the weight-loss hasn't kicked in, so I'm liable to get close to the 800mg per day dosage. All this AND I'm prone to kidney stones to begin with! So please stop all the screaming about how freaking dangerous it is just because it didn't work for YOU, hell, pennicillin KILLS people too but you don't hear people screaming about how terrible it is, do you?

I took Topamax for a year(stopping a month ago) before I finally decided it wasn't worth all the problems.

When I first started the drug I had tingling in my face and feet, and tingling with severe pain in my hands.I was told it would go away after a few weeks, but after several months it was still a problem. I was tested and found out to have Carpal Tunnel,however after stopping the medication I have no problems or symptoms of it at all.
After 7 months on the drug I was diagnosed with multiple kidney stones. I have 4-5 stones in one kidney.
About 2 months ago I started losing ALOT of hair. It is falling out in clumps. I can actually feel how much thinner it is. I didn't realize it could be from the meds until reading other posts here.

I am tired all the time but can't sleep. I will go to bed and lay there for hours before getting back up. I average about 3 hours of sleep a night and then I have no energy to do anything during the day.
My sex drive is completely gone.
Also have extreme hot flashes and sweating episodes. I can just be sitting around doing nothing and will start burining up and sweating. It is terrible.
My Dr. said that most of these are not side effects of the medication but after reading here ,I am convinced that it is and am glad I quit taking it. I will have to go back to dealing with the migraines because I am not going back on this drug.

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.

I passed a kidney stone about 1 month ago & was told that I have another in each kidney. Have been on 200 mg Topamax/day for 3 years. Also they found a gall stone 2.5 cm when they did CT scan at ER. Just had it removed. They had to do a larger cut at the navel so they could get it out, it was so big. I've also been on Lexapro 20 mg/day.
My husband keeps telling me my back pain is a convenience pain and all in my head. I think between a gall stone that large and kidney stones I can rest assured the pain was not all in my head. Dr. put me on topamax for weight loss.
I feel that Drs. don't care, they are much too busy, you have to educate yourself. I passed a kidney stone 4 yrs ago so this Dr should have know not to put me on it.