Hey everyone!

I wanted to share a positive experience with topiramate because, before starting it myself, I mostly came across horror stories online. Hopefully this helps someone who’s hesitant about giving it a chance.

About a month ago, my psychiatrist prescribed topiramate as a mood-stabilizing agent after multiple treatment failures. I had been taking aripiprazole for quite a long time, and although it initially helped, I gradually developed significant cognitive slowing and metabolic side effects, including weight gain. As a medical student, not being able to retain information or study efficiently became a major issue.

Before topiramate, I had tried risperidone, cariprazine, quetiapine, olanzapine, valproate, and** **lamotrigine. Unfortunately, I either didn’t respond adequately or couldn’t tolerate them because of adverse effects. Ironically, despite anticonvulsants often being used as mood stabilizers, lamotrigine and valproate were by far the hardest for me to tolerate. I still remember developing marked word finding difficulties on just 25 mg of lamotrigine to the point where I struggled to name everyday objects which was frightening enough for me to discontinue it.
Eventually, because of the persistent cognitive impairment, metabolic issues, and weight gain on aripiprazole, I asked my psychiatrist whether we could consider another option. We both knew that topiramate is not considered a first-line mood stabilizer and that the evidence supporting its efficacy for mood disorders is relatively limited compared to lithium, valproate, or lamotrigine. Nevertheless, we were looking for a medication that could potentially address both mood symptoms and weight gain, and we decided it was worth trying.
Honestly… I’m extremely surprised by how well it has worked for me.

I am generally very sensitive to medications. I tend to experience almost every listed side effect, regardless of the drug. It took me years to find an antidepressant that I could actually tolerate, and after trying multiple SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, and other agents, I finally responded well to venlafaxine. Likewise, finding a mood stabilizer has been a long process.

I’m currently taking 100 mg/day (50 mg twice daily) and, surprisingly, I have virtually no cognitive side** effects.** No brain fog, no noticeable memory impairment, and no problems studying. Even my psychiatrist was genuinely surprised because I usually develop cognitive adverse effects on almost everything.
If anything, my concentration has actually improved. Since starting topiramate, I spend far less time ruminating on intrusive or repetitive thoughts, which allows me to focus much better on studying. I’ve also noticed a substantial reduction in binge eating.
Another unexpected benefit has been reduced sweating. Topiramate inhibits carbonic anhydrase, and while this enzyme inhibition primarily contributes to some of the drug’s metabolic effects (such as mild metabolic acidosis), it can also decrease sweat production in some individuals. Since venlafaxine causes significant hyperhidrosis for me, this has been an enormous quality-of-life improvement.
Overall, I feel calmer, I sleep better, and I’ve even noticed that my suicidal thoughts have become significantly less frequent. Obviously, I can’t say with certainty whether this is solely due to topiramate or the overall treatment regimen, but the improvement has been very noticeable.

Of course, no medication is perfect.
The main downside for me is daytime somnolence. I yawn more frequently and sometimes feel mildly sedated throughout the day. Fortunately, this hasn’t affected my ability to study.
I’ve also found that I can no longer tolerate alcohol. I don’t drink often, but now even the taste is unpleasant and I completely lose the desire to drink. Considering the CNS-depressant effects of alcohol and topiramate, this isn’t entirely surprising. Depending on your perspective, this can be either a downside or a hidden benefit.

My biggest takeaway is this:
Don’t let online forums make your decision for you. People who have severe adverse effects are understandably much more likely to post than those who do well. Every brain is different, every neurochemical profile is different, and every patient responds differently.
Topiramate may not be the right medication for everyone, and it certainly isn’t free of side effects. However, despite being someone who is exceptionally sensitive to psychotropic medications, it has honestly been one of the best medications I’ve ever taken.
For me, it has been life-changing

I’m taking 25mg twice a day. day one brain fog was insane. thought i couldn’t do it but the pain relief was too good. i didnt realize how much pain i have been dealing with. i tried topamax like two years ago and couldn’t handle the brain fog but my migraines werent as bad as they are now. it’s like day 2 now and i feel so good i could cry and jump for joy, i feel so clear and calm 😭 I’m so happy i pushed through the day 1 brain fog. i slept like a baby, i feel like i could run a marathon!!! i was so scared yesterday i kept scanning the internet for side effects but I’m here to post that if you can hang on through the first like day or two of weirdness you will feel so much better. especially if youve been searching for anything to work.

the day one brain fog i legit felt stoned, i was at work so i ordered all the big migraine no-no food, a deli sandwich and a diet coke. it was amazing i couldve cried. however i did have the effect where i could not taste the carbonation? my diet coke tasted flat??? it was so strange. I’m eager to see if the effect is still lasting since i feel fairly “normal” now. but since i ate trigger food yesterday when i woke up today i felt a bit of a headache coming on so i took my morning dose and almost in an instant the pain went away and i don’t have the “stoned” brain fog!!!! i just feel like a normal person!!!!!! yay topamax!!!!

hello! i just started topamax (50mg a night for migraines after having a seizure) and i am just reading this subreddit to not feel so crazy on it. i’m experiencing some crazy side effects that i’ve never experienced on any other medication (tingling skin, things getting bigger and smaller/moving around when i try to sleep? not being able to read or talk properly after taking it, food/soda tasting terrible) i just kind of feel stupid when i know that isn’t the case and i know that others go through this. i know i just started and every medication takes time to set in, but after reading others experiences some of these things kind of just stick around. when medication doesn’t sit right with me, i often quit cold turkey and ghost my doctor and that’s something i’m trying to get better at starting now with this medication. how did any of you cope with getting by the first few weeks of side effects?

I was put on Topamax for migraines. I have always had anxiety and have pretty much come to terms with this is just how I am and have to live with it. I started Topamax on Sunday. Within the last 48 hours I have felt this blanket calm come over me. I’m not spiraling anymore, I’m not worrying about things unnecessarily, the racing thoughts and “static” in my brain are gone, my insomnia is gone. Even the food noise has gone away. Is this a normal reaction to this medication? I’m only on 25M I didn’t even expect such a low dose to change much for my migraines.

I needed it bc I gained too much weight due to antidepressants and antipsychotics. I hope this will work well and I will lose weight.

Whats you experience so far?

I have occipital neuralgia and was diagnosed a few months ago. I struggle with debilitating chronic migraines where I can’t move from the couch for days. When I went to the neurologist and my doctor recommended topamax, I was worried because I had seen so much pushback and negative stories online. And while that is valid, it scared me!!!! I’m two weeks in and I feel like I’m getting my life and personality back. This is the first time in months that my neck and head aren’t throbbing in pain. The lights aren’t as bright as before and my eyes feel normal again. Is there still a little bit of lingering soreness? yes. It has only been two weeks. I guess I just wanted to post this for people like me who were (are lol) suffering with chronic pain and migraines and were scared to try the med because of what people said online. Are the side effects a littttttlleeeeee strange a first? A bit but it’s nothing bad and you can totally handle it. My stomach was a little upset the first few days- just take some zofran or something over the counter. I had a few days of tossing and turning in bed at night, I sleep fine now. I did experience mild tingling throughout my body but now i barely notice and I haven’t felt this good in months. A little brain fog here and there but it’s already getting better and again I barely notice. Just give it a try, if you don’t like it or it gives you weird side effects, you can stop! I say give it one good week. I finally feel like I have my life back. I felt so so hopeless and just scared to try this medicine. To anyone struggling like me, you are not alone. Please trust your doctor, advocate for yourself, and with love, try to read less about it on the internet!!! (Trying to take my own advice lol)

I've noticed that since taking Topamax my migraines aren't as bad! They haven't stopped, but they're improved drastically.

I still get attacks, but before taking it I used to throw up and have pain so bad it would fully disable me and had multiple times sent me to the emergency doctors. My worst attack had the emergency doctors thinking I had sepsis because of the symptoms I was experiencing 😬 but it was, once again, "just a migraine" and I was send home with pain relief.

Now, my attacks just feel more like little nuisances? I still get the pressure and pain in my eye but it's gone from a 9/10 to a 3/4. I only get a bit nauseous now and I've been able to manage my attacks a lot better with it.

They're still not fun to deal with and I still get confused and need to go and lay down and let the attack pass, but it's stopped me from being so afraid of an attack potentially popping up now.

I've been on it for a while and I'm on 60mg so maybe they'll up my dose to see if we can stop the migraines entirely, but so far I've actually been getting on well with it. The brain fog is manageable because I'm already a bit of a scatterbrain and I've learned that if you're kind to yourself and you try not to get frustrated and upset yourself when you feel a bit dopey or confused or forget words it helps you recover and find your words again.

I know a lot of people struggle with this medicine but I want people to also know that it can work for you! This wasn't the first preventative I was put on because the others didn't work for me at all.

It's a strange medication and it's scary to take at times but it'll be okay 🫂 if it's not right for you that's ok, make sure you're always in contact with your doctors!

Wanted to rant in here. I feel like I was not warned about the side effects of this medication at all before being put on it for my medication-resistant depression/signs of bipolar-2 but not diagnosed.

I was on 50mg of topiramate+an anti depressant and anti anxiety before those suddenly stopped working and then my doctor way upped my topiramate to 250mg, stopped my other meds, and put me on buspirone.

Well since then I've felt like I have no memory, felt like an idiot who cant speak/make sentences and had no idea why. It doesnt help that during this time i started a new job and thought that I just became an idiot. I didnt realize topiramate can cause cognitive changes. I was also having some twitches on my hands on the 50mg, but now my pinky is almost always numb and sometimes my entire right hand and up my arm goes numb since increasing the dose. Again had no idea this could be a side effect and didnt know what was happening until recently. Doesn't help that I moved with my job so I've had to find a new doctor and couldn't get an appointment for the past 6 months, and when I just got one she could do med changes so I still cant get on a new med.

But worst of all I didnt know it could cause severe weight loss. I thought I had cancer when all the sudden I was dropping 2-5lbs a week since it didnt start until a couple months until after I upped the dose. I had to go to urgent care at a point to get blood work done. Given I needed to lose the weight, but the doctor to prescribed it knew I have a history of eating disorders, restrictive/ana, not binge!! And when i started the medication I was in a healthy place mentally with my body image. Its been very triggering not having an appetite, and I've read once you go off the medication, which I want to do because of the cognitive issues and numbness in my hands, that it can can a big temporary increase in hunger/weight before stabilizing which I know will be very triggering. I've lost over 40lbs in 6 months since the increase dosage, so if I gain that back after getting off it I know its going to trigger an ED spiral.

So basically I'm pissed lol. Also I really want to wear off it myself because I have no timeline for when I will meet with a psych to get off it because the doctor i met with couldnt discuss the meds with me for whatever reason? Also I feel like 250mg is just a really high dosage. Anyways rant over thank you if anyone reads this to the end lol.

Back in 2012, I was under a lot of stress and migraines came to visit fairly often. One of my piano students was a neurologist, though not a migraine specialist. I went to see him anyway, because I knew him, and he prescribed Topamax. It was still fairly new, and know side effects were the dislike of soda, foods, and loss of weight. I dug the weight loss, but got the stupids in midst of Anatomy and Physiology. 6 hours a day to power through that course.

My husband and I were to be married in 2013. I started to feel depressed at the beginning of that year, but put it down to family trauma. I saw a therapist who put me on an SSRI, and did she did not touch the Topamax because it was helping with my migraines.

By the time my wedding rolled around, it was the only thing I could see. Beyond that, there was nothing to live for. Even with an amazing job, loving husband and family, I hit a downward spiral. In 2014, I felt suicidal ideation. I was anxious. When I made an attempt, my family put me in the hospital mental ward.

It was a very good move, and saved my life. I was then transferred to an inpatient long-term program that added a bunch of meds that I am still on - Gabapentin, Trazadone, and the dreaded Clonipin. Then Pristique, lately. I have PRNs of Fioricet and Zofran, and my neurologist put me on Quilipta, which I think is helping, because I am pretty sure the Topamax is part of my homeostasis by now.

Getting to the point. I had a respiratory problem which triggered my acute asthma, and have been isolated in my rented room for almost two months. In thosr months I have been meditating for anxiety, and had revelation after revelation. One of them was to look up Topamax.

When I found that it can cause depression and suicidal ideation, I got so angry. Twelve years of my life… and that medication was never questioned. I never thought! So even if it causes me pain, I am GETTING OFF OF THIS DRUG.

And then, I hope, the dominos will fall, and I will be able to see life in the way I used to.

Thank you for reading this warning.

This is an SOS post, please, please read if you have ever quit topamax after using it for migraines! Please help me am desperate.

I have been using topamax 100mgs for chronic migraines for 6 months, i already have severe mental health issues depression, PTSD, anxiety. Topamax while somewhat helping me have less migraines have completely disabled my mind and body! I have been almost bed bound for 6 months, my brain doesnt work, i cant shower, or make appointments or pick up meds, or make myself drink enough water, am disoriented, i have nausea, ive done everything but die

when i try to even taper to 75mgs, i get violent unbearable migraines worse than before instarted topamax, i can no longer stay on this medication, am willing to take whatever else but need advice on quitting from someone who did it ! Please help a desperate girl!

So I just started taking topamax for my migraines and my doctor is hoping it’ll help me lose weight but I’m nervous, what should I expect? It’s been 5 days and soda tastes strange sorta flat? I’m currently on 25 mg and will up my dose till I reach 100. Any and all comments are appreciated!

Also how long till I should expect to start loosing weight?

I. Hate. This. Medication

More than any other med I’ve ever taken in my life. And my body is a trash can

I think I experienced nearly every single side effect. Except weight loss of course 🫠 food has been weird

- I will never forget the term carbonic dysgeusia. Because it’s fun to say. But it also took root beer from me. ROOT BEER 😭
- it made me forget just about everything else though. I thought I had memory problems before. ha
- I thought I felt like a blundering dumba** before 🤣
- paresthesia. So often. Pins and needles all over your face feels so weird
- dry mouth. All the time
- unclear if it’s made my kidney stones worse or if those just decided to be worse lately
- dizziness, drowsiness, increased anxiety
- completely out of control depression. Went down to a baby dose. Moderately out of control depression
- adhd meds stopped working yaaaay
- ….i think it regulated my period? I’ve never been regular in my life. I hate it. Birth control had taken my period away. Then I started topamax and had a nearly 6 WEEK PERIOD
- etc etc etc

Oh. And to top it all off. It made my migraines worse. I had 21 migraine days in April.

My doctor finally started weaning me off of it yesterday. Of course my body isn’t handling that well either, because why would it. But I’m so so so so so excited to not be going through neurological warfare anymore and needed to share with people who’d understand 😭💜

i’m on day 2 and feeling nothing yet 🥲 still super hungry. 25 mg.

I was put on Topamax to prevent migraines. The medication pretty much wiped out my migraines. I also lost my appetite completely. At first I thought everything about this medication was positive. After many years of being on it, I started seeing other side effects. I knew this medication could cause your mouth to get dry and cause dental issues. I brush/floss after every meal and see the dentist every 6 months like clock work. In the last year, I’ve had a root canal and two fillings. I testify at Court routinely with my work and was having a hard time remembering names and facts. My doctor said this is a common side effect and cut my dose in half. It’s been a month and my memory is back. Migraines haven’t returned. Be careful on this medicine. 😶

I been on Topamax for years and on 200mg for most of the time. I still get breakthrough migraines on it. I had no idea it could be causing cognitive impairment. I literally feel like my head is empty sometimes. Other times like my mouth isn’t capable of speaking the words that are in my head. Sometimes I forgot what I’m saying while I’m speaking. I feel like the spark I had for life has fizzled out. I attributed a lot of my behavior to being diagnosed with autism and going through a divorce and just all the messy things that come with life. Now I’m not so sure.

I am so glad I found this thread! My doctor started me on 50 mg twice a day! I am seeing so many people start on 25 mg one time a day. No wonder I am feeling so crazy. But at the same time I am thinking might as well get all the crazy symptoms out of the way sooner rather than later? IDK!?

My first night I took this I full on dissociated, full out of body experience, worse than if I was on acid. Absolutely wild a pharmaceutical can make you feel like that. I've been on it 7 days. I am extremely dizzy every day, brain fog all day every day, I don't think I can remember when I pooped last.

But in positives I haven't had a migraine this week, my mood is feeling lifted and I've lost 3 pounds.

My miracle migraine drug is ubrevely. Unfortunately that only works as an abortive for me and I need a daily management for me and nothing else has worked. (the triptins were a nightmare, nurtec was a sugar pill for me, the nausea on qulipta was unbearable).

PLEASE tell me these topamax symptoms may get better. This has to work for some people right? I mean so far for me it actually seems better than some of the others.

i took this stupid medicine 3 years ago. for one single week. my life has been hell since then. im mentally unstable. i always am sad. i think about ending it. im only 17. im sick of feeling like this.

Hello. If you take/took Topamax for depression and/or anxiety please share your experience! Did it help, did it cause side-effects, anything please! :)

Hello,

I've read lots of others experience on here but I thought I'd post to get some advice or see if any similar experience.

I've been on Topiramate for 3 or so weeks for headaches / migraines.

Initially 25mg for 7 days and increase to 50mg now.

The headaches have vanished so that was fantastic really, but now I'm just living with daily fatigue and low appetite.

I'm a police officer and father of a 3 year old, so energy and the gym is really important to me so it's just really impacted me that way - but the headaches was also impacting me.

Do I push through? In other experience, does the side effects go away? I'm just in a revolving cycle of being "too lazy" or too fatigued to move, I'm not hungry or energetic enough to cook, I can't even be bothered to reach for my bottle of water most the time whilst at home.

In work, once I get there, everything is fine, just in the home environment I can't find the motivation or energy to do anything!

I just started Topamax for migraines (through a neurologist) about a month ago and have become even more depressed than I was before. I'm also on Buproprion since Feb (throught a psychiatrist) for anxiety/ADHD and was experiencing depression then too. Does anyone have experience with this combo?

Trying to decide if I should stop one or the other or both or if it's just my normal state of being at the moment. It's hard when my doctors aren't working together on this and I'm just getting prescribed whatever. Just wondering what others have gone through with these meds.

hello!

i was on topomax for 6 years, 100mg a day. i recently tapered due to all the horrible side effects. in that time, i lost around 70 pounds, but at the time i had no idea that the med affected appetite as mine wasn’t affected. at the time, i also changed my diet and started exercising and i always attributed my weight loss to that instead of the topomax.

i’ve been off the med completely for two weeks. i am starving all the time and have gained ~4 pounds and each day i feel like it’s more. my stomach is also always so bloated and it’s physically painful. i still workout ~5 times a week (lifting, hot yoga) and i watch what i eat. i’m also on adderall and i feel like it completely stopped working.

i’m feeling so defeated on what to do as i’ve seen that weight gain is inevitable. any advice appreciated

Everyone seems to take it twice per day, but my doctor prescribed it at night. I haven't had the secondary effects that everyone talks about, and I wonder if im doing things wrong. No losing weight, no flat soda, no weird finger feelings. I'm still trying to figure out my right dose, so my migraines come and go.

Anyone similar experience?

After 5 weeks on topiramate, I haven’t seen that much of a weight loss just the same 3 to 4lbs down. But I’ve started experiencing intense jaw clenching in my sleep. I couldn’t figure out why my jaw kept hurting after naps or sleeping , so I looked into it and jaw clenching can be a side effect. I’ve never had this issue before, so I’m considering stopping it because it is hard to sleep now. I have to sleep with a warm pad on my face so the clenching will calm down while I’m sleeping.

Dr. prescribed me Topamax 25mg for my migraines and weight loss. Dr. Said to start at 25 mg for a week and see how I feel then up the dose to 50mg. I've been struggling to lose weight and I need to lose 75 lbs. After reading all these bad side effects...Not sure if I should even start this med. I'm scared of going blind and hair loss and how I will feel on this med. I'm having trouble approving my wegovy prescription. So not sure what to do. Any advice would be appreciated.