Topamax: good experiences?

[MomtoM]

If anyone has had a good experience with Topamax, please share here. I would like to make an informed decision and consider the bad and good potential results.

Thank you,
Deb

[MomtoM]

Anyone out there?? No?

[Stetson]

I've been on it two years and prefer it to neuroton.My head is clear not in a fog and I didn't gain weight or crave sweets like I did when I was on Nueroton's brain fog.Others will say the same about topomax but try them both or if you had issues with your eyes stay away from topomax.What about Zonogram it fairly new and insurance companies balk at paying for it.

[MomtoM]

thank you stetson!
I did have brain fog too with neurontin when I took that a few years ago, though the pain control was so wonderful that I stayed on it.

11 more days and I have my appt, thankfully. I hope I will make it without cutting off my legs;)

glad to hear of a good experience,
Deb

[Ianto Jones]

I have neuropathic pain, and had tried different categories of medications (from muscle relaxants like Flexeril, to SSRIs, nortriptyline, anticonvulsants clonazepam, narcotics percocet vicodin norco, all of them left me unable to function, and some of them left me actively unsafe (I lost time, I was unable to safely negotiate my powerchair in public, I could literally get lost - nightmarish).
Topamax has not had any effect on the headaches that I'm currently finding crippling, but it is beginning to show signs of helping with the neuropathic pain and spasms. And while I've had minor side effects (slight change in the tastes of some foods, decreased appetite (actually that one's a bonus ;) ), minor pins-and-needles sensation), I haven't had anything major - and *no* disorientation or etc.
This is the first drug that *hasn't* made me feel like a zombie, and I'm incredibly grateful to have found it.
I'm aware that another forum member has had a terrible medical exacerbation which she attributes to the use of this medication, so I know folks are feeling cautious, but - for me, it's the best I've found so far, of the drugs being used for neuropathic pain. I have talked with a few other people who have used it, some reported minor sleepiness but all have seemed happy with its effectiveness.
As with everything else, your mileage may vary. All the best to you.

[Naominjw]

My daughter was on Topamax for many years for severe complex migraines with dilatated blood vessels which began in infancy. She got on it very slowly at a tiny dosage and very slowly increased in an attempt to lessen the risk of the infamous cognitive dulling side-effect.

It did somewhat dampen the migraines to the point where she had more time without them than time with them. It did also cause cognitive dulling with her dose of 200mg.

She felt that the loss of brain function was an acceptable price to pay at the time for the relief of pain and being totally incapacitated. It gave her more quality of life even with the side-effect.

She has been slowly tapering off it since no longer needing it (No more migraines since being put on Ubiquinone... which has no side-effects and works for her perfectly, whereas the Topamax's effects was only partial. FOR HER.) She has awful withdrawal symptoms coming off it even in minute amounts. But she only has a little more left to go.... She likes the feeling of "getting her brain back."

-"Naomi"