• Effectiveness

  None (for migraine headaches)
• Effectiveness

  None (for Increase effect of another treatment)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 150 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: none

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Major (for generalized anxiety disorder)
• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for neuropathic pain- waist down and hands)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 50 mg Daily

• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Never taken as prescribed
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 100 mg Daily

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Major (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall) (fuzzy thinking)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 200 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: Switched to Botox shots for migraine; work just as well

• Effectiveness

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

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 100 mg Daily

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Slight (for persistent aura without infarction)
• Side effects

  Severe (for Overall) (electric shock sensation in feet)
• Adherence

  Never taken as prescribed
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Advice & Tips: Worked for awhile, but the electric shocks to my feet grew to be unbearable and lasted for up to 5 mins. which doesn't sound bad, but it was extreme as if I was being electrocuted

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  None (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  Moderate (for Overall) (hair loss, auras, weight loss)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 100 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: Slowly top up on this medication to reduce side effects and help your body get used to it.

• Effectiveness

  Major (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 200 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: This medication can cause you to loose a little weight. That said do NOT think this is a weight lose drug! You may only lose 5 lbs and it will only last a few months. Reason- you might not want to eat as much (great idea). As for migraine use- medication seems to work very well. BUT know it is designed to work in steps. If the level you are on isn't working talk with your doctor because they can and will increase the amount. Available in generic for cost savings.

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Slight (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall) (insomnia, withdrawal effects, anxious mood, agitation)
• Adherence

  Sometimes
• Burden

  A little hard to take

Dosage: 100 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: I started taking as needed then, realized that it could be contributing to what I believe (self-diagnosed) was Serotonin Syndrome which, combined with everything else I was taking. If you find your condition (of any type) suddenly worse (within minutes or hours), start by asking your doctor about this first. It's taken me a year worth of specialists (who found nothing), psych tests (which proved I wasn't 'making it up'), and SELF RESEARCH to realize my problem. Miraculously, at least the symptoms that have been plaguing me since EXACTLY April of 2012 have gotten about 75% better within about 4 days. It happened so fast, I thought I had had a stroke or was going insane. Don't let this happen to you.

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Major (for Prevent migraine)
• Effectiveness

  Major (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall) (insomnia, withdrawal effects, anxious mood, agitation)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 100 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: Helps when taken. My prescription ran out a few days ago and I haven't gone into the drugstore yet. Will be starting dose again soon. 8/2/12 Pharmacy informs me I haven't refilled since May. Oops!

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Major (for Prevent migraine)
• Effectiveness

  Major (for migraine headaches)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Usually
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 100 mg Daily

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Major (for epilepsy)
• Side effects

  Moderate (for Overall) (vision changes, sensory changes, sleepiness, hard sneezing, weight loss, cough, sensory sensitivity, numbness and tingling with pins and needles, heightened sense of smell (hyperosmia), decreased appetite)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 75 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: I have been on seizure control meds all my life, this is the first one that actually helped me lose weight instead of gain it. I'm not on very much Topamax, and the rumor I heard/read was that people using it gave it the name Dopamax. I'm a writer and artist. I depend on my brain, needing it to work properly so I can have a happy and functioning life. I take my 3 pills all at once, 75 mg, at night before bed so I can write during the day. It was the only way I could do it. I still feel sleepy at times but I don't feel dopey... but I'm not on a lot either. The other thing I'd say is to be prepared for an entourage of strange sensory changes and sensitivities. I see in HD, as I like to put it, experience De Javu' all the time now, see titles on book come off the cover as though I'm wearing 3D glasses all the time, I taste smell and taste certain things at certain times of the day like burning fabric or the smell of metals like iron. I also cough for no reason and I am sneezing all the time now and it's not allergies... of which I don't have any. Should you take this med, I'd say take lots of notes, start slow, and keep the communication lines very open with your doctor.