Topamax Reduces Number Of Monthly Migraine Days In Chronic Migr...

[Victoria]

hi :) im new to this forum even though i really enjoy reading these because they help me get through my migraine attacks. Im currently 17 and i've had migraines since i was 6 years old. I've tried probably around 10-15 medicines for my migraines. if they've worked, they've only worked for a while until my body built up an immunity towards them. So far the topamax has worked wonders. i was on 50 for a while (about 6 months) and then bumped to 75 mg and took that for another 6 months. i quit the topamax over summer and then picked it up again when school started and started 75mg again. just recently i got bumped up to 100mg which my doctor said was max for my size. im 5'0. off topamax weight is 115-117. on topamax weight is 106-108. i really hate the side effects it has on me. i have such a lack of concentration in school, im really not very hungry. i also get tired very easily and im always trying to find the "right word" for everything or finding myself to think really hard about a simple math problem. i have alot of the unwanted side effects and the do bug me, but my migraines have affected my education more so and i would rather be less concentrated than have a migraine. i still get them if im under fluorescent lighting for too long or if the weather is gloomy and humid. but this medicine has worked wonders. along with midrin.

[wildgramma]

I have had migraines since I was 6 and am now 57. I have tried EVERYTHING! And of course none of it worked. I already had the numbness, tingling,brain confusion,intestinal problems,muscle aches, and other listed side effects due to an intestinal disease I've had for 13 years. This disease deprived me of vitamin nutrients for years often living on Ensure and IV solutions daily and steroids just to keep me alive. My body has adjusted it seems but I still have these horrible headaches. Thank God i found a wonderful neurologist who really cared enough to look into ALL my drugs I currently take ( a whole bunch) and all tests performed by other doctors. I started last week with 25mg once a day. This week 50mg per day. I am so HAPPY. I now wake up with no headache. No more ice packs. No more craving a nap with a dark room. I have energy I haven't had in years. Have lost a few pounds but thats okay. the steroids that saved my life left me with some unwanted weight which in turn was hard on my arthritic joints. I used to get up all night long but actually sleep now. So I hope it keeeps working. As i said I had all the brain confusion before just hope it doesn't get worse.

[Suzanne - NC]

My doctor recommended that I take 100 mg of Vitamin C with my nightly dose of Topamax to ward off the "tingles". It worked! No tingles or weird sensations in my toes, fingers or neck. I am experiencing a great deal of sweating and feeling of "clamminess". I'm just hoping the side effects go away!

[Diane]

My doctor just started me on Topamx 100mg twice a day for migraines but after the first dose I was extremely disoriented, confused and I felt like my head was going to explode. I felt so bad that I didn't take my second dose. Yesterday I could barely walk straight and felt horrible. Today I'm still feeling somewhat sluggish and have headache. Doctor said this is normal and it would take awhile for my body to adjust. I've read on the posts that everyone is starting off on 25mg and working up from there. Could it be that Doctor started me off with too much? Can 100mg pills be spilt? I really want to give Topamax a try but I definitely don't want to feel like that again. Thanks for any comments.

[LaLo]

So in general is it good to take then this Topamax pill? what are the side effects to it?

[sherry]

Diane, if you can I would attempt to see another doc. That dose is way too high for a starting dose. good luck.

[Margo]

I started on Topamax (25mg) about 6 weeks ago and am now up to 50 mg and am gradually increasing to 75 mg. My question: does anyone experience insomnia? or does anyone experience hyperactivity? How do you deal with this? I also have had to control my temper and this is from a very passive, mild mannered lady! It seems to decrease as I adjust to the dosage. Is this normal and has anyone else experienced these side effects? Topamax is very helpful with my headaches and do not want to stop taking.

[Emilia]

I took topamax for 3 weeks and also treximet when needed and didn't help me and I got almost all the side effects :((( how lucky am I ... Going back to see my neurologist on Monday I tried almost everything nothing works I don't know what she is going to do with me .. I recently changed my neurologist and finaly after 4 years of suffering will get the CT Scan and the right help I hope:(((

[Emilia]

LaLo wrote:

So in general is it good to take then this Topamax pill? what are the side effects to it?

There is a lot but it doesn't mean you will get them, everyone is different , just type in google topamax side effects and you will see

[Armywife]

I have been taking Topamax for about 6 weeks and have lost almost 10 pounds.. I do get dizzy from time to time, but it is worth it since my migraines are not near as bad as they were. I also take max-Alt when I feel a migraine coming on. It is one of the best drugs there is.. You dissolve one on your toungue and about 20 minutes later the headache is gone!

[Mark]

On Friday, September 25th, 2009 my 43 year old wife Karen got a headache that quickly progressed into the first migraine of her life. By the following Monday, I had taken her into the emergency room for the first time when her migraine reached a six on a pain scale of 1-10. It is now the beginning of December and she has had this one continuous migraine headache for more than two months, usually at a pain level of 3 to 5!

A little history… About one week before this all started, my wife had what our primary care physician diagnosed as a viral infection. She was also taking Trazadone and Budeprion at the time, which she had started approximately two weeks before the migraine began and has since stopped taking the Trazadone as of October 16th and the Budeprion as of November 23rd. It is still too soon to see if the Budeprion is a contributing factor. It should also be noted that Karen started her period on September 25th, the same day the migraine started.

The first time Karen was in the emergency room, they diagnosed her as having a cluster migraine. The hospital sent her on her way, but by the next weekend she was seen in the ER again and this time was admitted.

She has been seen by a neurologist, as well as by the Medical Director of the Mercy Health Research and Ryan Headache Center. A question came up a few weeks ago about whether or not Karen had an MRI and spinal tap. The doctor seemed surprised that she had not; only a CT scan. We were told that the MRI would have only been ordered if the CT scan would have shown an abnormality… is the MRI/spinal tap something that should be done to rule something/anything out? I’m also wondering if this headache may be more “physical”, i.e. a pinched nerve, etc? Karen started seeing a chiropractor a couple of weeks ago, and his treatments give her a little relief.

The doctors are continuing to prescribe preventative medications for her head, but if the headache NEVER goes away, are the preventatives doing any good? In your experience, what is the worst case scenario that Karen is facing… we have come to terms that this headache may last the rest of her life (by which she is very depressed about), but could it be something worse?

The prescriptions that the doctors currently have Karen on are Piroxicam 20mg, Methocarbamol 750mg, Clonazepam 0.5mg, and Topiramate 25mg. As I mentioned, until November 23rd, she was also taking Budeprion XL 150mg. The doctor replaced the Budeprion with Cymbalta. Karen can take Maxalt-MLT 10mg for the very severe headaches. Additionally, she is taking magnesium supplements and 5-HTP. She is also taking Lipitor 20mg to keep her cholesterol under control. Light definitely makes the headache worsen as well as noise… We have not been able to determine if any foods, smells, etc. are affecting her adversely.

Karen has taken several other medications such as Frova (Frovatriptan), but it didn’t offer any relief. We have heard some information, and we are wondering if Imitrex would work, but her doctors have not prescribed it to her?

It should also be noted that around this same time, an 11cm (4.33 inch) cyst was found on my wife’s right ovary that was believed to possibly be cancerous. On October 27th, a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (TAH-BSO) was performed. The cyst was benign, which was the first piece of good news we had gotten in over a month.

We are confused and concerned about Karen’s future with this headache. Is there anything that you have seen in your research that resembles what I have described? Is there anything on the market that might make this headache subside?

[ellen]

How long did it take for your heart beat to return to normal and life? I only took topomax for 7 days and I am having horrible withdrawal, I can't sleep, my stomach is a mess and my heart feels like it is going 100 miles an hour. My dr. did not think that could happen after only 7 days. IT HAS...how long did it take for you to feel like YOU and hopefully sleep:??? Thank you in advance and I pray you are better!

codiver wrote:

I was on 100mg/day of Topamax for migraines. I was not overweight. I lost 14% of my body weight in 12 weeks while supplementing meals with 3 cans of Ensure a day, I got metabolic acidosis, an irregular heartbeat, fatigue, my hair fell out, my period got unbearable heavy, my fingers turned blue, I got low blood pressure, and ended up with severe respiratory distress. I felt 100% better within 24 hours of stopping Topamax, however more than a week later I still have irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, and fatigue. My blood work has returned to normal. Does anyone know how long these side effects last after stopping Topamax? Are they permanent? Beware, all of my venous metabolic blood work was coming back normal. I was not diagnosed with metabolic acidosis until I was in the hospital with cardiac problems and an arterial blood gas was drawn. Yes, my migraines stopped, but so did my life. Any thoughts on post-Topamax recovery period would be appreciated.