anyone taking topamax?

My doc wants me to take it for my migraines. I think it has too many nasty side effects and since my headaches are not that bothersome to me I don't want to risk it.

Can anyone share their experiences with it?

I posted a topic on Migraines here in the health section.  Let me find it and I will bump it up so you can read it. A lot of people stated that they took it. 

pygirl,

I have been on topamax for the past 6 months or so, and before that I had tried EVERYTHING to get rid of my headaches/migraines. Nothing else worked.

I used to get a headache every single day, and since being on topamax can honestly say I only get maybe one or two a MONTH.

I have also not experience any of the side effects that I have read/heard about topamax. I feel great, I'm happier, and would reccomend it to anyone battling headaches.

However if your headaches aren't bothering you, then I probably would avoid taking unnecessary medications, just for time/money sake. Topamax can be kind of expensive depending on your insurance.

Hope this helps!

I'm on topamax. I've been on it for well over a year now and have had no side effects whatsoever. While I was originally put on it to aid my anti-depressants, I also suffer from intense headaches and topamax really helped. I still get them pretty frequently as my dose is relatively low, but they're no longer nearing migraines as far as intensity. With a few advil they're almost managable!

I am a physician assistant in neurology.  We have lots of patients with intractable migraines.  The FIRST drug we go to typically to prevent migraines is Topamax.  In many people it can be extremely effective.  If you have a family or personal history of kidney stones you shouldn't take it since it can increase your risk.  For the most part, people tolerate it well.  The most common side effects are weight loss (!), numbness/tingling in fingers/feet, upset stomach, and cognitive difficulties.  The weight loss can be so extreme in some people that we have to stop the drug (I had a patient that lost 30lbs in 4 months).  Some people complain of feeling "stupid" or slow but this is usually at higher doses (around 100mg twice a day).  If this is bothersome to a patient, we usually stop it and they go back to feeling normal.  Lots of people like it and it helps them considerably.  Hope this helps!

I was on it for migraines, and I actually gained weight.  My doctor was shocked, but I did gain.  And I had the numbness/tingling in my hands and feet.  It was definitely not worth it for me. 

I used to take Topomax for headaches and it totally worked.  Then I slowly tappered off taking it.  But then I started with the headaches again, but realized that after a couple of weeks of eating healthy (no wheat, gluten, pasta, rice, sugar--even though I'm not necessarily allergice to those things), my migraines went away...along with some weight!  I was never a believer in watching what I ate, but now that I have changed my diet and don't experience the headaches, changing my diet was worth it.  TRY IT (along with the Topomax, if you'd like).