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10 Comments

  1. Jeanne
    19 January 2009 @ 1:46 pm

    I was on Topamax for about 3 months. It worked, once I got up to the correct dosage, for about 1 month. I stopped because it was not working anymore and I was having disturbing thoughts running through my head. The only benefit I received was a 20lb weight loss, but it was not worth it. It kind of scared me to have these thoughts running through my head.

    Jeanne

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  2. James
    22 January 2009 @ 7:03 am

    It’s amazing how chemical changes can so easily impact mood and thought processes. And it’s so important to be aware of. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Don
    22 January 2009 @ 8:13 am

    I was on Topamax and didn’t have suicidal thoughts–I had homicidal thoughts. I actually had visions of killing people. My doctor never warned me about any mental or emotional issues, but I found some reports on the NIH website.

    Thank God, I never acted on any of the thoughts. My wife did remove all weapons from the house and I gave up driving until all effect of the Topamax left me after stopping the drug.

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  4. Charlene
    12 March 2009 @ 8:02 am

    I have been taking Topamax for several years and it helps for the most part, the only thing is that after about 6 mnths I have to up the dose because I get used to the dose and then it doesnt work. And I am also on 2 anti-depressants as well. I have had my migraines for 26 yrs so I guess I will take whatever I need to just not to have one.

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  5. TheDailyHerb
    25 May 2009 @ 11:05 am

    I’ve been on most of those meds you mention. They did nothing for me except make me sicker, gained 20% of my body weight in 6 weeks, developed reoccurring “functional” ovarian cysts that ruptured whenever I ovulated (yeah, once a month), and caused suicidal ideology. I have since fired my neuro (yes, hired a more competent doc), weaned myself off of all their “preventatives”, and have turned to a natural approach for prevention.

    I do, still, however, turn to the triptans for immediate relief. Do you know if it’s possible to build a tolerance to triptans? They are seeming to work less well over the long haul for me.

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  6. Chris
    16 January 2013 @ 1:21 am

    I tried Topamax for a couple of weeks several years ago. The crushing sleepiness and the disconnected thinking left me so depressed that I was in tears, and I quit taking it. I will never touch the stuff again.

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  7. donna
    16 January 2013 @ 5:25 am

    I was on Topamax for about 6 months – I was virtually migraine free, but the side effects were awful! I experienced weird smells, tingling hands and feet, and my mouth tasted like a cross between copper and blood. Then there was the word retrieval and short term memory issue! (I still have some issues with word retrieval and it is very upsetting) I was put on Depakote, which lessened the migraines, but did not rid me of them, and I just didn’t feel like myself.

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  8. DeeDee
    16 January 2013 @ 9:21 am

    I also had disturbing thoughts that ran through my head when I took Topamax! It was scary, almost like hearing voices, but they were multiple thoughts heard at the same time out loud in my head. Like it had removed a filter inside my brain. Needless to say, I quit taking it. Gabapentin and Zonisamide are VERY helpful to me and I’ve never had suicidal thoughts. The physical pain that they take away make the difference between my being home-bound or not.

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  9. Kyra
    17 January 2013 @ 7:48 am

    I h ave taken Topamax for the last 8-9 years. I was part of the original crowd to be given the script in my doctors office. I had tingling in my fingers and toes. I also found that any soda tasted flat and weird. (not a bad thing, as to this day I will rarely have anything carbonated) And I still get a weird toe cramp that my doctor said is directly related. However, I went from having 3-4 migraines a week to maybe one a month, which in many cases could be warded off with motrin and a nap. Topamax gave me the ability to work outside my home and have a life free of pain medication. I could care less about the smaller side effects…And even when, just this past year, I went through a bought of depression, I didn’t have any suicidal tendencies. The worst thing that has happened with Topamax is Diet Coke tastes salty and I get an occasional charlie horse in my toe. I think I can live with that, instead of the overwhelming pain of the migraines I use to have.

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  10. sally
    22 March 2013 @ 11:26 am

    I was on topamax for one and a half years which did improve the frequency of my migraines. However, I was fairly “stupid” while on it not able to do simple math and I developed a rare side effect for a female, kidney stones so I had to go off of it. Now I have started gabapentin and am wondering what other people have experienced while on it.

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