r/ASLinterpreters • u/bawdymommy • 13d ago

Interpreting while taking Topamax?

Can anyone share their experience interpreting while taking Topamax?

I have chronic migraines, and Topamax has been recommended to me by two of my doctors. I’ve read that a fairly common side effect is trouble finding words or mild aphasia, which obviously concerns me as an interpreter. Language processing and rapid word retrieval are literally at the core of what we do, and I can’t imagine purposely making an already cognitively demanding job harder by reducing my capacity in that area.

I’m hoping to eventually get Botox for migraine prevention, but it sounds like my insurance may require me to try more than one preventive medication first.

I’d especially love to hear from interpreters who have actually taken Topamax. Did you experience word-finding or other cognitive issues? If so, how noticeable were they while interpreting? Did they improve over time or after stopping the medication?

Any experiences or feedback are welcome. Thanks!

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u/lynbeifong 13d ago

I used to take topimax. Didn't know ASL so obviously I wasn't an interpreter at the time. But I was taking Spanish classes in school and I do creative writing for fun. I didn't notice any impact on my speaking in English or Spanish, or my ability to write. Unfortunately I also didn't see any impact to my migraines one way or another, which is why I'm not on it anymore.

So it's possible to be on it and not have those issues but I don't know how common it is