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Topiramate and Weight Loss
Wed, 12/29/2010 - 01:23Comments
Re: Topiramate and Weight Loss
Submitted by Katianna on Thu, 2010-12-30 - 16:10
Re: Topiramate and Weight Loss
Submitted by MinKels on Fri, 2010-12-31 - 20:20
It actually makes a lot of sense to me...I think that your concerns are valid, and that we all have a weight range we are comfortable with and feel best at. Not everyone wants to be stick thin, and personally, I would prefer to be bit more robustly built with more curves than I have naturally!
The weight gainer shakes sound like a good idea; they have helped me maintain my weight, and from what I have read of others' experiences, have actually helped them gain back some of the weight they have lost while on Topamax. If one a day doesn't do it, the nutritionist will probably up it to two per day.
I don't think you are making a mountain out of a molehill...if you are not happy with how you look/feel, it's your body and you are the one who knows it best. I can also see some collar bone and ribs (though it's usually this way) and it can be kind of disconcerting if you aren't used to it.
LOL...I have also heard many stories of how Keppra is supposed to make one gain a LOT of weight but it didn't do that to me...the neurologist was kind of suprised that I had actually lost weight on it and did say that a very small number of people lost weight on the drug and mentioned something about me having an unusal reaction to it. I must have a strange body chemistry or something because I generally don't get the side effects most people do, but instead get the odd ones...Topamax has been the only one that I have gotten the normal side effects (weight loss) from.
Interesting you mention the small weight losses during the day...my weight will fluctuate during the day, and I will actually lose a pound during the night but gain it back during the day...go figure how one loses weight while sleeping???
I hope that your nutritionist and you can work together to help you get back to a weight that you are comfortable with. I've basically been told by the doctor to not let my weight drop below 92 pounds, but I certainly don't want to get THAT skinny! The pre-natal vitamin is actually a better choice since it has much more nutrients in it, and some of the nutrients in it are said to be able to help counteract some of the side effects of the Topamax...so stick with the pre-natal vitamin, even if you aren't pregnant or planning on it.
Good luck with everything...I am glad you are working with a nutritionist and your doctor. Happy New Year!
It actually makes a lot of sense to me...I think that your concerns are valid, and that we all have a weight range we are comfortable with and feel best at. Not everyone wants to be stick thin, and personally, I would prefer to be bit more robustly built with more curves than I have naturally!
The weight gainer shakes sound like a good idea; they have helped me maintain my weight, and from what I have read of others' experiences, have actually helped them gain back some of the weight they have lost while on Topamax. If one a day doesn't do it, the nutritionist will probably up it to two per day.
I don't think you are making a mountain out of a molehill...if you are not happy with how you look/feel, it's your body and you are the one who knows it best. I can also see some collar bone and ribs (though it's usually this way) and it can be kind of disconcerting if you aren't used to it.
LOL...I have also heard many stories of how Keppra is supposed to make one gain a LOT of weight but it didn't do that to me...the neurologist was kind of suprised that I had actually lost weight on it and did say that a very small number of people lost weight on the drug and mentioned something about me having an unusal reaction to it. I must have a strange body chemistry or something because I generally don't get the side effects most people do, but instead get the odd ones...Topamax has been the only one that I have gotten the normal side effects (weight loss) from.
Interesting you mention the small weight losses during the day...my weight will fluctuate during the day, and I will actually lose a pound during the night but gain it back during the day...go figure how one loses weight while sleeping???
I hope that your nutritionist and you can work together to help you get back to a weight that you are comfortable with. I've basically been told by the doctor to not let my weight drop below 92 pounds, but I certainly don't want to get THAT skinny! The pre-natal vitamin is actually a better choice since it has much more nutrients in it, and some of the nutrients in it are said to be able to help counteract some of the side effects of the Topamax...so stick with the pre-natal vitamin, even if you aren't pregnant or planning on it.
Good luck with everything...I am glad you are working with a nutritionist and your doctor. Happy New Year!
Re: Topiramate and Weight Loss
Submitted by MinKels on Wed, 2010-12-29 - 18:46
The amount of weight lost and how long it goes on tends to vary by the individual from what I've read about the drug and from what I have read on other boards about others' experiences on Topiramate.
Before I developed epilepsy in June of this year (no family history, no explanation as to why), I was a healthy 115 pounds. I stand 5' 3" tall and am very small-framed. Since I had two seizures intially and the EEG was not normal, the neurologist started me on Keppra (supposed to cause weight gain!) which caused me to drop to 110 pounds.
I continued to have seizures (tonic-clonic) and had terrible headaches from the Keppra, so the neurologist decided to take care of both issues by adding Topiramate at 100 mg a day, which ended up having to be upped to 200 mg a day.
The first month I was on it, I dropped another 5 pounds--I didn't really see the major weight loss until month 4 when I dropped 11 more pounds. I've lost about 4 more pounds this month, though I attribute that to the stress of being laid off at work since I am the sole breadwinner and so on. I've leveled off in my weight loss through eating 5 small meals per day, drinking Ensure 3 times a day (expensive but worth it), and doing weight training (so I don't look so thin). It doesn't look too bad since I am small framed to begin with, but I probably would look too thin in something that was revealing.
If you do go on a regimen to gain weight, stick with high protein foods and a balanced diet instead of fatty foods.
I don't like weighing 96 pounds, but it's worth it to me to have the tonic clonics under control since I need to be able to drive and this drug has made it able for me to get my license back. I have done a great deal of training to get my legs and lower body toned so I don't look too thin; now I am working on my upper body ( a bit harder) to build some muscle so I don't look so thin. I generally wear fitted pants with a heavy sweater (luckily it's winter) with a vest to add some bulk up top.
Consult with a nutritionist if you don't think your doctor is listening; most doctors do not get much training in nutrition. I was told that my amount of weight loss was pretty extreme based on the relatively low dose that I am on, but I tend to be very active and have a high metabolism. Monitor your weight regularly, and definitely let the doctor know if you think you are losing too much weight on the medicine.
In my case it's a hard call. I know I've probably lost too much weight, but I am in the middle of a job hunt and am doing lots of driving to various interviews since the job market is not very good in my area and I do not want to mess with my medications at this point and end up possibly having another tonic-clonic seizure at this point. I've discussed it with my neurologist and he is also reluctant to drop the dosage of the Topiramate right now...I'll wait until things are more settled in my life to work on the dosage reduction.
Good luck to you.
The amount of weight lost and how long it goes on tends to vary by the individual from what I've read about the drug and from what I have read on other boards about others' experiences on Topiramate.
Before I developed epilepsy in June of this year (no family history, no explanation as to why), I was a healthy 115 pounds. I stand 5' 3" tall and am very small-framed. Since I had two seizures intially and the EEG was not normal, the neurologist started me on Keppra (supposed to cause weight gain!) which caused me to drop to 110 pounds.
I continued to have seizures (tonic-clonic) and had terrible headaches from the Keppra, so the neurologist decided to take care of both issues by adding Topiramate at 100 mg a day, which ended up having to be upped to 200 mg a day.
The first month I was on it, I dropped another 5 pounds--I didn't really see the major weight loss until month 4 when I dropped 11 more pounds. I've lost about 4 more pounds this month, though I attribute that to the stress of being laid off at work since I am the sole breadwinner and so on. I've leveled off in my weight loss through eating 5 small meals per day, drinking Ensure 3 times a day (expensive but worth it), and doing weight training (so I don't look so thin). It doesn't look too bad since I am small framed to begin with, but I probably would look too thin in something that was revealing.
If you do go on a regimen to gain weight, stick with high protein foods and a balanced diet instead of fatty foods.
I don't like weighing 96 pounds, but it's worth it to me to have the tonic clonics under control since I need to be able to drive and this drug has made it able for me to get my license back. I have done a great deal of training to get my legs and lower body toned so I don't look too thin; now I am working on my upper body ( a bit harder) to build some muscle so I don't look so thin. I generally wear fitted pants with a heavy sweater (luckily it's winter) with a vest to add some bulk up top.
Consult with a nutritionist if you don't think your doctor is listening; most doctors do not get much training in nutrition. I was told that my amount of weight loss was pretty extreme based on the relatively low dose that I am on, but I tend to be very active and have a high metabolism. Monitor your weight regularly, and definitely let the doctor know if you think you are losing too much weight on the medicine.
In my case it's a hard call. I know I've probably lost too much weight, but I am in the middle of a job hunt and am doing lots of driving to various interviews since the job market is not very good in my area and I do not want to mess with my medications at this point and end up possibly having another tonic-clonic seizure at this point. I've discussed it with my neurologist and he is also reluctant to drop the dosage of the Topiramate right now...I'll wait until things are more settled in my life to work on the dosage reduction.
Good luck to you.