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Eyesight problems on Topamax
Mon, 12/22/2008 - 15:29I have been on Topamax for a few months and have developed "after-images". My eyes will hang on to an image and it will stay in my vision for a few seconds until it fades even though I'm looking somewhere else.
I also have trailing images from moving objects. I've also got awful double vision (from about 10+ feet away) but my neurologist seemed to doubt that it was true double vision as it was still present when he covered one of my eyes. It made me feel as though I was making it up!
Anyone else got this problem? I'm presuming it is the Topamax causing this as it is constant so I know its not a seizure.
I hope I have explained the "after-image" thing ok, not an easy thing to explain.
Comments
Re: Eyesight problems on Topamax
Submitted by Chilli on Mon, 2009-09-28 - 08:40
Hi, thanks for the reply.
Since writing my original post I have had just about every test possible to try to find out what was causing the sight problem....but it eventually came down to definately being caused by the Topamax. It got worse as the dose was raised.
I think I could have learned to live with the sight problem but I have eventually had to come off the Topamax due to other bad side-effects (cognitive and motor problems).
It did take a while for my sight to settle after stopping the Topamax but hopefully no permanent damage done.
I used to praise this drug but now I wouldn't recommend it to anyone - except as a last resort. It almost turned me into a zombie.
I hope you are one of the people who can cope with it, but by the sound of it your sight is suffering already.
Good luck.
Hi, thanks for the reply.
Since writing my original post I have had just about every test possible to try to find out what was causing the sight problem....but it eventually came down to definately being caused by the Topamax. It got worse as the dose was raised.
I think I could have learned to live with the sight problem but I have eventually had to come off the Topamax due to other bad side-effects (cognitive and motor problems).
It did take a while for my sight to settle after stopping the Topamax but hopefully no permanent damage done.
I used to praise this drug but now I wouldn't recommend it to anyone - except as a last resort. It almost turned me into a zombie.
I hope you are one of the people who can cope with it, but by the sound of it your sight is suffering already.
Good luck.
Re: Eyesight problems on Topamax
Submitted by uberzwitter on Mon, 2009-09-28 - 00:32
I know this is an old thread but I am having the exact same thing happen on Topamax. Its called Palinopsia and several case studies relate it to Topamax but it's rare. I just started having it happen, especially frequently in low light but in three occasions it was when I turned on the light very clearly. I was wondering if you ever resolved it, maybe by getting off Topamax. If not, it defiently is not your glasses. Mine were a bit off for by a degree for a bit but I got them fixed and the problem persists.