Topamax and suicidality?
 

Has anyone experienced increased suicidal urges when taking topamax?

No...but...
I take Topamax for migraine prevention. On the higher dosages, I was depressed and miserable. For me personally, I think this was because the cognitive dulling was driving me right up the wall. I did not feel like the same person AT ALL. I could not function in the same manner. Fortunately, my doctor worked with me closely. I changed my diet and got on some natural treatments that were helpful in terms of migraine prevention. This allowed me to lower my dosage a lot. Topamax still bugs me, but not nearly as strongly.

Depression IS listed as a possible side effect, so you should let your doctor know right away if this is a situation for you. If you have any ideation, you should proceed to the nearest hospital.

If you can't get off of Topa, maybe your dosage can be lowered or you can be given an antidepressant. Sometimes, these medications can be lowered and combined with other things to bring good relief.

Be sure to take extra good care of yourself in any way that you are able. If you are depressed, sometimes this is hard. But as best as you are able, please be sure to eat right and get your rest at night. Exercise when you are able, even if it is only a walk around the block. Again, if Topamax is really troubling you, please be sure to talk with your physician about an alternative.

There are some articles on depression on this website:
http://www.mental-health-matters.com/index.php

No, but I was feeling more depressed while on Topamax! Mainly because of the nausea and horrible stomach cramps it caused. I couldn't sleep because of the stomach pain keeping me awake every night. That made me depressed because I was so tired all the time, even though I was drowsy as well, I just couldn't rest or sleep. So, because of those side-effects and others, like eye-pain, I think it was driving me crazy! I got off it after 6 weeks. I now have found something better for my nerve pain.

~Jaime~

topomax
 

Sorry to hear that you are experiencing that, I have been on topomax for 10 months now started at 50mg aday and increased to 100mg a day. I take it for headache prevention and had little help and side effects. I was told by dr. that the time of day you take it can help. I also know someone who takes as an antidepressant, so it is strange that you are having this problem.
good luck

If you go to this site..topamaxtrip.com
The people there can possibly help you as well.
I took it for quite awhile.
My moods were leveled out by takin it!
I have read that it may do the opposite to some people though.
Take care and all the best to you!

Yes, yes!! I just stopped taking topamax 50 mg twice a day because it was making me CRAZY! I could feel myself being aggitated and very ugly with people around me and just a feeling of doom. This is very much not like myslef so I quit and it all went away!! This drug works very well against migrains but IMO the side effects are not worth it.

Thank you everyone for your helpful descriptions of your experiences. I started out on 25 mg of topomax, have gone up to 100, but now have tapered down to 50 mg. I have been taking it as a mood stabilizer, and an anti-depressant booster. However, once I started lithium I found that I didn't need the topamax as much. A friend of mine who started the topamax for pain had to stop it though. It made her suicidally depressed on a much lower dose (around 50 I think).

Meds are so weird ..... :confused:

I do fine with topamax - 100 mgs at bedtime. Seems I hear people who take it for other than migraines and not at bedtime are the ones who tend to have the most problems with it.

It tends not to work and gives them the most/worst side effects.

While I have some of the same symptoms you report - insomnia, cogfog, depression at times - I had all those things before topamax, and they're no worse now. But no way I could live with the way those migraines were.

I do get how any med can be great for one, disasterous for others - ADs are horrible for me, used several for pain, always bad results.

When the side effects do not outweigh the benefit, there are usually other meds to try.

Forums like this are a priceless source of advice from other people in that way!

:)

I had a horrible time with Topamax ! It made me terribly moody but the worst part was my hips started to scream in pain which turned out to be an adverse side effect of topamax. :(

I have been on Topamax for migraines since 2002. I love it! I take 400 mg a day and have no side effects except some tingling around my nose and my fingers. I take Urocit-K (potassium citrate) to counteract that side effect.

You can go to topamax.com and ready about the adverse reactions or side effects as there are many that are listed for each clinical trial that this drug was tested. It is used as an anti-seizure med as well as for migraine prevention.

I know it has been the only medication that has helped me and I have been through them all. It doesn't work for everyone and there is a dosage for everyone if it is does work. 400 mg is my dose. 375 is not enough and 450 is too much.

You have to titrate up, and the best time to start is at night. Increasing your dosage is best done at night. And it's not a good idea to cold turkey stop this drug...side effect is possible seizures. But when it works, it's a great medication!

I am just ecstatic over being migraine free for the first time in my life! It's the little things in life when you have a chronic illness....no migraines are one of the things!