Migraine

How long does topamax take to kick in for weight loss?

Heidi,
Side effects from medications very from person to person. Some people will get no side effects and some people will get lots and when those side effects kick in also very. My doctor has told me that with any medication I take for a prevenative for my migraines I need to give 3 months if possible to see if it will work and to see what the side effects are going to be.

That being said, I was taken off a theraputic dose of Topamax before that time due to side effects that stated sooner than that.

That probably isn't a clear answer, but it's the best one I have.

By the way, welcome to forum!!

Cindy

Weight loss is only a potential side effect of topamax. Meaning it may not happen for everyone.

That being said, I noticed my hunger decreased as soon as I started taking it. And weight differences in about 2 weeks. But - once I got used to the dose, this changed and my hunger came back, the weight didn't but I stopped losing.

Welcome to the forum!

Any other questions, feel free to ask!

hi there
i was just wondering if it was possible to use topamax purely for weight loss? my friend was telling me she wanted to try it (after trying many appetite suppresents and not having much luck) but I'd heard it was for migranes and epilepsy?

Anyway, just wondering if taking it for weight loss (besides it being kind of stupid) can cause any side effects (like causing migranes or epilepsy or anything) so I can have some info when i explain this to her!

Thank you in advance,
Ashley

Welcome to the forum Ashely!

If your friend is thinking of taking Topamax just for weight loss, I would not think this would be a good idea.

Topamax has just a potential side effect of weight loss, but for the other things it does, considering it is an anti seizure medication, I would think it would be hard to find a doctor to precribe Topamax just for this reason.

If your friend has a weight issue which is deemed serious, she should speak with her doctor about what would be best for her.

If you need information on migraine disease or headaches, please feel free to ask!

Here is our link for info on Topamax, if you are interested on passing it along to your friend.

Topamax profile

Welcome Ashely!

I have been on Topamax as a preventative for migraines twice now in 4 years. The side effects are not worth a few pounds. This time, the few pounds I lost came back and then some. I felt too bad for my normal amount of walking that I usually did prior to using Topamax. Besides, food is too delicious not to be able to taste it! Good luck,
Trish

Welcome to MyMigraineConnection Ashely.

Here is some additional information on topamax from the clinical trials you may find interesting:

At 100mg/day, 2.3% of study participants experienced weight loss

At 200mg/day, 2.1% experienced weight loss

Also, the weight loss did not continue. Those who lost weight lost an average of 2.8% of their starting body weight.

Fighting "the battle of the bulge" most of my life, I wouldn't take topamax for weight loss purposes.

quote:

Originally posted by xoxoashley:
hi there
i was just wondering if it was possible to use topamax purely for weight loss? my friend was telling me she wanted to try it (after trying many appetite suppresents and not having much luck) but I'd heard it was for migranes and epilepsy?

Anyway, just wondering if taking it for weight loss (besides it being kind of stupid) can cause any side effects (like causing migranes or epilepsy or anything) so I can have some info when i explain this to her!

Thank you in advance,
Ashley

Hi, Ashely, welcome to the forum!