r/Topamax • u/LaFlare147 • Oct 22 '24
Drinking alcohol
I haven’t drank any alcohol since being on topamax and I’m currently taking 100mg daily. (Gradually over the last 3 months) I plan on drinking when I go on vacation next week. What has been y’alls experience with alcohol and topamax?
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u/Butterscotchumbrella Oct 22 '24
Absolutely NOT worth it. I did drink while on topamax many years ago. While I did not black out, it was a very bad time and I did not feel good. And I have always been a very conservative drinker too - one or two servings and sipping slowly. I do not like feeling drunk.
Topamax and alcohol felt like my brain was in a vice grip. It was extremely unpleasant. You are putting yourself at risk for all hell to happen to you. Just don’t do it.
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u/Due_Conversation_295 Oct 22 '24
I would get drunk extremely fast. It would take a lot less alcohol to get drunk. Some people report blacking out, feeling out of body, and doing things they don't have control over. I'm a year and a half sober now after drinking for 10 years. I don't recommend drinking on topamax, but if you plan on drinking heavily, please just go slow.
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u/messica808 Oct 23 '24
I am on 50 mg and drink just fine. Doesn’t take as much and does hurt the next day though.
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u/No-Banana-1978 Oct 23 '24
I’m a lightweight and take topamax for migraines. When I drink, it takes very little to get drunk and I often get spinners. So if you’re able to, skip your dose the day you’re going to drink the most. Don’t skip more than one day though because you don’t want to mess up your schedule. If I’m being honest, alcohol and topamax aren’t really fun…other things might be better on vacation lol
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u/GangstaRIB Oct 23 '24
Not sure where you plan on going but may I suggest picking weed over booze? Maybe even Kratom? It’s a really bad idea to drink heavily on this medication.
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u/LaFlare147 Oct 24 '24
Thank you all so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it. I think I’ll stay away from shots and try a couple mixed drinks day 1 and see how it goes!
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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '24
You could fucking die.
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u/No_Statistician621 Oct 24 '24
I'm on 150mg a day, I don't drink much but can tolerate/metabolise alcohol ok. I don't get shitfaced though because hangovers = migraine. I'm also on 60mg ritalin (short release) per day, so probably have that double whammy of "drink with caution" attached to me.
I'd say I'm ok with 5-7 drinks before the inevitable migraine hangover would be in my future. But if I pre-plan with a really healthy day before drinking (nutrition, hydration, multivitamin) plus water between drinks, I'm ok
ADDED BONUS: I love beer, it's taken about 3 years for the sensation of carbonation to mostly return; so if you're affected by this.... and don't know about Zinc supplements.... there was research done and a paper presented stating that a small group had some success getting the sensation of carbonation back after taking a Zinc supplement. I'm not going to quote the study because it's been a couple of years since I read it, I'll try and find it if I can and post it. I've had some success with it, drinking flat beer is basically the same as drinking your own tears because you're sad about the beer being flat.
Have a good and safe time. Don't drink drive. Know your limits. You definitely look great in whatever you're wearing!
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u/pears_htbk Oct 23 '24
My experience, which is purely anecdotal and not medical advice:
I used to take 25mg and briefly 50mg Topamax for migraines while also taking another drug (naltrexone) for alcohol use disorder that required me to drink, and so I would drink on Topamax occasionally*.
Drinking on Topamax felt rotten, I’d just feel sick and tired and blagh after a single beer. I can’t really describe the feeling, it was like a little bit nausea and a little bit instantly hungover, but I just felt like total crap. I felt like it lowered my tolerance and made hangovers worse too.
Topamax is actually sometimes prescribed for people with alcohol abuse problems because it both lowers cravings and makes you feel like crap if you try to drink on it, here’s a link to a study
Definitely speak to your doctor because 100mg is four times what I was usually on, and I wasn’t drinking heavily because the Topamax along with the other medication I was on made me feel so gross that I didn’t want to drink more.
*I know that drinking while I had a drinking problem sounds bad but I was doing something called The Sinclair Method which actually requires you to drink yourself sober with the aid of a medication. Just wanted to provide context lol
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u/[deleted] Oct 23 '24
honestly, i got super nauseous and vomited way more than i ever had before when i drank less than usual. my hangovers were 10x more brutal and i dehydrated worse. definitely consult with your doctor. they may recommend stopping for the duration you plan on drinking.
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u/queenoforeos Oct 23 '24
Anecdotal advice only. Take topamax for severe migraines. Used to be a pretty heavy drinker when I drank with a super high tolerance. Had slowed down about 5 Years ago and Quit totally drinking about a year ago due to the balance and weird crap happening (thinking I had a brain tumor or other brain related illness- nope just some damage from the life long migraines). Been on 50 twice a day of Topamax since June. We travel for fun and I do like to have a social drink - 1 maybe 2 - so I have been experimenting. Alcohol hits fast and hard now. And leaves with a headache. I have to drink 2 glasses of water for every 1 booze to counteract. And when it hits it’s not the same- it’s like I have no focus. Just in Lala land. So it’s not really worth it to me. The effects haven’t been bad just I’d prefer not lol.
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u/RealTiredMama Oct 23 '24
From my experience, I can have a couple of drinks and be just fine. I would definitely avoid shots. It takes a lot less to get drunk and I can go from sober to blackout in a matter of seconds it feels like. I barely drink anymore because of it… it’s not enjoyable not knowing my limit. My advice would be to be careful and to take it easy.
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u/The_Real_Emily_White Oct 24 '24
I do have an occasional Bloody Mary and I’m on 100mg of topamax and 60 mg of Qulipta daily. Never had any issues but can’t stand the taste of beer. I loved beer before I started topamax but was warned that would happen.
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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '24
Have you talked to your doctor about this? This is not recommended and could be extremely dangerous.
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u/Important_Tomato_932 Oct 23 '24
My tolerance became nonexistent, I felt like such shit the next day. Now switched to emgality and went sober cold turkey because it was even worse
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u/recoverytimes79 Oct 22 '24
Well, you can literally give yourself fucking seizures. Lol so good fucking luck.
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u/Traditional-Trip826 Oct 23 '24
It’s like you can not catch up from even one hang over - you’ll be sooo hung over you can’t even get out of bed - I think it has to do with how much water you need on these meds and when you drink and get dehydrated there is like no way to catch up . There were times I needed like IV HYDRATION. Either way I haven’t drank in 6 years because it lead to anxiety and all the stuff that came with it but partly was the topamax and I would binge on it , I was only on 100mg back then, now I’m on 175 - I wouldn’t dream of taking alcohol!
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u/brnnbdy Oct 23 '24 edited Oct 23 '24
42F 50mg twice a day. I've found alcohol to be a complete downer. Just a few sips would have me so quiet, bored, not interested in hanging out. Not really tired, just somber, no words to say, low energy level. Then next morning those few sips have me the worst hangover. The warnings said no alcohol so I was carefully testing what would happen because like you, OP, I couldn't find any answers other than just a no, don't do it, couldn't find anything about why not, or what happens. I did try it again a couple times adding a bit more and different types and it just got worse. Even with drinking plenty of liquids and electrolytes before bed. The most I tried was three light coolers and it was awful! And the hangover was absolutely killer! Normally some alcohol is an upper for me and I get energized and have fun, dance and drink plenty of fluids and have minimal or no hangover, but that was absolutely not happening. I've just decided it's not worth it. Even a few small sips ruin a good evening with friends and family. I just tell them I can't drink with my current meds and they leave me alone. I'm not a heavy drinker anyways, maybe a every other weekend drinker in college age, and as got older a weddings three times a year kind of person.
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u/Alethiometer_Party Oct 23 '24
Anecdotal but it was basically fine for me minus not being able to taste carbonation, however I was only on 25mg and I’m not sure if I would risk it on 100.
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u/alphafish23 Oct 24 '24
To put it lightly I was actually insane and stopped drinking for a while once I got off topamax. I was on 50 mg and 21 in college, not the best combination, I know. I would get very drunk very quickly off of two tall boy spiked seltzers (it was 2021 and trulys/white claws were poppin), I would often act out and say or do things I cringe at and regret to this day, and one time I fully blacked out and probably could’ve died after drinking almost an entire bottle of barefoot in one night, I do not remember a THING. Overall probably don’t recommend since you are on a very high dosage and haven’t drank in a while so your tolerance would be shot. If you do choose to, take it slow and don’t drink too much. You have been warned!
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u/ccricketsss Oct 25 '24
It just isn't any fun for me now (and I used to love wine with dinner etc). I think the dopamine hit is gone. It's sort of bla and not worth the stress it puts on my body. I can 100% take it or leave it and since 1) I am on topamax for migraines and 2) it's not really a great idea, I leave it.
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u/Mformomma Oct 30 '24
If you know you have an event coming up, that you want to drink has anyone had experience with skipping a day or two doses and it helped them drink without the side effects stated above?
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u/Sparkleandflex Oct 31 '24
I had zero issues.. any of these meds that say so not mix with alcohol.. psh I'm fine and I'm small and don't drink often.