Topamax and memory

I'm a 41 year old female in very good health- other than the obvious migraine problem that I have. I have been on topamax for 3 months and am now tapering off of it. I have had all of the side effects that others have experienced to the point that I can't continue taking the medication. My memory is horrible. I can't remember simple things, which is really causing problems at work. My mood is dull and lifeless, and all I want to do is, well, nothing. I'm not a big soda fan anyway, but now it tastes really awful. I noticed that almost immediately. And once in awhile I crave a coke, but can't drink one because it is nasty!!!
I have lost about five pounds, but I don't think I will lose any more since my appetite has returned. That's o.k., because that wasn't my goal anyway. The tingling in the hands, feet and face happens almost daily and feels like little tiny needles being stuck in me. It's actually quite painful sometimes. And, I have noticed blurriness in one of my eyes. This drug has not helped my migraines. We're trying something else. But either way, I would get off of this drug. It's not worth it to me. If you are considering it, I would think twice.

Been on Topamax for almost a year. My dose was 150mg once a day for alternative treatment for chronic depression. I am also on Effexor and Lamictal. The tingling in the toes has lessened but not gone away. I have severe thirst all the time. My body seems to overheat easily. I lost 20 lbs but i was doing weight watchers and had just had a baby so its hard to give all the credit to Topamax. I definitely feel dumb. Words come and simply float away out of sight. My memory is extremely affected. I can fight with my husband and by the end have no idea what I had just said. Feel quite foolish. I am now titrating down and off by 50mg every 4 days. I am down to 50mg and have not had a good night's sleep since reducing my doses. My brain just turns on in the middle of the night. I am also pretty nauseated at this lowest titration. I just gained back 6 lbs but eating chocolate doesn't help either. I seemed to be able to keep my weight at 140 lbs no matter what i would eat. Not so anymore. Always trying to find the faster, easier way toward staying thin but it always comes back to that same bottom line. I have to discipline myself boooo.

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 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've been on Topamax (100 mg 2x per day) for 5 years as mono therapy for epilepsy. I switched over from Depakote which was a *nightmare* and it has been great, no seizures. I've had the pins and needles, diminished vocabulary and memory, and intermittent eye twitching but this week my right eye (why is it always the right eye?) has started twitching almost constantly. It is frightening and embarrassing and I am not sure what I should do.. I guess it's back to the neurological drawing for me because I am not sure why it's happening now. Has anyone else had the eye twitching occur after long term use?

I have had migraines for years and as I got older the migraines got worse. I was having four a month when my doctor started me on Topamax. I was to take 25 mg at night for a week and then increase each week until I was up to 100mg. I never made it 100mg. At 50mg I woke up with double vision. My doctor said the Topamax was so great for migraines that I stayed at 25 mg for over a year. Thats when the side effects started. I had lost of concentration and inability to find the right words. I thought I was just getting old...even thought I was in early stages of Alzheimer. I had mild depression but thought it was from things I was going through in life. Then I notice that my morning urine would smell. I cant even describe the smell just different and I knew something was wrong. I haven't had a menstrual period in over five years but started spotting. Thats when I looked up the side effects. I stopped taking the Topamax immediately. The smell in my urine went away after a few days off of it. I am hoping that my memory and concentration improve gradually. Its not worth the problems it causes. Now I'm looking for another way to lessen the migraines.

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.

I have been on the med for 4 yrs now (I think). 300 mg/day. At times, especially during the winter I get cold hands & feet where they become numb (& tingly from med. I assume). Fingers may turn white. I have thin skin in those areas (can see veins, redness). I wear double layers of clothes during winter/some spring & I live in Missouri (during the day, sleep). Still have tingling some in toes & fingers, ringing in the ears, memory & word loss, little stuttering/thought process before speaking, dry mouth. Fatigue - but I am a busy person. Stomach issues - constipation (but I also don't eat very well). Anxiety - Welbution generic the whole time I have been on this. Weight loss has been nice. After reading a lot of your comments I am wondering if it is time to get off of the medicine & see how I feel

Started taking Topamax about a month ago for frequent migraines. I used to take Axert 2 to 4 times a week. If I did it at the beginning of a headache it worked very well, with little or no side affects- just got tired of having so many headaches. Started the Topamax and worked up to 100 mg per day (50 am 50 pm). Seems to control the headaches well, down to maybe one per week and I think less severity.

Side effects so far: 1. Perhaps some memory stuff as described by others (hard time spelling formerly familiar words etc... but doesn't seem real obvious to me (maybe to other!!!). 2. Diet Coke tastes terrible like everyone says!! This one hurts cause I love diet coke. The good news is that I don't notice the effect as much now a the first couple of weeks.
3. I have frequent (emphasis on frequent) diarrhea- like a couple times a day four to five days a week. This one doesn't seem much better. Now there has been some associated weight loss as reported but Im not sure that is due to reduced appetite or daily diarrhea or both. Either way I was glad to loose the ten pounds I needed to loose anyway, just wish I could do it without spending so much time in the bathroom.
Have not had any of the tingling in the hands or fingers that others have reported.

I've been taking 150mg of topamax a day for the last 10 months for trigeminal neuralgia. I haven't found any improvement in terms of appetite or memory in this time. Side-effects haven't lessened at all. Tingling in feet and hands, emotional instability including anger and grief, cognitive impairment in terms of slowed though-processes, spelling problems, and general intellectual functioning haven't improved with time. It seems as though I'm still walking in a haze all day long. I can pass ridiculous amounts of time by just staring into space and thinking about nothing. It scares me sometimes but it's taken away a lot of the pain and has allowed me some sort of normality. I'm 28, I want to live and work and build something for myself. So, for now, it's a trade-off .... side-effects vs life with pain or jumping off a balcony with my hands in my pockets some night when I can't take it anymore. It all comes down to the degree of debilitation that your particular disorder imposes and your ability to deal with it. I couldn't physically handle the pain or isolation anymore so I opted for the side-effects. I just wonder what the long-term implications of Topamax will turn out to be in five or 10 or 20 years from now.

since starting topamax in may 08, 50mg twice daily, i have had constant pain under my right rib, feels like something is eating a hole straight through to my back where the pain wraps around. also have some trouble breathing, constipation. have had gallbladder ultrasound, hida-scan of gallbladder, endoscopy, cat scan of chest and abdomen and chest x-ray, along with a zillion blood tests all showing normal. no one can find the source of my pain, the only thing is how the time corresponds with my pain and when i started the topamax. can anyone tell me of any similar side effects they have had, is it the topamax causing this? and should i stop. i'm feeling as if i'm poisoning myself. i need help. thank you for anything you can tell me.

I've only been taking this drug for two days - 25mg in the evening - and I've already got side effects. I get tingling in my fingertips, and all down along the bottom of my fingers. I've been feeling nausea as well, and writing this, my brain feels a little blocked and slow. I also think I'm losing my appetite, which could be a good thing, considering that I do need to lose weight. But I don't think it is worth it if I end up getting side effects like the ones that have been posted by other people.
I'm a writer, and I cannot afford to lose my memory, or suddenly not remember how to spell words, or to communicate effectively. Should I stop taking Topamax?

I had to stop taking Topamax because it destroyed my life...life-long friends and my long-term relationship all fell apart because of my extreme pessimism which was not me. I actually gained quite a bit of weight. Also, I had very obvious intellectual problems.
I have been off of it for over a year and have just realized my moods are completely different from before the drug and my memory is nothing like it used to be. I am concerned about long-term side effects even after stopping Topamax......

Hello-
I am here to share my story about topamax in hopes that others may read this and not have to go through what I did. I went on topamax for the prevention of migraine headaches. It worked great to prevent my headaches but gradually I could not talk, I stuttered severely, and I have memory and other cognition problems. At my doctors recommendation I stayed on the medicine for about 6 months because he assured me that the stuttering would go away. I was in such awful pain that I agreed with him. Needless to say that 6 months was not me. I couldn't talk and I couldn't think. Now when I think back on it, I wish I had just endured the pain. When I went off of the medication I still stuttered. It was not quite as severe but it was bad. It effected my work, my personal life, and daily menial tasks. I could no longer communicate. I was devastated. My doctor was puzzled and said that he had never heard of this before. So to make a long story short I went to a speech clinic, bought casa futura techs small talk device, and tried some anti-stutter meds. My speech now, 2 years later, is much improved thanks to the smalltalk but guess what,? I still stutter. Manageable and not very noticeable to others at times but my speech has not returned to pre-topamax status. I looked into sueing the drug company to bring awareness about this issue but did not get much positive feedback from attorneys. IF YOU ARE ON TOPAMAX AND ARE STUTTERING, STOP TAKING IT. IT MAY NOT GO AWAY WHEN YOU DISCONTINUE THE MEDICINE. It is not worth it. You cannot put a price on speech. I don't care what the physicians desk reference says, what your doctor says, what the corrupt drug companies say. I know my experience and it has been a catastropohic effect from topamax. Find a different med if you have speech problems! Please, for your own sake. Thanks for letting me share my story.

I'm a 24 year old female, the doctor put me on topamax about a year ago for my migraines, since they stopped making midrin. It made me sleepy beyond anything. Food and drinks started to taste odd, I stopped taking when I lost insurance because it was $170.00 a month. I had been wondering if I should take it again and now after reading this stuff, I am not going to be doing so, while the weight loss would be nice, I don't need to lose my memory at 24 when I have a 3 year old son to worry about, thanks to call that have posted. :D

I've been on Topamax for 3 years for migraine and it works most of the time. I am currently having a hard time with the usual side effects of memory loss, hair loss, word recall problems, coldness, depression, no sex drive, and am developing a cough. BUT I had a side effect that has not been mentioned when I first started taking it (25 mg in am and pm -- I'm now on 50mg in am and pm).
For about 2 weeks, I would get in my car to go to work and miss my turns because they would cognitively come up too soon (this is after 15 years of going to work the same way everyday). I had to be extremely conscious of my surroundings when I drove or I'd miss all my normal turns. I got lost in my own neighborhood once going home. At work, I'd get up from my desk to go to a co-worker's desk and arrive there amazing fast to my mind. I was experiencing time/space/distance distortion. It became fascinating to me, but it passed.

I've been on topamax at 400mg 2x a day for about 8 years now. It is a great drug but it has HORRIBLE side effects! It ( along with lamictal) gives me WONDERFUL seizure control. And it is safe for pregnancy. BUT it has destroyed my memory. short term and long term I cant remember much of anything! The sexual side effects is just awful. It makes reaching an orgasm almost impossible! I am very scared that I may have full blown alzheimers by the time I am 30!

Has anyone gained they're memory back after stopping topamax?

difficulty in quick memory recall. delayed response in some things. muscle fatigue (especially in lower extremities) ...but fewer migraines!

I had all of the above side effects when I was on this crap. Topamax is highly dangerous. I now have developed Narcolepsy, have problems with my joints, my memory has trouble here and there for simple things. I am only 29, and haven't taken this stuff for about 4 yrs. I have permanent problems now that I have to live with for the rest of my life. I didn't have a choice in the matter. I was ordered by the court to take a psychological evaluation. They asked some questions and determined that I was Bi polar. Topamax was the drug they put me on, and look where I'm at now. I also have Migraines, which I had way before this poison, and my advice to everyone is that this stuff is dangerous, don't take it!

I started right out 3 years ago on 100 mgs. and within a couple weeks migraines were virtually gone! I thought it was a miracle! Only slight side affects for a couple years and only an occasional migraine but not a three day long one. So, I figure, small price to pay for all that relief, right? Now, for the last 6 months or so I'm falling apart! My memory is just gone! Sometimes I'm afraid to leave my house because I'm afraid I'll forget my way back home! I can hardly concentrate long enough to put a meal together and it just took me 4 tries to remember how to spell concentrate! Thank Goodness for spellcheck! I've lost 42 lbs. that I can ill afford to lose and I now I have started to have these anxiety things that I've never had before. I feel scared and nervous and no idea why. I was on a couple of drugs for allergies, a couple for arthritis and a vitamin. I dropped everything except the Topamax and the DR. put me on a 1/2 mg. Zanax twice daily for anxiety which seems to do nothing except make me sleepy. Now it seems all these side affects have just bloomed and I have this constant ache over my right eye which isn't a migraine but never goes away. I'm afraid to just stop the topamax because of what I've read about suddenly stopping. Doctors are no help, they won't even admit there is a problem. They just wanted to check my thyroid.It was fine.

I have been taking Topomax for migraines for about 3 years now. Staying at the 75mg at night dosage. Going to 100mg just does not work for me. GI disturbances too severe. Diarrhea mostly. Early on same as a lot of the other reports, tingling in hands, bad tasting soda, some hair loss, and intermittent upset stomach and diarrhea. Memory not as good as without the med and balance a little off. All of these have diminished in intensity and frequency. Up side, weekly headaches that forced me to go to bed gone. Being an irritable wretch because my head hurt, was about to begin to hurt, or just got over hurting gone. At this point in my life the pros still outweigh the cons and as long as that is true I will continue with the regimine.

Hi I've been on topamax for 4 years . Had all the side effects...weight loss,tingling in hands and feet,no memory and speech problems! I was taking 600mgs a day! I take it for epilepsy! I was on the highest dose. my doc then weened me from top. to zonegran 600mgs. It's very similar to topamax. For me it is not helping me as much as the topamax. I think it's a great drug!!!! I did not loose hair, no constipation, no rapid heartbeat for me! I am going back on it . Yes sometimes I would get in a hostel mood and can't spell shit , but for me it's all GOOD !

I've been taking Topamax now for about 6 weeks, and my headaches are still just as bad as ever, except now I have headaches with the thrill of numb fingers, confusion, weight loss, memory loss, an absolute horrid taste in my mouth, and now the latest.... my hands feel dirty all the time. Has anyone experienced this?? I just feel like my hands are dirty. I wash them, and a half hour later, it almost feels like there's a film on them, and I have to wash them again. Almost ocd-ish. So 6 weeks in.... Anyone have any advise on how much longer I should give this topamax before I give up on it & try something else? My doc said it should have worked by now if it was gonna - but I have read on here, that it sometimes can take months...? I just don't know if I can take these side effects, AND the headaches for much longer without going NUTS! {grin}
Any advise?

i have been on topamax for 6 months... i was also on tegrotol at the time. the drug made me stupid, i couldn't visualize things or think clearly, my memory had gone and i was forgetting the most familiar things in my life, i felt unreal and as if i were just a pair of eyes watching the world, i could ever just relax and feel normal, riving made me feel weird and i cant drive long distances. iv now decided to come off the drug and live drug free... i really hope that these effects go away... its the worst thing my neurologist has ever done...

Been taking Topamax 300 mg a day for the past 4 year. I also take 450 mg of Wellbutrin. This is to help with migraine. Although my total count of Zomig pills I took last year was 120 pills and some of those I broke in half so I wouldn't have to use a whole pill for a migraine. So that mean, with the Topamax and Wellbutrin combined, I still had at least 123 migraine this past year. Three months of migraines. That's insane. I can't stop the "Dopamax" because my doctor says it would be really bad with it. I have terrible memory loss, forgetfulness, and loss of words that is embarrassing. The nurses did not inform me of the side effects when I first started taking it and I thought I was going crazy. I started looking up ADHD on the computer thinking I had developed it as an adult. I was made at the nurse when she asked me how I was doing remembering things and and if I was stumbling for word......I wanted to slap her off her stool.........at that point it was NOT funny.

I am a 35 year old female.I have been taking Topamax 100mg for over a year now, I went from weighing 155 down to 125 and my migraines have decreased a lot.I still get some but I will take a Maxalt as back-up and it takes it right away. I do believe I have become a bit crabbier though as people have told me that I'm not as fun as I used to be-more moody, but I'm not sure that may just be me-stress and all.Even if it was a side effect I don't think I would trade it back for the migraines EVER!! My memory is shot too- Ugh!

I was doing just fine taking 50 mg of Topamax but I was still having minor headaches. My doctor said to go to a neurologist because there may be a tumor to worry about. He doubled my morning dosage and added an evening dosage so now I am taking 200 mg. a day. I started the insanity on Friday. By Monday i went grocery shopping and couldn't remember what I was shopping for. Thank God i brought my husband with me...when I could remember that he was with me. And then when I remembered to ask him what we came for I needed to remember where it was. Upon returning home I offered to help my 7 year old grand daughter with her spelling homework. Do you how embarrassing it is to not remember how to spell first grade spelling words? Tuesday was Mardi Gras and we went to the movies so I was saved any further mind questions. Then along comes Wednesday and I returned to work. Well, I tried to get to work. I got lost. Here I was at Walgreen's trying to figure out what I was doing out at 6:00 in the morning. What day was it? The looks on other's faces when you ask them these question is not something funny. So, I get back in my car and aim in the direction I hope is work. Luckily, I remember where I habitually stop for breakfast. My memory comes back again and I make it to work. I am on time and all is well. Now, the day begins.

I haven't had a period since December. Here it is February. And no, I am NOT pregnant. I can't concentrate. I ate 2 chicken nuggets for lunch and am full (now that is a healthy lunch, huh?). I was addicted to Dr. Pepper and now can't even stand the smell of it. I can't walk and chew gum at the same time. I found a note that I wrote sometime yesterday that really scares me because I don't remember writing it. It says, " Headache @ 1:55 no known trigger jut sudden movement to pick up papers from bin over desk. Nausea as well. Need to go to sleep forever." Good feeling to have? Depression is kicking in.

I just called my doctor and he says decrease the medication down to 100 mg. Ummmm...How about I decrease it down to 0 mg and I take a Imitrex or 2 and a hot bath with a nap when I get home and live to see my grandchildren grow old! I think living with a migraine or 50 is far better than what I have been feeling this past week.

If anyone can tell me that it gets better in less than 2 weeks I will stay with it but 1 more week of this and I will be a patient in a mental hospital. I can't even play Nintendo with my grandson...NOW THAT IS DEPRESSING!

I'm a 26 year old female and I've been on Topamax since March 2007. It has completely gotten rid of the debilitating headaches I experienced 3-6 times a week. It also got rid of my anxiety. I got my life back, my antidepressant kicked in at the same time. I experienced all the usual side-effects, tingling hands and feet, forgetting words, memory problems, loss of appetite, but was COMPLETELY pain-free. I still am. However, I never remember anything now, forget whether or not I did something, paid my bills, etc, lose things constantly, and I have lost about 20 lbs. Not good. I look anorexic. I have bones sticking out. Eating is hard. I forget to eat and drink all day and food is just unappealing. I feel fuzzy and stupid and slow. Not sharp like I used to be. It has killed my confidence and self-esteem. But I was wondering if any women out there got yeast infections while they were on Topamax. I've had one monthly since I started it, and my doc said it's a rare side effect. Oh yeah, I've had mild hair loss and mild to moderate acne now. This drug, it is such a 50-50. Living with chronic pain, those headaches were awful. But doubting yourself is awful too. Anyone have similar experiences?

I've been on Topomax for about 3-4 months now. I've had memory loss, slurred speech, decreased concentration (I have to re-read something several times to understand it) tingling in the hands and feet, depression, increased anger, loss of appetite, weight loss. I'm now at the point where I have a rash on my leg, severe nausea, and abnormal bleeding. I going to follow up with my neuro and PCP to see what's going on so we'll see. My migraines have decreased from 3-4 a week to maybe 1 a week, so it has been worth it so far so I can function for work and for my kids as a single mother. I've suffered from migraines for about 10 years and can't take the pain no more!!! If anyone has experienced the nausea, rashes or bleeding please reply.

Hi
I have been on topamax for 5 months now. I first learned of this drug after holidaying in USA (i'm from UK!) and after suffering from horrendous migraines for years, with no relief, finally this drug has really helped. However it is certainly not without its side effects. One thing that i have noticed but no one else seems to have noted, so i'm not sure whether it is peculiar to me or not....is dry eyes??? My eyes are so dry all of the time. I am using eye drops 3 or 4 times a day and this is only since i've been on topamax. I'm interested to see if anyone else has noticed anything similar?

Also, noticed facial tingling..(pins and needles like) and feel like i have a chest infection all of the time. I also am very forgetful and where once i was incredibly articulate, my memory is definitely impaired. VERY frustrating and embarassing in business situations....BUT i rarely have a migraine and for that i am thankful!

Be careful, do your research before taking Topamax. I took Topamax for 5 weeks for severe migraines. The first 2 weeks were fine, a slight decrease in my appetite. The third week, my memory suddenly got really bad, really scary. By the 4th week, my memory was non-existant and I felt slightly depressed. My Dr. assured me these side effects would soon pass. By the 5th week of Topamax, I plunged into a horrendous, suicidal depression. I cried all the time, I woke at 4 am with irregular heart beats. I have never been so uncomfortable in my own skin. I became a stranger to myself.

I much prefer my migraines over the side effects I suffered from Topamax.

Topamax is w/out a doubt the WORST drug I've ever been on. It made me brain dead. I couldn't find a job on Topamax. I would be in interviews and would space out and couldnt' answer questions. People looked at me like I was crazy. I felt like I had Alzheimer's at 38, especially when my neuro prescribed Exelon, the drug for Alzheimer's to counteract the cognitive side effects. As I said, couldn't find a job, had no insurance. My topa-lovin' neuro was giving it to me and getting me on the patient=ass program through Johnson/Johnson, the maker's of TM. She didn't want to help me get on another anticonvulsant PA program. Finally, I had to charge another med on my credit card because I couldn't take this toxic gunk in my body anymore. The decay of my mind has escalated to the point that I don't know if I will ever be back to myself again. BEWARE of this drug. I haven't even covered the eye pain, insomnia, headaches, leg cramps (i can go on).

My name is Cricket I left the comment below about Topamax, I would like to ask for your prayers for my hair to grow back and my memory to get better.Thank You so very much.I hope and pray you will research Topamax before you take it, because there are serious side effects. The side effects may not be noticed at first but over time you will,and then its to late.Goodluck!

I have been taking Topamaz spinkles (30mg a day) for 3 months. I can't tolerate higher doasages. Migranes have lessened in intensity, although I still have a least 2 a week. I have toruble with my memory and hair loss. I have had a slight wt loss. I have no sex drive. Food does not interest me.
I started taking topamax because migranes were interferring with school. Catch 22 - I failed last semister due poor recall. I am taking myself off topamax. I may have migranes, but at least I will enjoy sex.

I was given Topamax about 2yrs ago because I have epilepsy. It seemed to be working pretty well at first, all I had noticed was that I lost about 10 to 15lbs and that the medication seemed to be controlling my siezures fairly well-and who was going to complain about that right? As time went on both my family and I began to notice that my weight wasn't the only thing I seemed to be losing. I'm only 20 and I'm losing both my memory and my hair. At first I just seemed a bit more flighty than usual, and I was finding my hair everywhere-but at this point its really just impossible to deny the difference in me or the amount of my hair thats consistently in my hands, sink or tub. I don't care how thin I am, it's not going to be worth anything if I end up without any hair.

I started topamax on 6/28/06, building from 25mg's to 100mg's for simple partial seizures and migraines. I'll have to say it has helped tremendously. I woke up every single day with a headache! Not anymore. All I have now, is a mild sinus headache here and there. I will say on the negative side, I have absolutely no appetite (although i stand to lose 30 lbs), numbness, tingling, memory dullness, bowel changes(yuck with bowel cramping) and my menstral flow is well off track! Has anyone else had any of these problems too? Oh and I definitely have shortness of breath. And I'm making sure to drink plenty of H2O!!!PLEASE RESPONDE!!!

I have a prescription for topamax now for 3 weeks and I have been scared to death to start it just because of the side effects of nurontin. Those were nothing compared to what I have been reading for topamax!! I have badly damaged nerves, plus I take many other meds such as oxycontin, norco, soma, baclofen, phernergan, levid and xanax. I am waiting on my nuro doc to tell me if taking topamax is ok. My memory is my life....I have a great ability to multitask about 12 things at once and do them all at 100% and have a memory like an elephant...I dont want to lose that and from what I have read, topamax will do it to me. I can handle the nausea and anxiety because I have meds for that. I wear strong glasses already because of my bad eyesight...I am afraid of making it worse. Please give me your opinions. I have a home to take care of and a husband and 2 young daughters...my husband does so much for me and the thought of this drug making me hate him or treat him bad is more than I can handle. He does it all for me, get me out of bed, take me to the bathroom, get me dressed sometimes..I am scared. Someone please give me some advice.

Tinay from Houston

I started topamax on Friday December 30, 2005. I am on 25mg in the AM and 25mg in the PM. I have had one migraine a day, which might sound like it is not an improvement, but that is coming off a 2 week straight one. I do not seem to be having the "typical" side effects, but I CANT SLEEP!! I finally fall asleep about 3am and wake at 6am, thats it. I am kind of tired during the day, but not as much as I should be. I have ringing in my ears and chills that started with the prolonged migraine and have continued, I am not sure if it is the topamax or not. I do not notice the memory or feeling "stupid" issues". I do feel "peaceful".

Started at 25 mg 9 months ago for migraines. Now up to 50 mg. I get the tingling in my fingers every now and then. I get indigestion pretty frequently. I went from 130 lbs. to 120 lbs. I used to have a really sharp memory, now finding myself having to concentrate a lot harder to retain things. Never can find the right word I'm looking for either. But the headaches are almost nonexistant!
K.L.

i've been on topamax for 3 years now i've had all the hell topa side effects i'm up to 400mg a day and xanax 3 times a day i still have sez 1 or 2 a month but it gave me back my life i can walk outside again without fear. i take other meds in my cocktail but the side effcts of topa went away or i learned to deal with them after about 3 mo i know sounds long but is worth it. i had some of wosrt to i could not talk most of time soda forget it now i love my dt coke again. i still zone and repeat myself sometime memory is still short (but i'm blond so its ok) but don't give up hope it gets better.

I have been on Topamax for a few months now. I can't remember exactly how long because, to be quite honest, I have the memory of a gnat since starting this medication. My neurologist prescribed this medication for me after I was finally put on medication for grand mals seizures. I had been having them sporadically since 1999. I also suffer from migraines and he said it would help with that, my weight and my depression. It sounded like a wonder drug until my dosage kept increasing up to the 300 mgs. he needed me to reach.

I became a lethargic, depressed and very detached, angry lump to describe myself best. I have had a difficult time doing housework and everyday activities like playing with my children. My depression was first improving but it took a turn for the worse and I have found myself feeling suicidal at times. I have suffered breast pain so severe I had to have a breast ultrasound done. Nobody ever told me that breast pain could be a side effect in women. My menstrual cycle has also been unpredictable as well since starting this medicine. I called my neurologist's office in inquire about this and they were unaware about this side effect.

My mental clarity is totally gone. My memory is so bad I have missed doctor's appointments for myself and my children. I have to write things down everywhere and have my kids remind me of things instead of the other way around. I find myself trying to form a sentence at times and it comes out like gibberish.

I stay on the medicine because my five kids were witnesses to my last seizure and it scared my oldest three so much they remember it as if it were yesterday. I made them a promise it would never happen again. The last medicine I tried left me with bruises all over my body and unable to get out of bed. If left with having to choose between the two medicines I have to pick Topamax. I can't be a guinea pig anymore. My kids need me to keep my promise and I have vowed to do so. If you could see what I deal with every night when I put my daughter to bed you would understand. She says she is afraid to leave me to go to asleep because she is afraid I will have another seizure. Being on this medicine is the reassurance I offer her to prove that everything will be okay.

I spent years on SSRI's trying to fight anxiety and depression and I suffered horrible side effects so I am at the point that I am willing to settle. Currently my dosage has been cut down to 250 mg. and my rage is pretty much gone. I am still depressed and somewhat lethargic. The good news is that I did lose 30 lbs. since starting Topamax. Unfortunately, Topamax doesn't do much for me in the way of migraine relief. Since my seizures are sporadic I honestly don't know if it is even controlling those either. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

My heart goes out to all of you taking this medication. I know how you feel right now. If you are lucky enough to get off of it and are able to find something else less stressful on your body then that is great. If you are in my situation and you feel as if this is as good as it gets, well, at least you know you are not alone. I know now that there are alot of us out there. I am not sure how much consolation that really is but it is something I suppose.

I've been on this for 2 days. My doctor said the trick to Topamax was gradual increase in dosage. My doctor is rarely wrong and is quite sensible with things. Not that he's perfect or anything. I have a good feeling about this medicine because I know a few people that have been on it including my mother. Perhaps some of you started on it too high? I already have some of these problems naturally... My memory is horrible, I doubt it coudl be made any worse by this drug. Anyway, I've also ready good things about Topamax. Different meds affect different people... differently. So hopefully it will work for me. I was put on it for depression, self injury, help with appetite suppressing to aid in my diet, and correcting my sleeping patterns. The research I've done said that this drug helps that. If it messes me up too bad, then I'll try something else. Until then, I'm staying optimistic. :)

I have been having temporal lobe partial complex seizures since I was 5. Was put on Topamax as solo therapy for use also for migraines in 1999. Controlled both well. Gradually I developed severe depression. It was so subtle I was not aware it was my medicine. I did tell my neuro. and he added different antidepressents to the regime to no avail. My life continued to deteriorate. I also had the tingling fingers, toes, twitches on my face, confusion, could not remember anything. I finally became suicidal and a regular MD decided told me to switch neuro and get off the meds in 2005. 1 month after coming off the med I was my old self again. My memory everything came back. I felt like i had lost all those years.

minor tingling in feet, appetite suppression (which for me is good since I'm about 100lbs overweight as it is and gained weight on Seroquel), minor boughts of memory confusion/loss), TERRIBLE tastes with carbonated beverages (which again, for me, is a GREAT thing)..

I've been on it since mid December. Up to 150mg. Have had minor hand and feet tingling. I do have the problem with memory and trying to get the right words out. Was up to 100 mg and then increased to 150 mg, since then having terrible stomach pain almost daily. My Dr. cut me back to 100 mg to see if it would take the stomach problems away. I hope so, since being on it my migraines have been almost eliminated and I have lost 36 lbs.