I've been a Topomax user since January 2013 and i can say that it does help with the headaches.

Side effects can vary from person to person. At the beginning, i experienced slight photosensitivity, slight hair loss and sleepiness. My adjustment period was taking the lowest dosage (25mg) at night for a couple of weeks and then up it to 50mg which is still a very tiny dosage so i'm very surprised and happy that i'm feeling improvements with that amount.

I'd recommend you not to be scared about any potential side effects. They usually go away after a couple of weeks and you won't notice them anymore. Topomax is a good treatment and it might help you.