116 patient evaluations for Topiramate

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Mar 15, 2013 (Started Jun 01, 2011)

  • 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

Jul 21, 2012 (Started Jun 01, 2011)

  • 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

Jun 30, 2012 (Started Jun 01, 2011)

  • 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
  • 1 helpful mark

Jun 6, 2013 (Started Jan 15, 2013)

  • 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.
  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 1, 2012 (Started Feb 15, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for seizures)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (dizziness, dry mouth, paresthesia, hallucinations)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 25 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I would never take this medication again. And if any of you smoke weed to alleviate pain this medication causing horrible hallucinations and time lapses accompanied by severe headaches
Cost: < $25 monthly

Mar 31, 2012 (Started Feb 15, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for seizures)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (dizziness, dry mouth, paresthesia, hallucinations)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 25 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I don't recommend this medication
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 10, 2012 (Started Jan 15, 2012)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for difficulty staying asleep)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 50 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Aug 7, 2012 (Started Feb 19, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for headaches)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (blurry vision, pain behind eye, reoccuring urinary tract infection, kidney pain)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 100 mg Daily
  • 0 helpful marks

Apr 5, 2011 (Started May 31, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for migraine headaches)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (brain fog)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 100 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Aug 19, 2012 (Started Feb 13, 2003)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (Reduced Sweating, alternating constipation and diarrhea, tingling in extremities, constipation, weight loss, difficulty speaking (dysarthria), decreased sweating (hypohidrosis))
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 500 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly

Apr 27, 2012 (Started Feb 13, 2003)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (Reduced Sweating, alternating constipation and diarrhea, tingling in extremities, constipation, weight loss, difficulty speaking (dysarthria), decreased sweating (hypohidrosis))
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 500 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jun 17, 2012 (Started Mar 07, 2007)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 200 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly

Aug 25, 2010 (Started Mar 07, 2007)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 200 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 1 helpful mark

May 1, 2012 (Started Jul 14, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for migraine headaches)
  • Effectiveness
    None (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (mean feelings)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 100 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Mar 15, 2008 (Started Sep 15, 2007)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (memory problems, numbness and tingling with pins and needles, anorexia (appetite loss), cognitive confusion)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Very hard to take
Dosage: 200 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I essentially lost 6 months of my life. I only have a few impressions, almost a memory of a horrible nightmare. According to my wife, I don't want to remember it.
  • 0 helpful marks
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