Migraine HA Topiramate use

[Pammmy6]

Hi.  My son is 15 yo and has recently been prescribed Topiramate 50mg Daily preventive use for Classic Migraine HA and "added bonus to decrease mood swings." Amongst many other concerns I have, I am concerned with remarks of weight loss. He is already very thin with a very good appetite.  How much weight loss can I expect and does anyone have experience with the mood swings issue?
Thanks,
Pammmy6 :)

[Andrew1965]

Read your post and felt the need to say that Topirmate has been known to cause kidney stones.  You may never, but you may want to consult with your Dr.

[Pammmy6]

Thank you mcamp and Kulili very much.  I will keep a close eye on him. Your comments are helpful and most appreciated.
:)

[kulili]

Hi!
I'm 25 years-old and have been taking topiramate for over 10 years.  I started at the 50 mg dose like your son but I'm currently taking 200 mg daily.  It has never done anything for my mood (although I have heard that it can) - I take separate medication for anxiety/depression.  It also never affected my appetite and it never caused me to lose any weight.  
When I first started taking it, I had had some drowsiness during the day, but that faded as I adjusted and I haven't had any trouble with it.
Like mcamp said, you just have to be careful he never stops taking it abruptly (very dangerous!) and if he misses a dose or two, he will feel side effects (for me its light-headedness, headachy, nauseous).
Hope this helps and I hope your son does well!
-Kulili-

[mcamp]

hi,
I have been using toporimate for about a year, 200mg daily. it never really affected my appetite but I did lose about 20 pounds anyway but that was all, actually i needed to lose that much so it was perfect for me. with the toporimate I had a hard time at first because it kind of makes you addle brained, forgetful, hard to stay on task, sometimes dizzy as your body gets used to it. after i was on it a while all of this went away and I function just fine on it. a word of precaution though, he should never quit cold turkey, because even if he never had a seizure in his life, quiting it suddenly can cause one. so anyway, give him some leeway as he adjusts to the med and he will probably be ok, also watch him, as with any drug make sure he does not become suicidal (just a precaution) he could become more moody before he gets better... just keep an eye on him to be safe.,