This is my 4th day on topomax 50 mg, after the 1st dose i started feeling dizzy, nauzated my Dr. said it would take a week before any sideaffects started. I had expericenced  some dizzyness prior to  taking Topomax but it had not been everyday. So my question is has anyone else experienced sideeffects that soon after starting the medication.

Topomax is one of those drugs that many people have problems with early on. Many people have reported that a very gradual ramp up is required to reduce the side effects.

Many others report that feeling off kilter and suffering short term memory loss never went away.

Work closely with your doc on side effects - it can be very important.

Have you tried another preventative like Verapamil or Lithium?

What are you using to abort individual attacks?

I've also read others saying that taking the full dose at night helps to minimize the side effects.

I took Topamax for a few days and I couldn't tolerate the side effects.  Dizzy, dazed, slow brain, weak.  I have heard this from others, also, but I'm sure it works fine with some people.  My daughter is a Pharmacist and she wishes I would give it another try, but I won't.

Hi dg,

I have been taking topamax for almost 3 years.  I had side effects right away after starting it.  I started taking it for migraine prophylaxis before I had clusters.  For the first year I had extreme "tingling" in my fingers and toes- they felt as if they were being pricked by several needles much of the time.  This was not a pleasant tingle, but a rather irritating and sometimes painful one.  I rubbed my hands & feet often.  Sodas/ carbonated beverages did not taste carbonated - this is the only taste difference I noticed.  I had a dry mouth for a while.  These side affects went away in the first year.

The most difficult side effects were the cognitive ones.  I found myself unable to think of words often mid-sentence.  I would be talking about something I was quite knowledgeable about and know what I was about to say, then all of a sudden it was gone... Surely this had happened before, but it started happening on a regular basis on Topamax (aka Stupamax or Dopeymax.)  I cannot concentrate sometimes either - sometimes I feel disoriented.  These are all the worst symptoms of the drug that did not dissipate with time!  

I took the pills past the first year and the uncomfortable side effects keeping in touch with my doctor.  She worked with me.  I had tried a number of other preventatives, and this one was actually working!!  I decided the fact that it was working outweighed the irritating side effects!

Some people get the cognitive side effects worse than this - can't remember where their house is or where they are going in their car, etc - this is when I might re-assess the side effects... BUT if it is working and you can tolerate the side effects, consider it.

A personal choice that is not always easy.  I believe this is the reason that others suggest Verapamil and Lithium, other first-line meds.  For some, Topamax is all that works!  Each drug comes with their own set of side effects... some have more than others, some people cannot tolerate them!  look into them if you like, ask questions, and talk to your doctor!!!    ;)

Val

Yikes...I would not like that stuff. I already have crs.
(can't remember sh**)

I take Zomig, and Verapamil.  Zomig works great for me...You might try that.
   Only thing is it is soooo expensive.  My Insurance won't pay for it. So I pay $191.00 for six doses, But its worth it. So far.     It is a nasal spray. One dose per.   So to save money, I spray it into the corner of a baggie, and take an eye dropper and only do half at a time...and it works just fine.  There is only about 3 drops in a dose.   Must be really strong stuff.

But I have been on the Verapimil for 4 days now, and the HA's have really tapered off so far. So I am hoping I won't have to use the Zomig too much more.
     No big side affects yet on the Verapimil .
Good luck...you just have to do the ol trial and error, to find the best combination i guess.
    pfd to you.!!!   lorac

ps....the Zomig is only 5 mg!

I've been on it for 2 months.  50 mg taken at night.
i "thought" i noticed some short term memory loss, but quit honestly; if it wasn't a stated side effect, i probably would not have even noticed.  I have had minimal tingling in hands and feet.  I'd give it more than a week.  I quit caffeine at same time i started topomax.   quality of living has improved LOTS.

Hey... I was on topamax for a few months as well.  25mg to start then up to 100mg.  Side effects I experienced were numb/tingly face and neck, was really weird.  Experienced feeling colder than usual too. 
.
I lost some weight.  All in all I got over those effects but realized I was also really short of breath, more than is normal.  I looked up the drug and found it to be a side effect many others have had.  For me, as an asthmatic, feeling "extra" short of breath is a no go, so I had to stop taking topamax... back on the Neurontin. 

I should also mention it did help stop the clusters.  It was effective at 100mg, so I tapered down ti 75mg and stayed there with verapamil for a while until the side effects got too much.

Good luck and pain free days.