topamax and weight loss

Re: topamax and Migraines---and unborn fetus.

Submitted by Frey136 on Sat, 2009-01-31 - 13:12

Hi everyone, I have a deliema, can someone tell me what this medication does to an unborn child developing in the mom's womb???  Why I ask is I was unknowingly pregnant when my doctor put me on these meds, it got my migraines under control, but when I found out I was pregnant I was scared!  I am wondering now if my little girl (soon to be 4 months) is not getting the effects, she started seizuring on January 7th on Ukrainian Christmas Eve of all times.  She had the petit mal (fluttering eyes, limpness) took her over 30 seconds to come out of it and stopped breathing until my husband brought her out of it gently.  She had these kind of seizures for 2 wks then they changed after they started her on 5ml's of Phenobarbital.  (be honest i don't think it is working) It has been 2 and half weeks and they siezures have not slowed down.  At the hospital they did a Cat scan, and eig (she hated those electrodes on her head!) chest x-rays as well, blood work, and genetic blood tests (which still have to come back), the only thing now that has to be done is the mri which i hope shows something.  It is heart wrenching to see a little one that small to go through siezure... =(

The other seizures she has now is the what looks like a tonic-clonic, but she trembles and tightens up her arms and legs.  Please let me know what that might be.  The petit mal she had was lasting only for less then 10 seconds, but the ones she gets now is over 20-30 usually. 

Please tell me what the effects from topamax(topamirate) has on an unborn fetus, and would the child get epilepsy from this, because i found out later that they also use this for seizures.  So I got scared in reading this.

yours,

Frey136 

Re: topamax and weight loss

Submitted by JuJu904 on Fri, 2010-05-21 - 09:01

Hi Amy

My name is Ashley,im 18 and I've been taking topamax w/ lamictal since  i was 14.I use to take 450mg 2xaday of lamicatal but now taking 200mg2xaday and 200mg2axday of topamax and now taking 75mg2xaday.With topamax I had extreme weigth loss but at that time I was over weigth(214lb) but now I'm not losing the weigth anymore.I never had tingles or hairloss but have had the stupids and the studders occasionally but also never experience zombie like feeling.But these two meds work wonderful together.Its been atleast 2yrs since I had any episodes.I hope this helps in any kind-of way....

Re: topamax and weight loss

Submitted by sharon abney on Sun, 2011-01-16 - 06:16

Yes Topamax is used for weight loss, but some peopole experience serious side effects. I take she is on Dilantin as well. By the way I have a degree in Pharmacy and just got the news myself. Id like you to find out why Topamax instead or just Dilantin and Phenobarbital. I had a very alylytical nuerologist that decided I needed to be on Keppra or Topamax in addition to the other two because" Dilantin and Pb do dont work well on partial complex or other non grand mal seizures. There is a study when you look under refractory epilepsy that deals with the problems of polypharmacy and that addin addition stuff will only decrease your seizures about 10 percent,Ihave heard less than that. My experience with these two new generation drugs not only caused me to return to the ER 3 times in 3 weeks but I was literally on the toliet sick from them, so I jumped the gun and threw them away and am on good old Dilatin, which has been aroud for ages as well as PB and Ativan, Ive never felt better. I think sometimes some of these " new and improved meds they got these reps pushing and literally paying them to write for thier patients( yes I was also a Pharmaceutical rep fr 11 years and thats actually does hap-pen at times unfortunatately, and in my case and Im sure many others have been made out to be human guini pigs. If the drug makes you sick , stop taking them. The older antiepileptics are much better and safer. By the way after I changed my medicine regimine to get my Dilantin levels up, my blood tests reveal they were in great range. I hope your daugerter is careful on that Topramax, because I have freinds that have been prescribed this for weight loss aand have felt really terrible after taking it. To me its like taking Amphetamine(aweight loss aid) for epilepsy and they cant even tyell you how the drug works!!!!!!!!!and worse yet giving it to a child with anorexia!!!!! Get a second opinion. IBEG YOU  Sharon