NeuroTalk Support Groups - Topamax side-effects HElp!

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Topamax side-effects HElp!

HI
I am 25 years old and I have had epilepsy since I was 6. After a long time of being on depakote they took me off and about one year later i had a grand mal, so currently (thank god) i am controlled on Lamactol. My new neurologist asked me about side effects and what bothers me the most, and i mostly said weight gain and not beign able to sleep. He wants to put me on a low dose of topamax 50mg a day with my lamactol. The issue I am having is I ride horses, like it is my life. And i herd that some fuzziness and delayed reactions have been noticed as a side effect. Does anyone have any of these side effects on Topamax? Anyone on Topamax that rides or does a demanding sport that involves slight reaction times and quick thinking? I really would like some advice....

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

There are great number and caring fellow members here to assist you. Our shouders are here for support in many ways. I have never taken Topamax, then again I have been on lamictal for a good long time. We have a good number of fellow people here in this forum to help. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene :hug:

Hi skimberly,

Welcome to the forum! I took topamax for about 1 month for my absence (petit mal) and complex partial seizures and the drug was to weak for me and my seizures increased. I know a lot of people who have been successful taking this drug and had fewer seizures. I do know that you can't take the drug alone you should be taking another seizure med to help. When I was taking topamax I didn't want to eat, I was tired a lot of the time, and I had a hard time concentrating on things.
I also took depakote yrs. ago and it worked great but I had to go off the drug because it lowered my platlet level and it caused me to have anorexia where I lost 80 lbs. in 4 months. I would eat 3 meals a day and have snacks but the drug caused me to lose the weight.
One thing you might want to try is vitamin B12 1000 mcg. once a day and as weird as it sounds eat some low salt peanuts or almonds because the peanut oil helps control seizures and vitamin B12 calms the nervous system.
Here's wishing you well and May God Bless You!

Sue

I took topomax & lost weight. Most ppl on it, lose weight. I wasn't hungry & often even forgot to eat. I remember one day I was on the computer & said 'Oh no, I never ate & the kids will be home from school soon' (it was 2:30). All I had had was my morning coffee. After awhile I thought I was losing to much too fast. I take Lamictal too, since 1996. It controls my GM's.