Topamax and migraine headaches

I am almost 41, and have had migraine headaches most of my life which I could manage with 800mg of Naproxen Sodium, or a Norgesic Forte, and when Imitrex came out, I could just administer that. Six months ago, my headaches got so frequent that I had to start taking my Relpax (similar to Imitrex) and/or Fioricet more than 2X per week. According to my neurologist, this is a no no, as both of those meds can couse rebound headaches. He started me on Topamax, 50mg per day. It did nothing. He bumped it to a 100, nothing. Now I'm a 200 mgs, I am still have a migraine in left temple as I write this. I have the tingling, the daytime sleepiness, but my mind is fine, and my appetite is just swell (regretfully). What the hell am I going to do now? Ask him to bump me up to 400 mg? Now I have these headaches every "F"ing day, and I can't take anything. I just have to suffer.

Topamax is NOT working!!!!!

I have only been taking Topamax for one week, I have horrible migraine headaches. I feel very exhausted from taking topamax, and have HORRIBLE HEARTBURN, and I love pepsi, and it doesn't just taste flat, it tastes horrible, like I'm sucking on pennies! I unfortunately think I'm going to have to quit taking topamax, because I just feel so horrible....I can sleep 8-10 hours a night, and then wake up, and feel like I didn't sleep at all! Does anyone else know if these side effects get better as you keep taking the meds? Help!

I started Topamax over 2 years ago. First 25mg then 50 mg, now 100mg. I was put on Topamax for migraine headaches. I never recieved any information about the side effect hair lose in any of my paperwork. I would have never started taking it if I had, I am a Pentecostal woman and my hair is very important to me. I just found out about this side effect recently in a medical dictionary on my own.I have lost so much hair, it comes out by the handfulls.The doctor said if I dont stop this med I will go bald. I also stay very weak in my legs and arms, and cant even hold my grandchildren much anymore without having pains.I have double vision and recently had to get glasses.I hav'nt had a good glass of pepsi in over a year. I stay sad alot like no one cares feeling very depressed. I never use to feel this way before getting on Topamax.I have so much trouble with my memory I even forget how to get home sometimes. I am only 43 years old I feel like I am losing my mind sometimes.I have lost alot of weight I only weigh 95 pounds and cant seem to gain any back. My family and friends have even noticed the changes. This is a very bad drug and needs to be takin off the market. I cant even stop taking it yet because the doctor said I will start having seziers. I hav'nt had migraines, but look at what else I have gained instead. Just give my a Tylonol and let me keep my hair and mind.

I have been on Topamax for 4 weeks and although I have had some side effects, the drug had done wonders for preventing migraines. I was getting 4-5 migraine headaches a week and now I get none or only 1 a week. The side effects I got mostly occured on the weeks I was increasing the dosage and were nausea, dizziness, fatique, lack of appetite and of course cognitive disruption. I could not remember the little things and of course that made you just a little nuts, but I read up on the drug before I started on it and knew all that could happen. I was so miserable with the migraines that I had to try it and hoped the side effects would not be terrible.
I do not regularly drink carbonated beverages so the terrible taste now due to the medication is no big deal. I will continue with the medication as long as it controls my migraines.

I started taking Topamax Jan. 19, 2007 for my migraine headaches. For the first week and and a half, I didn't drive anywhere because I felt 'loopy' (guess that's the correct word). I would say things that I couldn't believe I said! Then I was ok. My migraines aren't as severe. I have noticed that I can only eat small portions of food then I am full which is not common for me. I have lost 7 pounds and this is the 10th of Feb. My hair is not falling out like others I have read about on here. I have noticed that the ones that are losing their hair are taking very high dosages of the medication. I am taking 50mg. I hope the best for everyone.

I have been taking Topamax for over a year for Bi-polar Disorder and Migraine Headaches. My I have been having Kidney problems since January of last year. Grainular type stones and kidney pain associated with the medication. Now the stones would come and go. I am a disabled veteran so I am dealing with the VA for my health care so it is hard to get appointments and proper care to begin with. I have to weigh the benifit vs. the pain. I was told that the tests were fine and that the meds were causing the stones that we have to cut back the medication. It is kidney pain and uninary tract pain, or manic episodes and migrains until I can fined another mood stabilizer that works as well as topamax.