Topamax - A Word of Caution For a Popular Headache Prescription

I have made great strides in a migraine headache condition I have had for years but I have not quite been able to knock it out completely. I still come down with migraine headaches periodically. When I went to my family doctor a two weeks ago to see if there was any last steps I could take to eliminate this dreaded affliction she suggested the prescription medication Topamax. I had read about Topamax and was aware of glowing reviews. My doctor also had a very positive outlook on the medication and she confidently assured me there would be no side effects except for potential weight loss, which, she explained, did not happen to every one. In my article I want to describe certain side effects that I did experience from Topamax that people interested in the prescription may want to be made aware of.

First let me uneqivocally state that I am not trying to scare anyone away from starting to use Topamax. Please believe me. I know that a person who suffers from frequent migraine headaches can be in a terrible state. It can be so bad that they are afraid of the next day coming because they don't know what kind of pain the day will bring. My goal is not to frighten people away from Topamax, it is only to make people aware of what I have experienced in the first couple of weeks I have been taking the pills so that they can be ready for it in case they experience similar side effects.

I was instructed to begin taking 1 pill (25 mg) of Topamax 2 times daily for one week and then to increase it to 2 pills (50 mg) twice daily for the rest of the first month. I started taking the prescription on Friday, January 9.

The following were side effects I experienced from Topamax:

• Almost immediately after I started taking Topamax, I began to feel tired. This tired feeling was a very unusual. I would have periods of normal energy for a couple of hours, then I would have periods of being very tired for about 30-60 minutes. I became tired very early at night.


• For about the first three days I also had a mild feeling of intoxication. I had to be especially careful when driving. When I found myself driving on a 45 mile per hour highway that I was very familiar with, before I knew it I was traveling 65 mph. I almost never travel at 65 on this road. I quickly realized I had to be very careful and watch my speedometer often. I also noticed a tendency to swerve toward the middle of the road easy and had to pay special attention and keep my eyes strictly on the road and not to look off to the side. This was a struggle. I was victorious by letting someone else drive whenever possible.


• I was not able to get a good, solid seven sleep for six nights. In fact, for the first four nights I only slept for three or four hours each night. I was very tired for the entire first week after I began taking Topamax.

Eight days after taking Topamax for migraine headache relief I had a serious migraine headache. I expected more help than that. It was a serious migraine, the symptoms were all there. One thing I will say is the pain in the head only reached about 70% of the normal level.

On Monday, January 18 I felt I was able to increase my dosage of Topamax for the first time (actually two days later than my doctor originally advised). I did so in the morning. Almost immediately after I took the two (50 mg) Topamax I felt so worn out that I was hardly able to function until the afternoon. I reverted back to the original dosage Tuesday.Granted, I have only taken Topamax for a week and a half and I am not condemning the medication by any means yet. Many people have had outstanding results with it and hopefully I will too. I just wanted to give people who are thinking of starting to use it the warning that they may have some side effects despite what some people, including your doctor, may tell them. The benefits of Topamax may not be as immediately recognizable on some people as others.

Check out the Feeling Outstanding Causes of Daily Headaches page.

Here's to a headache free life!
Tom Thorne
http://www.feelingoutstanding.com/