Topamax and tastes

2 yrs ago I was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. I have been on Topamax since, because of the severe pain it causes. I have never experienced weight loss and I was on up to 400mg a night. I am now on 200mg a night. My tastes are fine and my drinking sodas were never like metal. But for the fatigue of the disease I also take Provigil in the morning. I have noticed my eyes have changed. Never gave it a thought to be Topamax. Plus I just got new glasses again 3 months ago and am seeing a change in my sight again. Also there is a noise in my ears,not ringing,but sounds like crickets. Never had that before. I was on 2 other meds but I took myself off of them because I really don't like taking so many. The others had worse side effects. Until they find a cure for this disease it looks like I'm stuck with Topamax. This is one pain I will not and can not live with.

Today is day 8 on Topamax. The only symptoms I've really had were the first few nights on it I woke up in the middle of the night but that has stopped. I had a few bad dreams but that has stopped. Drinks taste a little weird to me, but nothing like anyone else on here has described. I can still taste the carbonation at times. I just started taking 50mg today. I do 25mg in the am and I am going to take 25mg in the pm. For the previous 7 days I was only on 25mg per night. I have heard all this talk about weight loss on Topamax. That's part of the reason I am on it...to counteract the weight I have gained since I've been on Lamictal. Anyway, I haven't noticed a decrease in my appetite OR any weight loss at all so far. I was just wondering how long it took to start affecting you guys with the weight loss. Is there a certain mg you are on that it starts to affect your appetite/weight loss or a certain time frame or what? Any information would help. Thanks!

I first posted about 6 weeks ago when I began taking Topamax at 25mg a day. I'm now up to 100mg a day, 50mg am/pm and surprisingly it seems that most of my side effects have subsided. I have the tingling in my fingertips and feet now that I didn't have before, but it is rare and not something that keeps me from any normal activity. Sodas still taste flat but I've adjusted to that, beer is something that also tastes flat and that is rather disappointing. The only thing I've noticed is that I tend to have a slight headache most of the time that taking Advil will cure. I don't know if this is caused by the Topamax. When I do feel a migraine coming on, it seems to take days and never fully matriculates and I have to get a shot of Toradol. All in all, this is much better than the weekly migraines I was having.

I've been on Topamax since just Tuesday, 10/9/07. I find that I get very tired a couple hours after taking it and I have horrible nightmares and very dark thoughts, too. Diet coke tastes so HORRBILE which is bad because I loved my diet cokes, but then again I guess that's good b/c I need to stop drinking them anyway. My worst side effect is that I have horrible mood swings. Is this normal? Is this going to go away over time? Because if not, I'm going to stop taking it now. This is not like me and I am not going to subject my family to this - losing weight is not THAT important to me. Thanks for any help. :(

P. S. I'm taking 25 mg in the morning, afternoon and evening.

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'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.

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??

Anyone experience problems with drinking beer, wine, alcohol? Beer is undesirable since it tastes flat. Last night drank it anyway celebrating my son's baseball win with the team. Did't even finish the beer because it just tasted so bad. Felt awful all day today as a migraine ensued. Few weeks ago drank Wine. It tasted okay, yet I woke up during the night violently ill, diarrhea and vomiting (great - huh?)- So now I am afraid to drink alcoholic beverages. Am I alone here? has any one else had this problem?

2 weeks on Topamax and really ill with the fact beer tasted like liking metal. So I drank a few liquor drinks for the fourth of July- I only drink probably once every three to four weeks when we get together with friends. Got violently sick after four drinks- throwing up. Never done that before- so I guess soda, alcohol and food are out of my life- Wonder if I can tell my husband NO SEX is a side-effect because it will cause violent bouts of vomitting. Smile- what a trade off- migraines daily or side effects?????? Damned if you do- damned if you don't- but on a brighter note- these are things I can live with unlike cancer, parkinson disease etc. Just wondering if anyone else having marked side effect from drinking alcohol while taking the topamax?

I started topamax on Tuesday for bipolar disorder. My pdoc started me on 50 mg and I took one in the am and got really sleepy so I cut back to 25 mg at night and went back to 50 mg on the weekend. I was surprised to feel the effects the first day. I thought I had gotten a flat pepsi at lunch and then realized that my tastes had already been effected. I got the tingly hands and have noticed that my leg muscles have been twitching some. The very first day I felt like I was in a fog and I definitely don't want to feel dumb. I'm hoping that cutting back and titrating up more slowly, as well as taking the medicine at night will help. The side effects I can stand as I withstood 6 months on Accutane for acne which was waaayyy worse.

I too had chest pains!! That is something that they do no tell you.

This medication definitely needs to be re-evaluated by the FDA, to determine what damage it may do to your heart.

I was already seeing a psychiatrist for Panic disorder so I had valium at home. However, I still ended up in the ER for my chest pains after getting no call back from my dr for two weeks telling her that I was having all of the other side effects ( except the hair loss), tingling in the hands and feet, fatigue, moodiness, different tastes of things, especially colas.

Nevertheless, I was diagnosed at the ER with having a panic attack....DUHHHH, how could I possibly be having a panic attack when I had taken about 2 1/2 10 mg valium to try to get my chest to stop hurting. I explained to the ER dr. that I had started taking the topamax 3 weeks prior...There absolutely needs to be better education of this drug and its terrible side effects!!!

Hi Everyone,
I have been taking Topamax 25 mg for 1 week. I can't stand it. Today I am to up my dosage to 50 mg.I am not sure if I want to do that. The side effects suck.. I think I would rather just deal with my migraines, at least I know how to do that since I have had them for over 25 years. I have tried everything and nothing has worked so the Dr. and I thought we would give this a try.
I am trying to keep my place of employment happy with trying to cut down on the migraines but nothing works.
Most days I just want to give up.
Hopefully we will be able to figure something out.

I can't stand the pickhands and feet, the stumbling like I am drunk( and I dont' drink) nothing tastes right anymore, I have the shakes and I ache.
And all it does is makes me sleepy and like I am in another world.
I went to work today and made it half an hour before I came home because I stumbled and almost fell over. And when the boss talked to me it was like I wasn't there. So I came home. I don't know but I don't like it at all.

I started out taking 100mg and had the tingling hands, feet & face. Eventually went away after 5-6 weeks. Carbonated beverages tastes bad. First few weeks felt really out of it but that changed. Sometimes still feel a little out of it but not like in the start. I've been on topamax for a couple of months now and now take 200mg. 100 in the morning and 100 at night. I thing the side effects are worth it. Eventually they do go away somewhat you just have to stick with it. When you do increase you dosage they do come back sometimes so just bear with it.

I started on Topamax about a week ago after coming off Seroquel. I am bipolar and had a break through in June. My doctor had me on Seroquel to control any possible rapid cycling. Unfortunately the Seroquel made me anxious so after 7 months we agreed to try Topamax.

So far, my stomach is upset if I eat too much. Soday tastes like crap. I have minimal tingling at 150 mgs. Chocolate upsets my stomach. I feel ditzy. I can't sleep more than three or four hours. And I am having to pee all the time.

I am going to have a referenced EEG in three weeks. Hopefully at that time the neuropsychiatrist will determine what drugs I really should be on. I am losing weight but I don't think it's worth it.

Hi-new here and new to Topamax! I am taking Topamax for BiPolar. I have tried a dozen different drugs and they all seem to make me gain weight. Thsi seems to not have that listed as a side effect. As a health careworker I am very dedicated to being on top of knowing the side effect of my meds. I have been having issues with hair loss and thought it was again issues with my thyroid but must have been the Depakote-still hasn't stopped-guessing it's not going to huh?
Anyhow, I have tingling in my face-anyone else??? I have found that soda tastes HORRIBLE! Not such a bad thing though! I have found that my appetite isn't too vast either.
Anyhting I should be seriously worried about???

I have only taken the medication for 24 hrs and have noticed a difference. My taste buds are all messed up. Im a chocolote lover and it doesnt even taste right. I can taste the minerals in bottled water which tastes crappy to me - nothing i like tastes like it use to. reading all the posts kind of scares me - can anyone tell me how long it was when you first started to notice the hair loss? Thanks.

I've been on it for 5 weeks now, and I'm taking myself off it today. It was intended to help with a recurring headache/migraine issue. My migraine issue has improved, but the side effects are not worth it. I will instead go back to using Imitrex or similar medications as needed instead of a maintenance med like Topamax. I am frequently dizzy, and at times expreience the spins and bump into objects. My tongue feels and tastes like I smoked a fifty cent cigar, and any type of carbonated beverage tastes completely different and awful. I have been experiencing more frequent sinus pain and sore throats and thought that it was unrelated, but after reading some of the possible side effects I now realize that it may also be part of it. I also have frequent heartburn as well. Don't let this keep you from trying it out - it works well for some. Just don't be afraid to tell your doctor if it isn't worth the side effects. I just decided that it isn't worth it to me.

I've taken 1 dose of Topamax and within 30 minutes of taking the drug, my diet cola tasted AWFUL! I mean, it's the worst taste I could ever imagine! does this happen to everyone? Does it ever go away? Does it affect the tastes of other beverages and foods?

I was diagnosed petit mal epilepsy many years ago. My doctor thought we should try switching medications. I took topamax for about a month with no problems. I did experience the tingly sensations in my fingers and I also had to give up sodas due to the bad tastes. But once I increased my dosage to 150 mg, I started experiencing a new side effect that I have yet to find anyone else complain about. My doctor says it's not Topamax, but it only happens when I take this medication. My eye was twitching constantly. It would only stop for about 30 minute intervals every few hours. Once I stopped taking topamax, my eye stopped twitching. I thought perhaps I was just stressed or fatigued, so I tried to go back on it. Once again when I got back up to 100 mg I noticed it would twitch once the medicine was in my system. I suppose this is some sort of facial tremor.

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)..

On 200mg twice a day morning and evening about a year now for neuropothy(sorry about spelling). Hands and feet. Used neurontin for about 8 years and put on weight. topomax initially took off about 30 lbs. I weight 300 male. Anything carbonated tastes bad, beer soda etc. I prefer water, lemonade, tea, coffee. Now neurontin's patent is about to run out and the makers have come up withtheir subsitute which is Lyrica. Your dr will be suggesting you try this one. It works basically the same as neurontin, maybe just more potent so you take less and they have a new patent. Probably add the lbs too. It affects my sex life in that cannot seem toget to an orgasam as easily so I avoid it. Many drugs for my condition have this affect since they affect seratonin in the brain and thus have a bad affect on sex life of men who still want to be sexually active. Sorry to be so frank. Actually, the topomax does not help all that much with the pain I experience but I do not want to be too quick to switch drugs. Lyrica is still not available through insurance companies in this country although I here they are working on it.

This was a new one for me. I have been on Topamax for about 10 weeks, and I'm taking 50 mg in the morning, and50 mg before bed. I get the usual side effects, tingling in hands and feet and soda tastes bad, I don't have ANY problems sleeping, but I have no energy. Anyway, today I was working out, I did about 15 minutes at a real easy pace on the elliptical trainer and I felt really sluggish, so I tried to run on the treadmill. I ran 1 mile at a 12 minute pace (which for me is a challenge) and I was so HOT I had to stop. I was burning up, but oddly, I was NOT SWEATING--at ALL. My skin was hot to the touch and bright red. I was probably very close to heat stroke. Make sure if you are on this medication, especially if you exercise, that you drink plenty of water. This has never happened before and I work out regularly, but it really scared the heck out of me.

I am on 25mg once a day for migraines, I am a middle school teacher and I am also experiencing trouble with getting my words out. It is pretty frustrating when you are in front of a class of students and your mind goes completely blank. My biggest whine is I am addicted to Diet Coke and now it tastes awful I about died the first time I drank one after I took my medicine I was hoping it was the drink that was bad...... afraid not I miss them!!! I am also still waiting on the weight loss