116 patient evaluations for Topiramate

1,051 members have decided to share their profiles only with other members of PatientsLikeMe.

Sort by: Most recent

Jan 1, 2010 (Started Dec 07, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Sep 15, 2011 (Started Sep 01, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for trigeminal neuralgia)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 100 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I have suffered hair loss from taking this medication. It is very helpful for sleep for me.
Cost: $25-49 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 15, 2010 (Started Jun 01, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Very hard to take
Advice & Tips: I was given this along with the 2000mg of Keppra a day that I was already on and the Topamax made me sick as heck.
Cost: $50-99 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 19, 2011 (Started Jun 19, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (hair loss, spacing out)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 200 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I notice that my hair is falling out. I am very spacey. It does help control my seizures so I do take this, with the side effects.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: hair loss, spacing out
  • 0 helpful marks

Feb 11, 2011 (Started Sep 01, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for seizures (complex partial))
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (brain fog, dry eyes, hair loss, dry mouth, abdominal pain, increased energy, feeling of insides shaking, metallic taste in mouth, neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements, brain fog, dry eyes, increased energy, feeling of insides shaking, hair loss, metallic taste in mouth, dry mouth, abdominal pain

Nov 25, 2010 (Started Sep 01, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for seizures (complex partial))
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (brain fog, dry eyes, hair loss, dry mouth, abdominal pain, increased energy, feeling of insides shaking, metallic taste in mouth, neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 50 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Caused a build up over time in my system.Appeared to work OK at first but then began to get drowsy,brain fog,also hair started to fall out.Had break through complex partial seizures in combination with keppra.It did make me edgy at times and negative mood.Could probably cause depression if continued.Only benefit weight loss.Not worth the neurotoxicity at all in my opinion.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements, brain fog, dry eyes, increased energy, feeling of insides shaking, hair loss, metallic taste in mouth, dry mouth, abdominal pain

Oct 6, 2010 (Started Sep 01, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for seizures (complex partial))
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (brain fog, dry eyes, dry mouth, abdominal pain, increased energy, feeling of insides shaking, metallic taste in mouth, neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 100 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Have had moderate depression since taking this medication which is not normal for me.I also get overheated easily,sometimes run a low-grade temp and have been short of breath daily and very fatigued.Also nausea and have metal taste in mouth.Have tried mouth wash,water,etc.Taste will not go away.I am probably going to see an epileptologist my neurologist deals mainly with stoke patients and will have to travel a distance to find one but it will be worth it if it helps.I am having myoclonic twitching beneath right eye since September daily.This started when topiramate dose was being increased.Neuro. does not seem concerned.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements, brain fog, dry eyes, increased energy, feeling of insides shaking, hair loss, metallic taste in mouth, dry mouth, abdominal pain

Sep 13, 2010 (Started Sep 01, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for seizures (complex partial))
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (dry eyes, dry mouth, increased energy, neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 100 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: May tend to make you a little irritable in mood when you begin taking the medication.This could also have been due to the other medication trileptal leaving my system and the topamax reaching a therapeutic level.I was started on 25mg of topamax daily and increased dose by 25mg per week to reach a dose of 100mg daily.I have a mild twitch below my left eye almost consantly but this is not a major problem.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements, brain fog, dry eyes, increased energy, feeling of insides shaking, hair loss, metallic taste in mouth, dry mouth, abdominal pain

Aug 30, 2010 (Started Sep 01, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (dry eyes, dry mouth, neck and shoulder ache)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 50 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Can cause a little restlessness but it gets better during the noon too evening hours.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements, brain fog, dry eyes, increased energy, feeling of insides shaking, hair loss, metallic taste in mouth, dry mouth, abdominal pain

Aug 20, 2010 (Started Sep 01, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 50 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: better energy level
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: neck and shoulder ache, jerky movements, brain fog, dry eyes, increased energy, feeling of insides shaking, hair loss, metallic taste in mouth, dry mouth, abdominal pain
  • 0 helpful marks

Jun 16, 2011 (Started Jun 14, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (numbness in hands, night cramps in legs and feet, trouble spelling, feeling of heart pounding, suicidal thoughts or urges)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Advice & Tips: I stopped Topamax (generic) in January when my neuro put me on generic keppra. There has not been any improvement with that drug and I do not like the effects of it. Neuro has started me on Topamax again. 06/14/11 I began taking 1/2 caplet of topamax at bedtime along with my regular dose of 4 dilantin and 2 keppra. Gradually I will build the dose up to 2 tablets of topamax daily with 4 dilantin (as before) and stop the keppra. Wish me luck! My meds are all generic prices.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: trouble spelling, suicidal thoughts or urges, numbness in hands, feeling of heart pounding, night cramps in legs and feet

Jan 10, 2011 (Started Jun 14, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (numbness in hands, night cramps in legs and feet, trouble spelling, feeling of heart pounding, suicidal thoughts or urges)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Advice & Tips: Manage: I took Topamax 2x daily. 1 in the morning with food and 1 in the evening with supper. 2. Benefits: It made lose weight. 3. Impact: Learning to adjust to it's side effects.
Side effects: trouble spelling, suicidal thoughts or urges, numbness in hands, feeling of heart pounding, night cramps in legs and feet

Jun 24, 2010 (Started Jun 14, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (numbness in hands, night cramps in legs and feet, trouble spelling, feeling of heart pounding, suicidal thoughts or urges)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Advice & Tips: 1.Manage: Inform and prepare yourself for this drug. If you are experienced with taking medications you may manage well with it. If you are a weak person, you may want to try something else. 2. Benefits: Weight loss and it keeps it off. Please do not use this drug for weight loss!! It might sharpen your cognitive or judgment skills but it's only temporary. Then they may become clouded. 3. Impact: Food flavor may suddenly change. There will be times when you are sleeping that you will awake to your heart pounding in your chest...feeling of impending doom, thoughts of being sicker than you really are and ideas of suicide are side effects you may experience with this drug. Brand name or generic it is a high priced drug.
Side effects: trouble spelling, suicidal thoughts or urges, numbness in hands, feeling of heart pounding, night cramps in legs and feet

Jun 22, 2010 (Started Jun 14, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (numbness in hands, night cramps in legs and feet, trouble spelling, feeling of heart pounding, suicidal thoughts or urges)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Advice & Tips: Topamax helped me drop weight but that's not why I agreed to take it. I wanted to be seizure free! And the spells stopped for 6 months but then they started up again. One must be very careful when using this drug because it has many side effects. I have learned to recognize them and distinguish the difference between me and the drug but the most bothersome and hardest to cope with is the sudden rush of my heart pounding on my chest. It scares me to death. I think it's time for me to get off this drug. Please be careful if you use this drug. It's also very expensive in generic brand too.
Side effects: trouble spelling, suicidal thoughts or urges, numbness in hands, feeling of heart pounding, night cramps in legs and feet
  • 1 helpful mark

Jun 6, 2011 (Started Feb 10, 2007)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for migraine)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (dry mouth, mental confusion, metallic taste in mouth)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 200 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: dry mouth, taste altering, weight changes, confusion
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: dry mouth, mental confusion, metallic taste in mouth
  • 0 helpful marks

Jan 12, 2011 (Started Dec 15, 1999)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (weight loss)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 100 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I experienced weight loss with this drug. Unfortunately that's not what I'm needing to do at this point.
Cost: $25-49 monthly
Side effects: weight loss
  • 0 helpful marks

Apr 7, 2010 (Started Jul 19, 2007)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for headaches)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Advice & Tips: naproxene works just as good and don't have horrible bitter taste
Cost: $25-49 monthly
Side effects: metallic taste in mouth

May 13, 2009 (Started Jul 19, 2007)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for Other)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 100 mg Daily
Cost: $25-49 monthly
Side effects: metallic taste in mouth
  • 0 helpful marks

Mar 18, 2011 (Started Jan 01, 2005)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for Treat my mood condition(s))
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (fatigue, weight loss)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 150 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: when i itially took it, i lost weight, but after a year these effects stopped. It also stopped nasty flashbacks. I take it as a mood stablizer. The 150mg dose made me a little drowsy so i am trying 100mg instead.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: weight loss, fatigue

Jan 1, 2008 (Started Jan 01, 2005)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for Treat my mood condition(s))
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (fatigue)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 150 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: taken on its own or with just anti depressants helps you loose weight!!!!!
Cost: $25-49 monthly
Side effects: weight loss, fatigue
  • 0 helpful marks
Last updated:
Showing 10 of 116 patient evaluations for Topiramate