tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post8694686652630348100..comments2023-06-22T04:04:01.057-07:00Comments on I'm Just Sayin': Topamax: A Cautionary TaleJenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14530686517314625533noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-19371443731888391572019-09-04T09:47:34.499-07:002019-09-04T09:47:34.499-07:00Thank you for your story Jena. it helped me to fee...Thank you for your story Jena. it helped me to feel better about my decision to quit topamax. i had alot of the same results. My biggest problem and reason for quitting was hair loss and my finger nails are just so awful, like paper thin and just ugly. I was only on 25mg so I tapered off last week and quit all together this week. Feeling good. I was glad to hear someone else was depressed by this too, well I am not glad you were depressed, but I am glad i was not alone. I felt the same. I kept thinking "why can't i feel that sense of happiness and joy inside when i should be happy about something? that feeling didn't exist in me anymore no matter how far I dug to pull it out it would not come to me. So I am hoping Iwill be back to normal real soon. thanks again for your input it was helpful!!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02459856324272103801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-87311031672690174702019-08-20T12:21:04.706-07:002019-08-20T12:21:04.706-07:00Biotin<a href="https://www.best-biotin.com/" rel="nofollow">Biotin</a>Howdyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04000016836522318531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-33903831471737453692018-12-03T14:10:55.048-08:002018-12-03T14:10:55.048-08:00I have to take it for bipolar 1 and it's the d...I have to take it for bipolar 1 and it's the drug with the least and easiest to manage side effects. I take a b vitamin complex and magnesium and I'm fine. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10713329672656323754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-21949975979944425662018-11-04T07:44:18.348-08:002018-11-04T07:44:18.348-08:00Agree with you and understand. I think this was ai...Agree with you and understand. I think this was aimed toward informing migraine sufferers. I was on it for that and it was awful. Now with thinner hair and bad looking nails, b vit I took did not help. There are better solutions for migraineurs.Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16581106748176648691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-40490713051013585902018-08-05T20:41:44.866-07:002018-08-05T20:41:44.866-07:00For those that want to quit taking Topamax but can...For those that want to quit taking Topamax but can't cause of the migraines, give Wellbutrin a try. I know it sounds strange to take an anti depressant for headaches, but I have frequent migraine syndrome and since I started Wellbutrin in December I have only had 1 migraine and it doesn't have crazy side effectsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05772341234065240029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-25976806181444256092018-03-29T21:47:03.606-07:002018-03-29T21:47:03.606-07:00Hair Loss.....wish I had listened to my sister ins...Hair Loss.....wish I had listened to my sister instead of my weight loss MD specialist....he assured me hair loss is not a side effect of Topamax. BUT IT IS. My sister hasn’t taken it for several years and her hair is dead and she has bald patches. Her hairdresser told her her hair is in a similar state as to cancer patients....I’ve been noticing my hair falling out and thought my ponytail seemed thinner....but my hair stylist confirmed it today at my hair appointment that the enormous amount of hair that fell out when she combed my hair was not normal. We noticed it 2 months earlier but wasn’t sure...now I’m sure. <br />Also—my kidneys were fine before taking the topamax, (they did blood tests) but my renal functioning level got down to almost level 3 chronic kidney disease. And CT scan showed I had lots of kidney stones and cysts first on my left kidney then some months later my other kidney developed many as well. I stopped taking it 2 months and I’m afraid the Topamax killed my hair follicles permanently, like it did for my sister....I’m so worried. I see my MD in a few days and I hope there is something that will stop my hair from falling out and please please please make it regrow. My hair was thick and long, and healthy. I hope it comes back. My kidney levels have gotten back to normal-I have to have a follow up CT scan to monitor the stones. Nothing else changed for me other than stopping the Topamax and my kidneys improved. <br />Please tell your MD if you experience hair loss because my MD didn’t believe the hype, but it’s true. LilPocketPethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02645490109007601716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-61311339313585251562018-02-10T06:00:00.883-08:002018-02-10T06:00:00.883-08:00Been on 200mg for over 2 years, 3/4 of my hair is ...Been on 200mg for over 2 years, 3/4 of my hair is gone!!! I cry daily over it. I have thyroid disease and we'll as other autoimmune diseases so doctor has blamed hair loss on them. I know it has to be the topamax!!! I'm tapering off starting now. The hair loss started when I begin this drug. I'll deal with debilitating headaches. My hair was the only thing I actually liked of my physical attributes. 😭Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15680451980465262155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-19574064674243528982018-01-25T13:04:07.823-08:002018-01-25T13:04:07.823-08:00I have been on Topirimate since 2012 and only afte...I have been on Topirimate since 2012 and only after trying many other medications for my headaches (it think 10). Like Jena, almost exactly the same symptoms have been present for me. The memory loss is probably the worst and the issues with not being able to hold down a proper conversation with friends and random people I meet. I sound like I was released from some time travel experiment with forgetting words and phrases. Constantly apologizing for my words and lack there of. I tried to titrate from 6 (25mg per tablet) a day to 5 pills a day for 2 weeks then down to 4 a day. The headaches came back with a vengeance. I saw my doctor (who was not aware I was doing this) and now I am back up to 5 pills a day again. I am well aware of all the side effects and will just deal with them as I cannot take these headaches anymore. I had 2 serious car accidents and quite honestly, I would rather jump off a bridge to unknown destiny than live with these horrible headaches. I know that most people cannot take the side effects of this crazy medication, but I feel that I have tried and exhausted every route possible. This is the only med that has helped me. (and tylenol rapid release ha ha). I am sorry for all everyone's horror story's as I am living them as well. But for me this is really a wonder drug. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09579031270452727190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-91562050609820323502017-08-10T09:54:31.330-07:002017-08-10T09:54:31.330-07:00Yeah that's cool but when you have epilespy an...Yeah that's cool but when you have epilespy and been through all the possible drug's a d this is one of your only options..another thing drugs react to people differently your body adjusts take more b vitamins that your depleated of HA migraines The braindead mom of 2https://www.blogger.com/profile/13054517991074431374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-56136358285168905432017-07-17T05:12:20.789-07:002017-07-17T05:12:20.789-07:00I'm so relieved to find someone else who strug...I'm so relieved to find someone else who struggled with this drug. My dr swore it couldn't be the reason for my sudden hair loss, depression, memory troubles, or overall feeling of being in a fog. After reading more and more stories like this, I'm convinced this drug is definitely the cause of my issues and I've been tapering off for a couple weeks now. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01245650621886820409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-51952629752634796252016-09-18T13:56:41.124-07:002016-09-18T13:56:41.124-07:00Thanks for sharing.
I just started Topamax for ...Thanks for sharing. <br /><br />I just started Topamax for migraines and weight management. The hair loss and depression thing really scares me, although I haven't experienced either yet. <br /><br />Good to know Topamax depletes biotin so maybe I can try to offset deficiency with supplements. I already take Prozac and suffer from depression, so I'm gonna bail at the first sign of worsening mood. Hard to believe a drug that can cause depression would be prescribed for bipolar disorder?!<br /><br />Glad you got your life and health back. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09232131841963845210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-14313684064100164292013-11-16T20:18:30.092-08:002013-11-16T20:18:30.092-08:00I had the all the same things except for hair loss...I had the all the same things except for hair loss because I was already taking a lot of Vitamin B. I was working at Starbucks at the time I was on Topamax, and that was not good. I seriously forgot how to spell the word 'it', I couldn't even remember the names of the letters in the word. I still struggle with aphasia. I actually met my boyfriends family for the first time today and was so embarrassed when it started. Thank God it was just around his mom, who is a nurse, and actually asked me if I was on any medications like Topamax. I told her that it has been years but I still have problems and she completely understood. <br />To the person who posted before me, the only lawsuits I have found are for women who were taking it while pregnant because it causes cleft palates in babies.SuperSteavyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13544065968884566140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-3971694577269487292013-01-09T11:56:28.027-08:002013-01-09T11:56:28.027-08:00I am a statistic...an unknown quiet statistic that...I am a statistic...an unknown quiet statistic that no one believes. I am still recovering eight years later from Topamax. I couldn't talk at all for the first two years and still have no short term memory and am have been suffering from severe depression from taking the medication. Of course I am not on it-discontinued it right away...but the damage is done!!! Are there lawsuits??? Is there a way to get this off the market?? My personality and soul and intelligence---MY LIFE WAS STOLEN FROM ME---- at age 27 and I am now 36...I want to fight back, speak out!!! This drug is EVIL and extremely DANGEROUS!!!!! Do lawyers ever read this site...why Did I have to suffer??? I am still suffering to this day...I have never felt like myself since the day I took it!!! Someone, ANYONE, please send information of any kind regarding your personal experiences, legalities, class actions, anything... to Jewelsny76@yahoo.com. Thank You Jena for putting into words what I could not! EABhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12923001317721509727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962444833352674270.post-40596168857589967712009-06-08T18:38:56.393-07:002009-06-08T18:38:56.393-07:00Yeah, thanks! I am so sick of "prescriptions...Yeah, thanks! I am so sick of "prescriptions." I know some are life-saving, but they come at a price, don't they?! Oh, and Syl's... Brings back some of the best memories. I wish I could go right now. And get a kiddie cocktail. Hopefully with no tears in my double baked potato, of course.rosymomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14080085231295798432noreply@blogger.com