Topamax and tingling in the hands

Hi all...I've been taking 25mg. of Topamax at night for 5 days now. Unlike most of you I have not experienced the tingling in the extremities or the weird taste in the mouth or even much tiredness at all other than what has happened as a result of my weird side effect. I was prescribed Topamax by my neurologist for my migraines. I've had them since I was 12 years old. I'm 49 years old. The got worse during peri-menopause which is kinda normal given the hormonal fluctuations, but was told by my neurologist that they would very likely subside significantly when I became menopausal. Well folks, I've been menopausal for 5 years and for the past 2 years my migraines have been the most horrific of my life. I have approx. 15 to 18 migraine days a month, some of the headaches lasting 3 bloody days. So it comes to this...Topamax. In the past I have suffered some pretty rare side effects from some very benign medications so I guess I shouldn't really be surprised that this is happening to me now. The first night I took it I slept like a baby. The second night I was slightly 'hyper' but managed to get to sleep. But for the past 3 nights it's been hell. When I lie down in bed, my body feels as though there are electric currents shooting through it and coming out my right leg. I have to move my right leg or go completely bonkers. Fortunately my daughter is away at university and so I can sleep in her room. So I lie there...on my left side...with my right leg hanging over the side of the bed swinging and swinging and swinging as hard as I can just so that I don't scream. It's awful. Last night was the worst. I saw dawn this morning. I just got off the phone with my pharmacist and he told me that I had described a classic case of RLS - Restless Leg Syndrome. And guess what? Topamax is used to trest RLS!! For bleep's sake! So nice people I am suffering a completely opposite side effect to the one that seems to be the most common one...tiredness. Has anyone else heard of this? Experienced this? It seems to all focus down to my right hip and leg. I have to move it vigourously or go nuts. I am so tired today but that's because I got like 3 hours sleep. I fell asleep from sheer exhaustion after my husband left for work at 7:30am.
A side note...I also take 75mg of Effexor for panic disorder and my neurologist told me that this is a very good mix of meds for migraine prevention. My top dosage for the Topamax will be 75mg taken at night.
I'd really appreciate any feedback on my side effect. Thanks in advance.

D.

I have been on Topamax since Jan of 08 for complex partial seizures. I was very pleased with it at first but started having
some more unpleasant symptoms. My hair recently started falling out about two months ago in massive handfuls! I was
and am very upset about it. I did have the tingling in the hands and feet when I first started taking it and I don't drink sodas
at all which I did all the time before. I did not lose weight at first but did a couple of months ago when I got very ill with a GI
problem. I actually lost about 20 lbs in about a month. This is when my hair started falling out. I have had a lot of labs
drawn and my TSH was undetectable but my thyroid levels (T3 and T4 are normal) and my antibodies are normal as well so,
there is no telling what is going on?? I just want off of this medication before I am bald!!

hi started my topamax 25 mg at bedtime i take it for migranes been top for 3 weeks now i have noticed side effects however iam taking other meds and im having trouble distinguishing which side effect goes with what lol ..e.g.. paxil for anxiety , panic attacks and HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE for borderline blood pressure , i have experienced the tingling in the hands and the feet ..lack of appt,i wouldn't say my desire for sex is gone but im experiencing vaginal dryness and itching and numbness as well as problems climaxing sorry tmi lol ... thought it was a yeast infection but its kinda different? any girls ever exp that before while on top? im getting scared now reading the post about loss of hair im already very thin and have little hair as it is any help or suggestions would be great thx ...

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 have been on Topamax for 3 or 4 months now for migraine headaches. I love it. I use to get cluster headaches everyday for a while now not at all. I get the tingling in the hands and sometimes in the feet. But only in the morning and not all the time. The weight loss waiting for it. I'm on 100mg at night. I think when you take it at night it is better. I don't have any confusion at all. So I think it works for some people and not others.

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 been taking Topamax for approx. 8 months now - 50mg in the morning and 50mg in the evening. Was found to have a Cevernous Haemangeoma
on the front left temporal lobe which caused me to have Epileptic symptoms however never has full fits - just stroke like syptoms.

I have tried Epilim and all the other drugs. After taking Topmax i felt good for some time then the weight loss kicked in, some hair loss, pains in the right knee, tingling in the hands and under the feet. I could live with these however
i have been really battling of late with my urinary system. It is always as if i have a bladder infection, pain in the lower abdomen etc. Done scans etc. to check for stones - zero. Have decided to wean off Topamax and see if these
effects go away. The drug did wonders for my brain problem but the side effects have just gotten too much.

Taking Topamax for 2 years started out at 25 mgs 3 times a day for a mood stabalizer (bi-polar). Had tingling in hands and feet sometimes in face. Lost waight, pop tasts nasty, sleepy, short term memory loss, slurred speach. Now I take 100mg at bed time have no symptoms except I still am able to controll my eating (had a problem with over eating) no more road rage but I still felf a little depressed and did cry so I was not to stable until Citalopram 10mg at bedtime and Adderall XL 10mg in the morning was added. Now I finally feel like a totaly normal person. No more anxiety, mood swings, crying, paranoia,or any other weird stuff. I feel pretty good. Rarely I get pins and needles in my hands or feet or I forget where I put something.

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!!!

I've only been on Topamax for 3 weeks, and I am already wanting to get off of it. My doctor DID NOT tell me about all of the side effects, he told me the most common was the tingling in the hands and feet, which is so painful for me. I have lost the taste for carbonated beverages, which I only realized for myself by looking on a website that was caused by the medicine. My advice to anyone is to get a second opinion before going on this medicine. Now I have to wait until my doctor says its ok to stop taking it.

I've been taking topamax for about a month now. Started off with 25mg and just recently started on 100mg. I'm not sure if its worth it with all the side effects Ive been experiencing. From what I understand abrubtly stopping the medicine can be just as bad for you as starting it up, does anybody know how true this is? I've experienced sinus problems and mood swings real bad/tingling in the hands and coldness in the feet and hands. I don't know how long I can take it but afraid to stop.