• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for epilepsy)
• Side effects

  Severe (for Overall) (acidosis)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 25 mg Daily

Side effects: acidosis

• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for epilepsy)
• Side effects

  Moderate (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  A little hard to take

Dosage: 300 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: the positive side effect of this med. is that I have lost some weight from it. But that is the only good part. I waqs on another med and gained weight because of it until my body became sick even though I was on a diet. Ever since I was put on this med about 10 months after I started having seizures after being seizure free for almost 10 years. A side effect I noticed right away with this med. was tingling in hands and feet, which even 3 years later I still get that. Itjust resurfaced about 3 weeks ago, when the last time I had them was when my dr. put me on the med. & when he upped it. He has not upped it and I don't have poor circulation. It can happen when you are walking like it did me. Of course there are the normal drowsiness,etc. But I did notice this med. does mimic the same symptoms as menopause, which I might be dealing with. My dr. that put me on this med. has hard time thinking that is true & didn't want to investigate my other symptoms I was having around the time of my seizures. Instead he just upped the med. which didn't help. Made my headaches even worse. Now I have a different dr. who is running alot of tests my other dr. didn't. I also have to investigate the fact the this med can cause a decrease in white blood cells. I don't know if that is true in my case, but it might help understand why some of my hormone levels might be coming out normal when I know there is something going on or wrong. I found that out in a book about side effects to meds. This med. currently doesn't control my seizures by itself, so I do not think it is very effctive for grand mal seizures like I have. I also have a very active life and it just doesn't fit in with my life, because I would and currently have to take more med. to try and control the seizures. That's not good for myself or my family. And my Family comes first. They rely on mom for everything.

• Effectiveness

  Slight (for Treat my mood condition(s))
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall) (burning sensation, numbness and tingling)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 200 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: I think the drug works better for migraines v as a mood stablizer

Cost: < $25 monthly

Side effects: numbness and tingling, burning sensation

• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for epilepsy)
• Side effects

  Moderate (for Overall) (weight loss)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 400 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: Talk to your doctor about the weight loss affect, appetite loss. It can be a problem. Especially if you are small to begin with.

Cost: < $25 monthly

Side effects: weight loss

• Effectiveness

  None (for headaches)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Somewhat hard to take

• Effectiveness

  None (for epilepsy)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Advice & Tips: take as prescribed

Cost: < $25 monthly

Side effects: word fishing, unintentional weight loss

• Effectiveness

  Major (for epilepsy)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall) (slurred speech, burning sensation, numbness and tingling)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 100 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: To be on this medicine is a god send for myself.... I have not had a seizure in a year.... I also changed many things in my life though. You do have to take it the way your doctor tells you too. If you party a lot you need to " tone it down" for the sake of your health. Topamax honestly has made it easier for me live my life w/o having to worry about having another seizure... Granted you have to live your life a bit more stress free.. Being that STRESS also causes seizures.... Chaos... The mind can only take so much... Eat healthy.. Excercise to the best of your ability. :0) I was on a bunch of meds that made me very dopey at one time... The docs and I narrowed it down to this one, and it's been doing the job. Yes there are a few side effects but nothing like a siezure.... I get the tingles through my hands... I tend to forget things at times... But then I'm right back on track! These are chances you take to become better.... So good luck to all! hope I was of help!

Side effects: numbness and tingling, slurred speech, burning sensation

• Effectiveness

  Can't tell (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  Moderate (for Overall) (heavy sensation, burning sensation, numbness and tingling)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 100 mg Daily

Cost: < $25 monthly

Side effects: heavy sensation, numbness and tingling, burning sensation

• Effectiveness

  Can't tell (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall) (heavy sensation, burning sensation, numbness and tingling)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 25 mg Daily

Cost: < $25 monthly

Side effects: heavy sensation, numbness and tingling, burning sensation

• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for stiffness/spasticity)
• Effectiveness

  Major (for elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia))
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 200 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: no weight gain as drug this replaced

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for epilepsy)
• Effectiveness

  Major (for Increase effect of another treatment)
• Effectiveness

  Major (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  Moderate (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 100 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: Take at same time each day. Works best as an "add on " treatment for other treatments, my doctor added it to Keppra when I was still having seizures and it seemed to help calm them down somewhat. One unusual side benefit of this drug is that if you want to lose weight, Toprimate is definitely one that dampens the appetite, though its not so great if you are already thin or underweight like I was....I have to remind myself to eat. Oh, and if you are prone to kidney stones, watch out....this medication can provoke you in forming more of them. An unexpected good benefit of this drug is that it seems to make me have less desire for nictoine....a good thing for someone who wants to stop smoking!

Cost: < $25 monthly