Topamax Tingling Hands and Feet, Living With Chronic Pain, Moderate Acne, Yeast Infections, Loss of Appetite
Posted over a year ago
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 ... more »
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?
Aicgoddess - I tried Topamax and it did nothing for me. I didn't get yeast infections. I'm on Imitrex and I love it! Maybe you should ask your Dr to change you to that if you keep having these weird side effects. Hope you have insurance though b/c my 9 pill rx is $269.00. Thank God I have insurance now! Good Luck!!
Cherrygirl - Yes, I have also had the fuzzy thinking and feeling at a loss for words sometimes, searching for exactly the right word when I used to be very articulate. I know this is from the topamax. Also, forget to eat and have to force myself to eat, sometimes only consuming about 500 calories a day! Food is very unappealing. Have been on topamax for 2 years, lost about 15 lbs, but am afraid to go off it cause of getting the headaches back.
Opie678 - I've been off and on Topomax since 2005. I didn't notice my hair loss at first, but this second time around it's been pretty noticeable. I'll have like ten hairs come off during a shower in my hand as I wash. It's been about two weeks since I've stopped Topamax and My hair is still breaking as I brush, but not as many hairs come out during the shower (maybe one or two). But I'm so glad I can think clearly; it's like I've come out of a fog or increased my IQ by 30 points. I can speak much more clearly and don't sound like an uneducated dope. But what I'm worried about the most is the hair loss in my temples. I flat iron my hair every day, which I'm sure doesn't help, but I seems as though my hair is the thinnest at the shaft or like my follicles are wider apart in my temple area. My hair isn't so bad, and I can part it to where you don't notice, but the fact remains that i used to have a lot more hair in that area. I can't put it in a pony tail because it's very noticeable. Anyway, I'm taking B vitamins with biotin, selenium, zinc.. ugh... iron and evening primrose... all of which were said to help remedy the hair loss. The hair breakage is still happening, but I hope this stops soon. If anyone can help it, they should not choose to take this drug. I don't care how beneficial the weight loss may be.
Lareina19 - I have been on and off topamax since 2003. I was off of it for about 2 years and now I'm back on it because I could no longer control my migraines naturally ... but I was hesitant because of the hair loss I experienced on the medicine .. I have been using it only 25 mg for the last 8 months and I have lost a ridiculous amount of hair ... it took me so long to thicken my hair, does anyone know any remedies to keep my hair from thinning. The dopey feeling and crappy ltm (long term mem) and stm (short term mem) are somet thing that I have come to live with, it is very difficult trying to deal with it being in college but I have been trying to work through it ... I wanted to increase back to 50mg that I was on in 2003 but im nervous ... i know that my sleepyness gets out of hand, even now :-/ i have become anemic again since being on the meds ... i went back into the gym for the last month ... it helps with my energy ... but i get overheated more quickly than anyone else ...
its nice to know that I am not alone though ...
Rebecca731tx - The weight loss, hair loss & acne have been really bad for me.
I am 34, normally 108, but had gotten up to 115 & am now down to 90. People ask if I am okay, I assure them that I do eat. It's just hard when food does not appeal to you.
Every night I take a shower, I have a huge clump of hair that I have to take off of te drain guard. It's enough to cause the shower to fill up a little.
My acne is horrible. I used to get a pimple every now & then, but now it looks as if I have a rash. I have all these little bumps & then get some pretty yucky white heads.
I want to get off of Topamax, but am scared to because I went thru a REALLY bad adjustment phase. What if I get off & whatever else I try, I have to go thru that again... or what if it doesn't work & I go back on Topamax & go thru that phase again? I can't do it. I take 50mg a night.
For those of you that have gone off & on, do you go thru the adjusting phase again everytime, or is your body some what familiar with the chemicals & it isn't so bad?
Migbos - Yes, this happened to me too! I have been on Topamax for almost 2 years for migraines and have gone from daily headaches and 12 migraines/month to just 5 migraines/month. Topamax gave me my life back with good and bad side effects - lost 25 lbs (got to a point of too much wt loss so I tapered off the med), memory and focus loss, feet and hand tingling, and a monthly yeast infection! Now I am on the generic Toparimate at 75 mg daily and the side effects have all gone away including the incredible fat loss. While I don't have the daily headaches I am back to 12 migraines/month so the neurologist has increased my dosage of the generic to 100mg/daily to see if that takes care of the migraines without a return of the side effects. It is a balance of risk, discomfort, and how much medication you are willing to take. I am still working it out but right now I am not sure how effective the generic will be but it would nice if it is without the side effects!
Headachequeen - I was on Topamax from 2003-2008 for headaches at a 100mg a day dosage. I was lucky and the only symptom that I faced was about 10lbs of wieght loss. I decided to go off of Topamax to see if I could handle the pain without medication. After being off of the medication for only 6 months i decided to start taking it again as it clearly had made a difference in my life.
When I began to take Topamax again I had tingling in my hands and feet regularly. I also found that my memory was not nearly as sharp as it had been. Between difficulty concentrating and the seeming lack of memory space, studying for exams was extremely difficult. I again lost apx. 10lbs. Added to all of this, I experienced frequent yeast infections. The worst symptom I experienced is without doubt kidney stones. Having suffered 2 sets of kidney stones in three days, my urologist immediately pointed the blame on Topamax.
I still question how I was able to be on Topamax for so many years nearly symptom free and yet after returning to the medication I suffered from numerous side effects. I have once again stopped taking Topamax as the side effects became too much to handle.
Chefjodie - So glad to hear that I am not crazy in thinking that my Topamax usage is causing my yeast infections! The nurse at my GYN office basically told me "it can't be from the Topamax". Even though I was sure I had read it as a "rare" side effect! I too have suffered from just about every side effect you can get; however, have been migraine free since starting the medication 8 1/2 month ago. Just like you said, what do you do.....live with the side effects or live with the horrible headaches!?!?! What an aweful choice to have to make!!! I will say that this yeast infection situation is just about a deal breaker for me!!! UGH!!!
Brooke507 - I have been on Topamax for over a year now and my doctors were not able to tell me why I've been getting these yeast infections so I decided to look it up. I feel so much better knowing that I'm not the only one with this problem but I've lost over 40lbs since I've been taking this medicine. I think it's time to change my meds I'm at 150mgs per day.
Kimsheoo - Oh thank you for letting me know that I thought I was loosing my mind. My husband makes me think that I am getting early early onset of old timers sydnrom and that I was thinking my husband might be cheating on me again giving me symptoms of a yeast infection monthly but could be something else. I treat it with over the counter yeast infection stuff and it works but it started when I started taking topamax, you all just made it much better for me...I dont know if I can handle these yeast infections....but the migraines where horrible...thank you
Thedaytons37 - i have been on these for about four-five months, I am also in menopause, and taking pellets for my hormones, and they were not "balanced" yet, but anyway, I have been having yeast infections, and now I feel like I it has gone thru the rest of my body. I have done alot of research, and it seems like the topamax, and the weight loss, with no appetite, maybe has lowered my immune system, and now have to a full body cleanse to get rid of all the yeast or candida that is thru my entire body because of this med...I never had any of this problem before taking this....I have already called my doc today to get off this, and have to go the the gyn to get working on the yeast infection, and then the health food store for a cleanse,,,this medication seems like a nightmare, my husband told me last night as I undressed for bed, that he was EXTREMELY worried ab out me, he said I looked like one of those women on DR. Phil, that have an eating disorder, I was 135 lbs size 8, now 120 lbs, size 1!
Greengal - thank you ladies!!!! WHEW! i thought i was going nuts too. i have all the normal symptoms (hair loss, tingling, loss of appetite, etc) but the yeast infection was so confusing to me? and this time i even had oral thrush - ick!!! i was reading on the internet about thrush and it mentioned that some medications can cause/contribute to it....and voila, it made me think Topamax! ive had a few yeast infections and 2 cases of oral thrush in the 9 months since i started Topamax...ive been waivering between 50 and 100 mgs, the oral thrush only comes at the 100 mg dose...now what to do.....
Migbos - I posted here over a year ago, and just want to report back that my yeast infections lasted for about 3 years of my 4-5 years being on Topamax/Toparimate 100 mg. While Topamax changed my life, I have now decided that my migraines are less and livable so the side effects (tingling especially in cold weather, yeast causing painful sex, and memory fog and maybe even the beginning of high blood pressure). I was hoping not to be on a medication for the rest of my life anyways. So over about 6 months (per neurologist plan) I have tapered off Topamax and I now I have less head aches, NO tingling anymore even in cold water, no high blood pressure, and my memory/intelligence is so much better! The yeast infection effect/irritation occurs but my gyn gave a medicine for that to take once a week and it has made a difference. My body is still adjusting with not having Topamax in my system and I think it may take a few more months. The biggest thing to be aware if you ever taper off Topa is weight gain! I gained 10lbs in 3 months (this may be partly my age too at 45) so now I have to go the old fashion route of being healthy through diet, yoga and more exercise. Oh and I am trying a new thing - I have gone 1 month without any alcohol (I wasn't a big drinker before but found even 1 drink/week would trigger a migraine). Good luck!
Stephanyjml - I am so happy that I found you guys because I have been living a nightmare for a year now (since last Thanksgiving).
A year ago (in October) I started taking Topamax for migraines. I started at 25 mg and slowly titrated up to 100 mg. In mid November (when I was around 50 mg or 75 mg) I had what my family dr. thought was a sinus infection and he prescribed Zithromax (Z-pack). I don't really know if it was the Z-pack mixed w/ the Topamax or the Z-pack alone or the Topamax alone, but my body went haywire. I developed oral thrush, which I recurs to this day. I have digestive issues, such as acid reflux, which I've found out is related to the thrush. I had fluid in my ears, and still do. Other symptoms included depression and anxiety, and I have never suffered from these disorders before.
In February I became intolerant to my contacts. I was diagnosed w/ inflammatory keratitis in July and had to wear my glasses for 2 months. During this 2 month period I had a daily headache, which often developed into a migraine. At this point I was wondering why I was even taking the Topamax. I was also feeling like my whole immune system had gone haywire and was failing me.
I had PRK eye surgery (alternative to Lasik) in September and have not had a migraine since. However, I am still having all of the above symptoms except for the depression. I am now wondering if the Topamax is the cause of my problems. I never dreamed that Topamax could cause oral thrush until I came across your posts.
I also suffer from all of the normal Topamax side effects such as memory loss, word loss and lack of concentration. As a matter of fact, I had trouble sitting down to write this post (even though it is a bit long). I was once an avid reader but I have not read a book in a year. I have lost interest in all things I used to enjoy.
Next week I'm going to find a doctor to prescribe a lower dose of Topamax and I am going to titrate myself down (can't get into my neuro until March). I have suffered long enough and I had migraines w/ this awful medication almost all summer. I'll just make sure to have plenty of Imitrex, Maxalt and percocet on hand.
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