Any luck with Topamax?

[NashvilleChick]

My dr. put me on Topamax... for migranes, but also for weightloss... He says it will really kick in and start helping me shed weight once I get up to the 150-200mg mark. I am currently on 100mg's/day and will increase to 150mgs by the weeks end...then 200mg's by the following week...
Anyone else use this drug and what are your experiances at the different dosage levels? I have no headaches at all which I love... no side effects except for an occasional slight tingly feeling in my heels of my foot... but its very very mild and very unnoticable.(may not even be related...who knows)
But anyway, if anyone has any input to offer, that would be awesome.
Anyone lose any good amount of weight? If so, how much and in what time frame?
I notice a big decrese in my appetite already... pretty much have to force myself to eat cause i am never hungry which is nice.... wonder what will happen as the dosage goes up even more?

Thanks!

[Conjoe]

I have had a wild ride with Topamax.  I take it for depression as a mood stabilizer and started over a year ago, I am also quite obese and it immediately had a profound impact on my weight.  I am, myself, a Family Physician and had never prescribed Topamax so I was quite interested in its effects on me.  My psychiatrist rapidly increased my dose and I have to say that I also somewhat anxiously would occassionally take more than I was supposed to because I was hoping to lose more weight and I thought that if a little bit helped then a lot would help even more(I was being stupid). Last year at this time I was taking 100mg a day of Prozac and 600mg a day of Topamax and occassionally even more.  I started to become very manic, which I had never been before in my life, I was not sleeping and hardly eating anything and I was having magical thinking.  I started to think that I had a special understanding of the universe that only a few people shared and that I could heal people by merely laying my hands on them.  Then one night I completely flipped out, I went into a trance like state and I thought I was a messiah and the end of the world was coming and I was the savior, not Jesus mind you but on par with him. At first we didnt realize it was the topamax and thought I was just having a psychotic break. But eventually we realized that I was toxic on the topamax and that what had happened was that I had actually had a "Partial complex seizure" or a "temporal Lobe seizure", that what the trance was.  I stopped the topamax and all of that went away completely. I was back to normal-but slightly depressed. After several months I slowly started back on topamax at a lower dose(this time sticking strictly to my Doctors instruction).  I have occassionally had small episodes of partial complex seizures again usually after an increase in dose or if I forget a few doses and then start up again at the same dose. I also get the weird usual side effects of trouble with word finding and what not but I kind of get a kick out of those side effects, for the most part I really like Topamax, it has really helped me as long as I am careful with it but it can really pack a wallop.

[sky74]

i went to the doc this morning,and i'm down to 176 .thats 13 lbs gone i think thats great .i realy like topamax!plus no more headaces.is anyone else haveing luck?

[raela]

I reached my maximum dose of 200mg Jan.6 and just recently (it'll be 2 months since I started my initial dose of 25mg on Jan.18) I've noticed a decrease in my migraines which is great! As well, since 175mg and up, I've noticed a decrease in the "stupid" side effects, ie. my brain is functioning a little better which is nice as well!
Unfortunately for me, no weight loss to speak of as of yet, but maybe it's because I only have about 15lbs to lose and possibly it only works when there's more to lose??? Or maybe it will start to kick in soon I'm hoping!  Good luck to everyone else!

[abtsy]

I was placed on Topomax for severe migraines.  My migraines started when placed on Toprol Xl 75mg for a heart condition.  I am now at 275mg. and have not had ANY WEIGHT LOSS.  Everyone else that I have spoke to has had weight loss with the drug.  I had a series of blood tests done and of course everything has come back normal.  The only good that came from it, is I don't crave soda pop any more, but then again I hardly drank it anyway.  I am not severly overweight anyway, but it would have been nice to drop about 20lbs.  All my life I never had a problem with weight until I hit 25.  Now I am 35 and can't seem to shed any weight.  The topomax has done wonders for my migraines, and I am not that tired from it either, except for when I take it at bedtime.  Any suggestions?  Not complaining, but it sure would have been a nice little side effect.  I know others have had more severe, and I just can't say enough about what it has been like to be migraine free....

[anay2004]

Hi Sallie,
It's been 20 days since your previous post.  Anymore effects to share?  How about your weight loss progress?  I would love to hear an update.  Your post has me feeling hopeful about this medication.
Anna

[sky74]

yes im still lossing weight. im not checking my weight at home im going to wait tell i go to my doc. everyone can tell now. i realy like this med .it has taken my heahaces away, and my mood is so much better. i feel like myself for the first time in a year1/2. and loveing the weight loss .are you on the med.