I have read so many good things about the benefits of topamax for sf neuropathy. The weight loss side effect doesn't scare me at all.......whate scares me is the weight gain i have experienced from gabapentin, as i have to keep increasing dosage and will probably be on it the rest of my life, i am afraid to think what i will weigh in the next ten years if this keeps up (gained 10 lbs in 1 year)

the question i have about topamax though is the common side effect of tingling & burning of skin, that is exactly what i am trying to treat........i'm confused.........

Anyone have any input on this......pls hurry, i have a dr. Apt tomorrow and would like to ask for this.

Thanks!

I lost my memory on Topamax. Three months of
a walking nightmare. I never lost any weight on it
in the 3 mos, either. It never helped much with my PN pain, either
and I was on 450mgs a day when I stopped it.

About 40% of people on Topamax develop low bicarb in the blood, and have an acidosis. Acidosis symptoms are similar to what you have already. So taking Topamax may not work for you, but there is no way to tell yet. Doctors received warning letters years ago to monitor serum bicarbonate levels. Ask your doctor if he will do this. If he doesn't understand the question I would not find that a good sign!

This is a link to a copy of the letter:
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...28vAJ7MihGVhMA

It's really hard to say--everyone will have a different experience with the medicine. It depends on your body, your other medicines, the type of symptoms you have from the PN, etc. I took Topamax for awhile, and it didn't help my symptoms at all. That being said, it also did not cause any negative side effects. I have heard a lot of people say that Topamax affected them negatively and the positive effects from it were not worth all the side effects. That wasn't the case with me, but really, the only way to know is to try it. But, ask your doctor if that is a good medicine for you with all of the medicines you are on and whatnot. There are quite a few options for medications beyond gabapentin, so if you don't want to try Topamax, you still have plenty of other options.