New with some questions about Topomax

[dlewis1982]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and wanted to talk about some of the side effects I believe I am having with Topamax and see if anybody else has experienced the same thing. I have been on a combonation of 200mg of Topamax and 150 mg of Lamcital for about a year now to control my epilepsy. Prior to this I was on Topamax alone and ended up having a partial seizure, but once I was put on the Lamictal everything was back to normal. But anyway since I have been Topamax I have become increasingly less emotional. I dont experience happiness that often, went it does come it is just mild, not the jump up and down happy. I am not really able to feel sadness like I used to either. Of the two, sadness is the emotion that is easier to express. I'm not sure if what I am describing would be classified as depression but maybe it is. I also have noticed that I have become more aggressive and I have alot of anxiety which I know that anxiety is a semi-common side effect with topamax.

Sorry for any lack of organization in this post, anybody that is on topamax knows that it inhibits your cognative skills

[RobinN]

Hi dlewis - Welcome to the forum
I understood the post just fine and I am not on any medication.

I understand your concern about your two medications. When my daughter was on meds, it was very hard to know what was real and what was being added to the mix by medication. You have two to try to figure out. You understand the side effects of each, but nothing is known about the mixture of the two in your individual body.

It sure sounds like some type of depression to me. Many have that side effect.
Have you made any nutritional changes that might benefit your mood?

BTW I am going to move this to the Foyer so that others can drop in and say "Hey".

[haird18]

I have been on Topomax for awhile and Carbatroland I have noticed a change also too! I have started having the same symptoms to. And I know that some people might already have depression and not know it! I have had an uncreased depression and anxiety along with sleep problems too!
David Hair

[Belinda5000]

I've been on Topamax for years and I've come down from 800mg at one time to 4000MG a day now.
Topamax is one of 2 drugs that gives me some kind of control with my seizures.It doesn't make me more emotional.
At one time Topamax put me in a heavy depression.But it os a CNS depressant.
Belinda

[dlewis1982]

Thankyou guys/gals for your input, I am happy to see that I am not the only person that is having this problem, but it's sad for everyone that has to deal with the possible depressive side of topamax. I was also wondering of all the people that have had experience with depression and topamax, if using an anti-depressant medication helped to relieve the symptoms? Or has the topamax inhibited the success of the anti-depressant medication?

Dustin

[Bernard]

Hi Dustin, welcome to the forum.

I think it's a dangerous game when docs start adding drugs to counter the side effects of other drugs. Perhaps there is something simple that you can do with vitamins, diet, exercise, sleep, etc. that will help.

My wife could not tolerate Topamax at all (increased seizure activity), so I don't have any real experience with it, but I've read enough in various forums to know that adding anti-depressents to an anti-epileptic drug coctail is not an easy thing to balance.

[Belinda5000]

One side effect of Topamax is definitely depression and it put me in a bad one the first time I was on it. I'm prone to depression and these drugs can hit me really hard like they did when I was a teenager.The docs didn't really care about the back when I was a teenager in the 70's. or a kid in the 60's.


Belinda

[Loudmouth]

Topamax. Horrid stuff, in my experience. Caused me to have the side effect of bi-polar disorder while I was on it. ( symptoms gone since dis-continuation of topamax). Also robbed me permanantly of my peripheral vision. If you notice any vision changes, you should go to the opticians for an eyetest pronto. I'm currently in communication with Janssen-Cilag about the side effects of Topamax. Good luck with your medications.

[Meetz1064]

find out today that my level of Topamax is uh, HORRIBLY LOW.....actually, it almost DIDN'T REGISTER. What was supposted to be a 12.8 was only a 2.4. Who says MED INCREASE??? SIGH. Just what I want. NOT. I am going to have to find a way to talk him into doing this slowly.....I know my body....what fun this is going to be........YIPPEE......

[forward2007]

I've felt like I've had a depression ever since I went from taking only Tegretol XR to Tegretol XR, Keppra, and Topamax. Maybe it was the Topamax. Interesting that that many people describe the side effects of Topamax this way.

[little fruitcake]

Hey D, I also am on Topamax and am really fighting the blues but have took everyones advice and started excersing and it has made a big help! Yesterday I began on the Lamictal also so I hope it goes well. I hope you feel better sugar! Cake.

[Dutch mom]

My (special needs) son was on Topamax twice. First time together with valporate, second time together with Ethymal and clobazam. Both times it had very bad drinking as a side effect. Topamax is known for anorexia/bad eating (even prescribed to loose weight...), but my son kept eating well. We've had a big big serious problem getting enough fluid in, which caused side effects (constipation, kidney problems.) The doc wanted him to have a G-tube for fluid. No way! Not for a kid eating well on a drug which doesn't work to control his seizures. Both times he started drinking better as soon as Topamax was weaned off.

[Eve]

When I was on topomax, the only good thing it did was get rid of my migraines.

On topomax, I lost my appetite, lost weight and developed insomnia. For some reason at nightime I would feel extremely anxious.

The other thing topomax did was that it made it difficult for me to focus.