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Topamax Side Effects
Sun, 08/31/2008 - 09:44i've been on Topamax for two months now 50mg a day.. first month was great(no seizures YAY) and no side effects.. this second month though i've been having really bad side pains, constipation this whole month, back pain, and abdominal pain constantly.. i saw an internest they said i wasnt having an "infection" so that wasnt the problem so they wouldnt do anything for me so i went to another hospital and they said maybe my colone was irritated from eating lots of hot food lately so they gave me a laxative and stuff (sorry for the details) and it helped for a few days but i was still having the pains and after i stopped the meds the constipatin came back.. and its just worse.. i've also lost 10 pounds this last two months.. could these all be side effects?? i'm also on Keppra 1500mg a day but i've been on that since january and havent had any side effects from it.
Comments
Re: Topamax Side Effects
Submitted by Amber28 on Sun, 2008-12-21 - 01:19
Heather- I totally understand where you are coming from. I have not had good luck with the medication either. I have tried multiple medications as well and either they didn't work or the side effects were to hard to deal with. Congratulations on your son coming out healthy. I got lucky there as well. I am not sure of course what type of seizures you have but I know my doctors have tried some new medications that they have come out with. One of them is Zonegran and so far that is toleralabe, except for the rapid weight loss. I have simple partial seizures at this point. I started out with complex partial seizures but had a temporal lobecotomy about 5 years ago. They have put me on Lamictal (got the rash), Topamax ( made my hands go so numb that I couldn't feel them), Keppra (I almost killed myself on) Dilantin (not good for women in the childbearing years). I also take Tegretol XR that I haven't had too much trouble with but I have been on it so long that it is starting to affect my bones (it can cause early osteroporisis(sp) in women so they are trying to get me off of that but there aren't many other medications that they can put me on. The only advice I have is to focus on living one day at a time. I have to remind myself about that multiple times during the day especially on the days when the seizures rear their ugly head. Let me know if there is anything that I can help with or if you have any other questions on medicaitons. I might have already been on them. Take care!!!
Amber
Heather- I totally understand where you are coming from. I have not had good luck with the medication either. I have tried multiple medications as well and either they didn't work or the side effects were to hard to deal with. Congratulations on your son coming out healthy. I got lucky there as well. I am not sure of course what type of seizures you have but I know my doctors have tried some new medications that they have come out with. One of them is Zonegran and so far that is toleralabe, except for the rapid weight loss. I have simple partial seizures at this point. I started out with complex partial seizures but had a temporal lobecotomy about 5 years ago. They have put me on Lamictal (got the rash), Topamax ( made my hands go so numb that I couldn't feel them), Keppra (I almost killed myself on) Dilantin (not good for women in the childbearing years). I also take Tegretol XR that I haven't had too much trouble with but I have been on it so long that it is starting to affect my bones (it can cause early osteroporisis(sp) in women so they are trying to get me off of that but there aren't many other medications that they can put me on. The only advice I have is to focus on living one day at a time. I have to remind myself about that multiple times during the day especially on the days when the seizures rear their ugly head. Let me know if there is anything that I can help with or if you have any other questions on medicaitons. I might have already been on them. Take care!!!
Amber
Re: Topamax Side Effects
Submitted by heatherp on Wed, 2008-12-03 - 00:40
My name is heather and i am new to this site but i have important information.topomax has ruined my life just as all the other drugs i have had to go through to still get nowhere with my seizures.doctors are so confused and havent seen anything like this.i have been on lamictal,depakote,keepra,topamax,etc...my seizures just keep cumming and what makes it worse is that topamax has ruined my memory.i am still intelligent but i forget simple things at time and i forget my past really quick.i repeat myself over and over at times because i dont know what i hav said.things have gotten so bad that since i continue to have seizures even on medication i have developed constent chest pains as well.dont play when it comes to your meds because i have had everything happen almost.i had suicidal thoughts on depakote with major weight gain and i have been hit with the depression that many epileptic people get.Lucky my son came out PERFECTLY HEALTHY!!!!