Migraine

I have some bad news for you. If you're taking Advil or Motrin more than 2 or 3 days a week, it's entirely possible that they're causing rebound. If that's the case, the Topamax may not be able to work until you break that rebound cycle. To do that, you'll have to stop taking the Advil and Motrin. Your doctor didn't tell you this? You may want to read Medication Overuse Headache: When the Remedy Backfires.

quote:

Originally posted by DanaInACK:
Sunday will start my third week. I have the migraines daily, some seemingly last the entire day. Topamax is all I was prescribed, and was told to take Aleve or Motrin, which I do, and they don't do much. I felt like because I wasn't having a migraine at the time the neurologist was examining me, that he just kind of wrote me off. I tried telling him that I had been yawning excessively lately out of nowhere,(t was getting to the point of yawning every 3 or 4 minutes), and the migraines started up at the same time, and he dismissed that. Then on THIS site, I read that the yawning is actually is pre-emptive symptom! I was describing the symptoms, and he seemed to think nothing of it when I told him the intensity of them had me throwing up at work daily, and having to wear sunglasses at my desk.

Hi all,
I'm new here and have a couple of quick questions.
First a quick breakdown of where I am with topomax...been taking it for a couple of months and I am currently on 125mg per day. I have lost around 20-25 pounds already and have virtually no interest in food most days. I don't mind the weight loss but am growing concerned about the speed of it all. (Is the rapid weight loss normal?)
Second question is how long do most people stay on topomax? Is this something that people stay on for years?
Third, my nurse practitioner would like me to ramp up to 200mg per day...from what I am reading this seems to be a high dose. Is it?
Thanks for your time,
Dana

Dana,

Hello and welcome!

Are you taking your Topamax in one dose, or two split doses? If you take it all in one dose, that can make side effects more severe. All the prescribing info says to take it in split doses.

As for taking it up to 200mg/day, that's a pretty standard Migraine prevention dosage. The doctors who did the clinical trials of Topamax for Migraine prevention suggest going up to 200mg per day if lower dosages don't help; but if 200mg per day doesn't help, they recommend tapering off it and trying something else. Just remember that it shouldn't be increased by more than 25mg per week.

As for how long people stay on it, that depends on the individual, but it's not unusual for Migraineurs to be on some kind of preventives for many years if not for the rest of our lives. Many doctors suggest tapering down on preventives every couple of years to see if we still need them at the current levels.

welcome again!

quote:

Originally posted by delawr99:
Hi all,
I'm new here and have a couple of quick questions.
First a quick breakdown of where I am with topomax...been taking it for a couple of months and I am currently on 125mg per day. I have lost around 20-25 pounds already and have virtually no interest in food most days. I don't mind the weight loss but am growing concerned about the speed of it all. (Is the rapid weight loss normal?)
Second question is how long do most people stay on topomax? Is this something that people stay on for years?
Third, my nurse practitioner would like me to ramp up to 200mg per day...from what I am reading this seems to be a high dose. Is it?
Thanks for your time,
Dana

Hi Teri,
I am currently splitting the dose with 75 at night and 50 in the a.m. The nurse practitioner says it will be okay to take it all in the p.m. if I choose but as of yet I haven't tried. The tingling, while irritating, isn't enough to make me go off.
I am currently having approximately 1 migrane every other week or so. Today I am trying Zomig for the first time...it isn't working so well but it is the first time and the migrane isn't a killer so I'm getting by. I think I will try to keep my level at 150 or so for a couple of months and see how it works.
I have never been one to drop weight fast so when I went from 172 to 151 in a flash I became a bit scared. I have been watching what I eat really closely and haven't been eating as much as I normally would but I track my caloric intake pretty closely so I guess I shouldn't be too concerned.
Thanks for your input!
Dana

Dana,

I can't give you medical advice, but in your place, I'd keep splitting the Topamax dosage. All the prescribing info, whether for seizures or Migraines, calls for it to be split. That keeps a more constant blood level too.

Yes, I can understand staying at the current level for a bit yet. You need to know if that dosage will work. No sense in taking more than you really need.

On the tingling -- one of the docs who conducted some of the clinical trials told me that potassium supplements can help with that. You might want to ask your NP about a potassium supplement.

In trials, the weight loss didn't continue, but leveled off at an average loss of 2.3% of starting body wieght. I know you've lost more than that, but maybe the loss will slow and stop.

quote:

Originally posted by delawr99:
Hi Teri,
I am currently splitting the dose with 75 at night and 50 in the a.m. The nurse practitioner says it will be okay to take it all in the p.m. if I choose but as of yet I haven't tried. The tingling, while irritating, isn't enough to make me go off.
I am currently having approximately 1 migrane every other week or so. Today I am trying Zomig for the first time...it isn't working so well but it is the first time and the migrane isn't a killer so I'm getting by. I think I will try to keep my level at 150 or so for a couple of months and see how it works.
I have never been one to drop weight fast so when I went from 172 to 151 in a flash I became a bit scared. I have been watching what I eat really closely and haven't been eating as much as I normally would but I track my caloric intake pretty closely so I guess I shouldn't be too concerned.
Thanks for your input!
Dana

Weight loss was one of the reasons my Doc wanted me on Topamax. My insurance denied it at first. We went through several different 'failures' including one that caused me to gain 8 lbs in a week! I did not need that! Once I finally won the battle with the insurance company and got approved for the Topamax I decided to meet the weight loss factor halfway and get off my butt. So I have increased my exercise...a lot. I have lost some weight, but I'm not sure exactly how much as the scales have always been my enemy.
I cannot finish a meal to save my life now a days, for me this is a Godsend. I am assuming this is the Topamax. I'm almost afraid to go off of it at this point. I will have a follow up with Doc in 2 months so we will see what she says about all of it at that point.

If you haven't already been welcomed to MyMigraineConnection, Welcome This is a wonderful site, as you can see, to come for support and information about all things Migraine disease and headache related.

I hope the other reason your doctor is prescribing Topamax is for Migraine prevention, which is what the drug is approved for. Do you see a Migraine specialist?

One thing to keep in mind is that there are over 100 medications that are being used for Migraine prevention. HERE

Again, welcome and we hope to hear more from you.

Thank you for the welcome. Of course, that is the first and original reason she put me on the topamax, but she likes the pleasant side effect of weight loss. The unpleasant side effect of weight gain in some of the others we tried is undesired in someone who is already overweight. No, I have not gone to a migraine specialist at this point. So far working with my PCP is working. If the Topamax does not work we will take it from there. We tried 4 other meds, that 'failed' didn't touch the migraines, made me gain weight, put me to sleep, etc. I'm still working through this. Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by NancyHOST:
If you haven't already been welcomed to MyMigraineConnection, Welcome This is a wonderful site, as you can see, to come for support and information about all things Migraine disease and headache related.

I hope the other reason your doctor is prescribing Topamax is for Migraine prevention, which is what the drug is approved for. Do you see a Migraine specialist?

One thing to keep in mind is that there are over 100 medications that are being used for Migraine prevention. HERE

Again, welcome and we hope to hear more from you.

Help!!! I am just the opposite. I just took my third dose of Topamax 25 mg and I have already GAINED yes that's right, gained 8 pounds. I wish I were losing weight. My eating habits are about the same so I don't understand why I've gained so much weight. Has this happened to anyone else? Drugs sometimes don't react in me the way they do with other people...an example....alka seltzer cold plus...on the box it says my cause "drowsiness"...not for me...it makes me "hyper"...I can get a lot of house cleaning done when I take that. Or sleeping pills...don't work...they don't make me hyper...they just don't help me fall asleep. Please anyone out there...has this...weight gain happened to you and if so, when did it stop? Thanks.

I've suffered from migraines since I was a kid. In my 30's these got so bad that I often ended up at a hospital for shots of Demerol and visterol(sp?). I also developed a chronic pain condition in my 30's that was eventually diagnosed as fibromyalgia. However, in the mid-1990s when my (much) younger sister finished her neurology residency, she informed me that I probably had "migraine myalgic syndrome." She said that the chronic pain would ease up if I went on a seizure med. My doctor, a pain management specialist, agreed. He started me on Depakote because he suspected that I also suffered from bi-polar II and the Depakote would affect both conditions. They were both right! The chronic pain problem eased greatly and my depression/anxiety cycle evened out nicely.
However, I immediately gained 60+ lbs. Since I was already 40+ lbs overweight--most likely from self-medicating my depressions with carbohydrates--the extra poundage has carried me well into obesity. I was also recently placed on 75 mg of Elavil for sleep problems and have gained even more weight. (Elavil lowers metabolism by about 10%.)
My pain doctor sent me back to the neurologist, who had helped me try Topamax twice before (I could not stand the electric feelings in my fingers and the cognitive losses as I am a writer in a scholarly field). Now however, the neurologist is starting me at a very low dose over a long period (25 mg in the am for 1 month or until the symptoms disappear). Then I will increase by 25 or half that for the next month, etc.
I am in my first month (25 mg in the am) and have dropped 6 lbs--which is a first since this weight problem began. (The tingling is annoying, but I am getting by. I am having trouble remembering nouns and adjectives, but have my trusty thesaurus.) I started a lower carbohydrate eating plan (not Atkins), which is so far easy for me. I have found an online source for lo-carb pasta and have gourmet dinners sent frozen from "Home Bistro." Thanks to the Topamax (I think) I am completely full with one meal and have no desire to snack.
Even if the Topamax works with appetite suppression, I will probably remain on the Depakote and Elavil--hopefully at lower doses though. I still occasionally need Zomig.

Welcome to MyMigraineConnection PhyllisMarie. I am sorry to hear you have suffered so long with Migraine disease. You have found a great site to come to for support and information.

Good luck with your carb reduction, I could use that too. Please keep us posted on how you are doing and we hope to hear more from you.

I am so sorry this welcome is so late Cajungirl So here is a big MyMigraineConnection Welcome

Something to keep in mind is the side effects are potenial, meaning they may not happen to everyone. Which is really a very good thing! Has your diet or exercised changed lately? Just a thought...

Mosty importantly is topamax helping with your Migraine control? Are you having fewer attacks? That is most important.

Please keep us posted on how you are feeling, and we look forward to hearing more from you.

quote:

Originally posted by cajungirl1400:
Help!!! I am just the opposite. I just took my third dose of Topamax 25 mg and I have already GAINED yes that's right, gained 8 pounds. I wish I were losing weight. My eating habits are about the same so I don't understand why I've gained so much weight. Has this happened to anyone else? Drugs sometimes don't react in me the way they do with other people...an example....alka seltzer cold plus...on the box it says my cause "drowsiness"...not for me...it makes me "hyper"...I can get a lot of house cleaning done when I take that. Or sleeping pills...don't work...they don't make me hyper...they just don't help me fall asleep. Please anyone out there...has this...weight gain happened to you and if so, when did it stop? Thanks.

Wow, this has me a little nervous! My neurologist just perscribed me Topamax and Frova (spelling?) to prevent and control my steadily increasing migraines. I'm nervous because I already have a lot of problems with my eating habits; my job keeps me so occupied throughout the day that I often forget or lose all interest in eating even when I'm suffering from dizzy spells. I wouldn't mind losing a few pounds, but I don't want to knock myself further into a subconscious eating disorder of sorts.

Is Topamax really that extreme? I'm already considering setting an alarm to remind me to eat throughout the day, I can't imagine this will make it any easier.

Re forgetting to eat: My Neurologist recommended that I read the book "Heal Your Headaches" and follow what it says. It has lots of great information. According to this book, not eating on a regular schedule can be a migraine trigger.

Hello and welcome!

Not eating meals on a regular basis can absolutely be a Migraine trigger! One word of caution about "Heal Your Headache" -- it does have some great info in it, but it also has some that's flat-out wrong, so please don't believe everything in it. For example, he says acetaminophen doesn't cause rebound, and that's just wrong. There are many studies, plus the evidence of many people here to refute what he says. That's just one example.

quote:

Originally posted by PhyllisMarie:
Re forgetting to eat: My Neurologist recommended that I read the book "Heal Your Headaches" and follow what it says. It has lots of great information. According to this book, not eating on a regular schedule can be a migraine trigger.