Topax For Migraines

[jesscarmel]

Hello

As stated in a previous post, my dizziness has been diagnosed as migraine related so now the neuro wants to prescribe topamax in a very small dose for the migraine. in big doses it is a pretty strong med but in small doses it is fda approved for migraines. anyways, i just wanted to know if anyone has taken this for migraines or any other illness?

Thanks

Jess

[mamaw]

My son has tried topamax for headaches but he didn't get any results....He has had the best luck for his headaches using cranial scral therapy.....

mamaw

[Jerri Ward]

My son has tried topamax for headaches but he didn't get any results....He has had the best luck for his headaches using cranial scral therapy.....

mamaw

I have been taking Tomapax for almost 1 yr. now. I take 600 mgs. daily. It has been a miracle drug for me. I don't know what I would do with out it. I hope that it works for you.

[tarnalberry]

I take it as a migrain preventative, at 100mg a day (75mg at night, 25mg in the morning). (Standard dosage for migraines is to titrate up to 400mg/day. "Standard" just the mean to a wide curve, however, in this case.)

While I had the most common annoying side effects when I first started it, they did wear off with patience. The small amount of fatigue took about four weeks to wear off (and is part of the reason I am sticking with the lowest reasonably effective dose for me). Loss of appetite took about six weeks to wear off. And the tingling/numbness in the hands/feet took about twelve weeks to wear off most of the way (it was fairly annoying at first).

But the improvement in the effect of the migraines on my life has been *substantial*. I would be down for days with a migraine, and I'd get them more than once a week. I was working *far* below optimal at all times. The medication has significantly lessened the severity, reduced the number of symptoms I get, and significantly reduced the frequency of migraines. (I believe they are at least somewhat related to barometric pressure, a trigger I can't really avoid.)

Unless you have a contraindication, I would definitely encourage you to give it a try - for at least four to six months. Don't give up because of the side effects too quickly. There's a trade off to be had, and, at least for me, it was well worth it. (Unfortunately, it is an *expensive* med - on the order of $200/month for 100mg excluding insurance (I don't actually think that 200mg or 400mg would actually be that much more, based on the costs as I titrated up from 25mg/day) - so do check how much is covered by your insurance.)

[jesscarmel]

thanks for your replies. i hope it takes my dizziness away. at work alot of our kids our on it for bipolar and ppl call it dopamax because it makes you "dopey" and "stupid". i guess you guys havent found that. i'm nervous about its interaction with the pill because it can lower the efficacy of it, which i wouldnt care about normally because we do want to try and have kids in a year but studies in rats have shown birth defects in thier babies when taking topamax during pregnancy. my dr said you dont have it to be on it forever because it changes the chemistry of the brain or something and then you can go off it- is that true?

[tiffjake]

I hope that your experience is like Tiffany's, but just to share my experience with it. My husband took it for a month and got the most terrible mood swings. When he stopped taking it, they went away (and it did *something* for his headaches, he said, but it wasn't worth feeling out of control of his moods).

Just wanted to give you another story. I do hope that it works for you!

[jesscarmel]

[i've only taken one pill so far but ive though about it and it sounds like a really serious medication and im scared to be on it. i dont know if im going to take it and will call the dr monday to see about a different one. is it dangerious to stop taking it after only taking one? it said you could have a seizure but i think thats if you were taking it for a while. i took one 25 mg. i m just nervous about the whole birth defect thhing combined with the fact that it lowers birth control. maybe im being paranoid! i geuss if its only a few months than im okay with it but how can a medication work for ever when you o nly take it for a few months?- maybe i heard wrong

the whole seizure thing makes me nervous too..........

[tarnalberry]

that's true - the trade offs go both ways, and there could be side effects that are not worth it, that are worse than the symptoms that you're experiencing, even if they were to go away. if I thought the side effects I had the first month were to last throughout the time I took it, I would never have stayed on the medication - my hands and feet would feel practically numb for an hour a day, to a point I thought was dangerous. moodiness can occur too - my primary point was that in some drugs (and this is one) some of the side effects are well known to be transient.

the birth control contraindication is a different thing to consider. if you're still waiting for a year to have kids, you could use a backup method for that time period, give it a chance to work for you for a while, and then taper off. but just trying to find a different med is another option. I really don't know how many other daily preventatives are out there. that would definitely reduce the risk in the case of an accident.

(the seizure warning is mostly for epileptics, and is for the higher dosages and longer term treatment.)

(there are lots of other medications that work in manifesting a long term change after only using them for a short while. the exact mechanism can often vary.)

[jesscarmel]

thanks tiffany. im going to talk to the psychiatirst at work who knows of all these meds and then call the neuro again. i didnt take it last night. i wish there was a more natural way to prevent migraines which im going to look into.

Jess

[flurry]

My kids are both on beta blockers fas pain maintanance or migraines. They take zomig and frova when they get migraines. They also get the dizziness and nausea.

I know that topamax is a mood regulator. I have never seen it used for migraines. Ask about zomig and frova. They are great and work fast.

Flurry

[jesscarmel]

apparently cheese can trigger migraines and i eat a lot of cheese but i only eat low fat cheddar and parmesan and it seemed to stress "aged" cheese so who knows. i dont know what i would do if i couldnt eat cheese but i geuss its worth a try?!

[Cottage-Soul]

Hi Jesscarmel,

I've been on Topamax for about 2 months now for daily migraines. I'm still getting the migraines, the side effects from the Topamax are annoying...tingling in my hands and feet, forgetfullness, moodiness as I upped my dosage to 200 mg (have since cut back down to 150), periods of hyperness and loss of appetite which didn't last (drats!). There is a really good message board you can read, no longer can post to unfortunatley - but you will learn a lot of the pros and cons of the medicine.

Open Original Shared Link

Honestly, if I were losing weight on this drug, I wouldn't mind staying on it for awhile longer, but I am hoping once I go Gluten/wheat/dairy free that the migraines will go away and I can get off the stuff. I am so fatigued I barely get anything done. If you continue to take Topamax, take a Biotin supplement - a LOT of women had a problem with hair loss. The Biotin is safe and any extra you take will just be peed out.

Open Original Shared Link

And add Folic Acid in case you do get pregnant since Topamax can interfere with that as well.

[jesscarmel]

Hi Jesscarmel,

I've been on Topamax for about 2 months now for daily migraines. I'm still getting the migraines, the side effects from the Topamax are annoying...tingling in my hands and feet, forgetfullness, moodiness as I upped my dosage to 200 mg (have since cut back down to 150), periods of hyperness and loss of appetite which didn't last (drats!). There is a really good message board you can read, no longer can post to unfortunatley - but you will learn a lot of the pros and cons of the medicine.

Open Original Shared Link

Honestly, if I were losing weight on this drug, I wouldn't mind staying on it for awhile longer, but I am hoping once I go Gluten/wheat/dairy free that the migraines will go away and I can get off the stuff. I am so fatigued I barely get anything done. If you continue to take Topamax, take a Biotin supplement - a LOT of women had a problem with hair loss. The Biotin is safe and any extra you take will just be peed out.

Open Original Shared Link

And add Folic Acid in case you do get pregnant since Topamax can interfere with that as well.

Hi

Thanks for all that great info. i read through some of people's experiences and hair loss seems pretty big. i do not want that! teh weight loss piece sounds nice but i think im goign to try goign off the pill first to see if that helps!

[jesscarmel]

Hi

I had said earlier that the dr said i would only have to take it for a few months. here is his explanation in case anyone is curious. very interesting!

Migraine is caused by biochemical abnormalities in the brain and Topamax and other medications for migraine prophylaxis may change brain chemistry away from one that is promoting migraine recurrence. It may take up to 6 weeks for the biochemical change to occur once the medication has been started or after any increase in dose which is why you may not notice any benefit from the medication for several weeks. Once the biochemical change in the brain has occurred the medication is no longer needed. I usually suggest continuing the medication until the migraine symptoms are minimal for at least 3 months. If symptoms do start recurring once the medication has been discontinued then it can be restarted and continued for a longer period of time