Topamax Index | Expanded Brand, Generic & Availability ›
Crazy Meds Comprehensive Topamax pages

This is our basic overview for Topamax, and is a brief summary of what we know about it. Clicking on a “Read more…” link will take you to a page with greater detail. The Comprehensive Topamax pages contain the information from all of the “Read more…” pages.

1.  Brand & Generic Names; Drug Class

US brand name:	Topamax
Generic name:	topiramate
Drug class:	AntiepilepticDrugs/Anticonvulsants

Read more about Topamax’s brand & generic names, and availability

2.  Approved and off-label uses of Topamax (topiramate)

2.1  US FDA approved use(s)

Epilepsy - by itself or with other meds, for adults & children. Migraines.

2.2  Popular off-label uses

Bipolar disorder (works best as an add-on). Eating disorders - especially sleep eating. Alcoholism. PTSD. Weight loss - especially for weight gain caused by other crazy meds.

Read more of Topamax’s approved & off-label uses

3.  Topamax’s (topiramate’s) Pros and Cons

3.1  Pros

Currently the only modern AED approved by the FDA that you can take by itself to treat both generalized, flopping around tonic-clonic seizures as well as partial seizures. You’re more likely to lose weight than gain weight. Can (but doesn’t always) work for migraines at 25mg a day with barely any side effects after a few weeks. Can (but doesn’t always) work for seizures at 100mg a day.

3.2  Cons

The promise of losing weight is oversold and often leads to disappointment. Topamax can make you dumber than a box of rocks.

3.3  Interesting stuff your doctor probably didn’t tell you

Topamax may encourage you to stop smoking, in that you may just not like to smoke after you start and withdrawal symptoms won’t be as bad. Topamax can mess with lithium levels in seemingly random ways, and taking it along with Depakote or any other valproate can cause hypothermia (excessively low body temperature) and/or hyperammonemia (elevated ammonia in your blood), so taking Topamax to lose medication-induced weight gain can get tricky.
Read more of Topamax’s pros, cons, and interesting stuff

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4.  Topamax’s (topiramate’s) Side Effects

4.1  Typical side effects

Sleepiness, fatigue, and/or lethargy. A pins & needles effect/tingling in the extremities that usually goes away after a week or two. Sodas and other carbonated beverages will taste like ass. Memory loss, aphasia (weird words coming out in place of what you meant to say or write), word find problems (not being able to recall the names of people, things or concepts), and a general cognitive impairment that has earned this drug the nicknames “Stupamax” and “Dopamax.”

4.2  Uncommon side effects

Dry and/or itchy eyes along with assorted vision problems. You may find yourself not able to drink coffee any more, so be prepared to quit the bean. Food in general, and not just carbonated beverages, may not taste quite the same. Frequent, intense déjà or jamais vu. If you were experiencing one prior to taking Topamax be prepared to experience the other.

4.3  Freaky rare side effects

Tongue paralysis, neverending cough, staghorn calculus (I’d like to know how you do calculus using antlers), and palinopsia and the Alice in Wonderland syndrome. So Topamax explains Sarah Palin?
Read more of Topamax’s side effects

5.  How to take and stop taking Topamax (topiramate)

5.1  How to take Topamax

For migraines: the initial dose is 25mg a day, increased by 25mg a day each week as needed until you reach 100mg a day, usually divided into two doses.
For epilepsy: the initial dose is 25mg a day, increased by 25mg a day each week until you reach 100mg a day, usually divided into two doses. If you’re still having seizures, the recommended increase is 50mg a day each week until you achieve seizure control or the recommended maximum of 400mg a day.

5.2  How to stop taking Topamax

Ortho-McNeil now agrees with us. Per the PI sheet, unless you need to stop taking Topamax due to a severe adverse reaction, you should reduce your dosage by 25–50mg a day every week.
Read more about taking and discontinuing Topamax

6.  When will Topamax (topiramate) start working?

6.1  How long until Topamax starts working

For migraines: anywhere from one day (don’t get your hopes up, but it happens) to a month.
For epilepsy: it’s complicated.

6.2  Chances of Topamax working

For migraines: Really good, which is probably why Ortho-McNeil is all about Topamax for migraines these days.
For epilepsy: pretty good.
Read more about Topamax’s efficacy & comparisons with other medications

7.  What Topamax (topiramate) is best known for

Turning you into the stereotype of a supermodel: thin and stupid.
Read more of Topamax’s noted traits, effects, and warnings

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8.  Topamax’s (topiramate’s) half-life & how long until it clears your system

Half-life: 21 hours. Clearance: four to five days.
Drugs.com’s drug-drug and drug-food interaction checker
Read more about Topamax’s pharmacokinetics & noted drug-drug & drug-food interactions

9.  How Topamax (topiramate) works (the best current guess at any rate).

Topamax is a fairly broad-spectrum anticonvulsant. It prevents migraines and various types of seizures by blocking voltage-dependent sodium and calcium channels, inhibiting glutamate and carbonic anhydrase, and promoting the reception of GABA and/or increasing the amount of GABA, depending on the location in your brain and the study you read. Topamax may also affect voltage-sensitive sodium channels.
Read more about Topamax’s pharmacodynamics

10.  Comments

Whether you call it Dopamax, Stupamax, or a supermodel drug, when it works Topamax is a freaking Godsend. I’m more than happy to put up with the frequent renal calculus (doctorese for the sediment in my piss that is more “kidney sand” and “kidney pebbles” than kidney stones), the hosed memory, the increased problems in getting the right words out of my mouth, and random periods of coffee = panic attacks so I don’t have to worry about having some kind of seizure activity a couple times a week or go through the hell that is ultradian rapid cycling.
Read more comments
Read consumer/patient comments about & experiences with Topamax

11.  Discussion board, PI sheet and other useful links

Crazy Meds’ Topamax discussion board
Topamax’s Full US Prescribing Information / PI Sheet
Useful Links

Topamax Index | Expanded Brand, Generic & Availability ›
Crazy Meds Comprehensive Topamax pages

Bibliography

Common and not-so-common misspellings. Because even Google needs help sometimes. And the least we can do is share the creativity expressed by people in their quest for information about neuropsychiatric medications.
topomax topiromate topimax toprimate dopamax stupamax stupidmax

Date created Tuesday, 11 January 2011 at 13:43:23 Page Creator: Jerod Poore Last edited by:

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Topamax Basic Overview is copyright 2011 Jerod Poore

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