Topomax (Topiramate)?

[Wiggleynose]

My doctor wants to put me on Topomax (Topiramate) for my binge eating and depression.

I did a search but I didn't find anything on the boards.

I've read every article about this drug I could find but haven't found anything regarding an honest report of if it worked or not that wasn't doctor written.

Have any of you taken this? If so, how did you like it?

My aunt takes this but for weight loss only and it's combined with Phentermine.

Thanks for any stories, good or bad, you may have about this.

Wiggles.

[Roses]

Hi There -

I used to work for a advertising agency that specialised in pharmaceuticals / meds - I worked on this brand and to my knowledge it is only used for epilipsy here in Australia. I think it was also going to be approved for use in miagraines. If anything, medication for epilipsy tends to make people put on weight.

However, I am not a doctor - this is just what I know about it!

Good luck.

Brooke

[Wiggleynose]

Yeah, it's supposed to make you NOT gain weight and help with losing weight instead.

From what I've read it helps with compulsion issues like binge eating and helps with severe mood swings. I guess it's supposed to help with depression but everything I read said that depression was a side effect.

Hrm, I guess I'll find out what the benefits are soon. heh heh.

[Rasburry]

I hate to give you negative feedback if this is what your doc wants to put you on. But I need to tell you that my friend Alisa took this drug for weight loss and depression and while she did have moderate success with losing some weight, she discontinued use after her hair started falling out. I think she said that the hair loss was a possible side effect. Keep in mind, this is not a personal experience from me, just what a friend said about topomax. If you have hair issues with PCOS, I'd consider taking something else.

[Wiggleynose]

I don't have any hairloss issues.
Did she have hairloss issues before taking this?

[Rallent1102]

Hi Wiggles,
I took Topomax for awhile. It helped to stabalize my mood, as well as shedding a few unwanted lbs. It seemed to help, but one of the side effects (in some people- me) if the RX is not increased slowly in numbness of the arms and legs. Kind of like your hands and feet have fallen asleep. Evently it would wake me up at night and I could not sleep. So the dr took me off of it. And switched me to Prozac weekly which seems to be my drug of choice.

Good luck,
I hope it works great for you.
Someone I work with takes it for migranes and has never had a problem.

[daisylou]

Hi,
I'm a psych nurse and the docs at my hospital have been using topamax more and more, particularly for patients with alcoholism. It is supposed to help with the compulsion to drink so it makes sense that it would also help with the compulsion to binge kwim? Good luck it seems to be a fairly good mood stabilizer (most epilepsy meds are also used for mood stabilization).

GL
Molly

[Wiggleynose]

Well I started taking Topamax on friday. It doesn't make me crazy tired and loopy like I thought it might, but instead it gives me mild insomnia. I did notice the numbness/tingly feeling in the hands but it went away after an hour or so.

Hopefully this works!

I'm still depressed though. I don't know how long it'll be before I will notice a change. =/

[Rallent1102]

Sorry about the insomnia. Give it some time to start working on the depression. It can take a couple days / week or two to get in your system and start working. That is one of the many things that sucks about depression, it takes awhile to notice a difference when starting a new RX.
Hang in there.

[Marit]

Hi Wiggleynose,
Topomax gave me more energy, but I had to quit it because it made me too anxious...also my feet kept falling asleep. It does work really well for some people though. Interesting tidbit - some people use it for migraines.
Marit

[Gitana04]

Well, about umm 6 mo's ago I was on Topamax for about a month, I'm no longer on it, I would forget to eat to the point where I felt like I was going to pass out. I would forget random words, be mid sentence then blam the word was gone. Didn't care about anything good or bad, was just indifferent to everything, and would have strange outburst of rage to the point that I got up in some guys face at a gas station for whistling at me. Oh and who could forget the sharp piercing pain in my eyes. I hope it works for you but Topamax did nothing but scare me off any sort of medications.

[DancesWithTubas]

Hi there. I was put on Topamax for migraines and fibromyalgia about 7 months ago, and it's worked pretty well for me. I lost weight on it, and it was the first medication that helped me for my pain. I had a friend who took it who had problems with it, but it's worked well for me. I think some people are sensitive to it, and others not. Just be aware of how you're feeling, and good luck! :-)

-Dances

[~Sandra]

How's the Topamax treating you Wiggley?
I'm still trying to decide about it. I could use some migraine relief but am scared about the side effects. I tend to react VERY strongly to meds.