Have you heard the following statement? “Topamax ruined my life.” If you have, you may have been curious about how this is possible, and how to avoid it.
Not only will we share how Topamax ruins lives, but we will be sharing the best ways to recover from its harmful effects, and how to even prevent them.
Firstly, let’s talk about Topamax
Topamax is an antiseizure medication that is often used in combination with other drugs to prevent and treat epilepsy. It is a type of anticonvulsant.
Its generic name is Topiramate.
Uses of Topamax
Topamax is recommended for the treatment of these diseases or conditions; migraines, diabetes, depression, fibromyalgia, obesity, uncontrolled impulses, bipolar disorder, alcohol abuse, seizures, and nerve damage.
Side effects of Topamax
The side effects of Topamax; Dizziness, weight loss, paraesthesia (pins and needles), somnolence, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, nasopharyngitis – common cold, depression, weight gain, anaemia, disturbance in attention, memory impairment, amnesia, cognitive disorder, mental impairment, psychomotor skills impaired, convulsion, coordination abnormal, tremor, lethargy, hypoaesthesia, nystagmus, dysgeusia, balance disorder, dysarthria, intention tremor, sedation, vision blurred, diplopia, visual disturbance, vertigo, tinnitus, ear pain, dyspnoea, epistaxis, nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, dry mouth, stomach discomfort, paraesthesia oral, gastritis, abdominal discomfort, nephrolithiasis, pollakisuria, dysuria, alopecia (hair loss), rash, pruritus, arthralgia, muscle spasms, myalgia, muscle twitching, muscular weakness, musculoskeletal chest pain, anorexia, decreased appetite, pyrexia, asthenia, irritability, gait disturbance, feeling abnormal, malaise, hypersensitivity, bradyphrenia, insomnia, expressive language disorder, anxiety, confusional state, disorientation, aggression, mood altered, agitation, mood swings, anger, abnormal behavior, crystal urine present, tandem gait test abnormal, white blood cell count decreased, bradycardia, sinus bradycardia, palpitations, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia, depressed level of consciousness, grand mal convulsion, visual field defect, complex partial seizures, speech disorder, psychomotor hyperactivity, syncope, sensory disturbance, drooling, hypersomnia, aphasia, repetitive speech (stuttering), hypokinesia, dyskinesia, dizziness postural, poor quality sleep, burning sensation, sensory loss, parosmia, cerebellar syndrome, dysaesthesia, hypogeusia, stupor, clumsiness, aura, ageusia, dysgraphia, dysphasia, neuropathy peripheral, presyncope, dystonia, formication (the sensation of insects crawling under the skin), visual acuity reduced, scotoma, myopia, abnormal sensation in eye, dry eye, photophobia, blepharospasm, lacrimation increased, photopsia, mydriasis, presbyopia, deafness, deafness unilateral, deafness neurosensory, ear discomfort, hearing impaired, dyspnoea exertional, paranasal sinus hypersecretion, dysphonia, pancreatitis, flatulence, gastrooesophageal reflux disease, hypoaesthesia oral gingival bleeding, abdominal distension, epigastric discomfort, abdominal tenderness, salivary hypersecretion, oral pain, breath odor, glossodynia, calculus urinary, urinary incontinence, haematuria (blood in urine), incontinence, micturition urgency, renal colic, renal pain, anhidrosis, hypoesthesia facial, urticaria, erythema, pruritus generalized, rash macular, skin discoloration, allergic dermatitis, swelling face, joint swelling, musculoskeletal stiffness, flank pain, muscle fatigue, metabolic acidosis, hypocalcaemia, increased appetite, polydipsia, hypotension, orthostatic hypotension flushing, hot flush, hyperthermia, thirst, influenza like illness, sluggishness, peripheral coldness, feeling drunk, feeling jittery, learning disability, erectile dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, hallucination, psychotic disorder, apathy, lack of spontaneous speech, sleep disorder, libido decreased, restlessness, crying, dysphemia, euphoric mood, paranoia, perseveration, panic attack, tearfulness, reading disorder, initial insomnia, flat affect, thinking abnormal, loss of libido, listless, middle insomnia, distractibility, early morning awakening, panic reaction, elevated mood, blood bicarbonate decreased, neutropaenia, apraxia, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, hyperesthesia, hyposmia, anosmia, essential tremor, akinesia, unresponsive to stimuli, blindness unilateral, blindness transient, glaucoma, accommodation disorder, altered visual depth perception, scintillating scotoma, eyelid edema, night blindness, amblyopia, calculus ureteric, renal tubular acidosis, stevens-johnson syndrome, erythema multiforme, skin odour abnormal, periorbital oedema, urticaria localized, limb discomfort, acidosis hyperchloraemic, raynaud’s phenomenon, face edema, calcinosis, mania, anorgasmia, panic disorder, disturbance in sexual arousal, feeling of despair, orgasm abnormal, hypomania, orgasmic sensation decreased.
If we look at the list of side effects associated with Topamax, it is clear that this is not a very safe drug. Indeed, it is a very long list. Topamax ruined my life!
Many of the side effects are even capable of ruining someone’s life, meaning that you shouldn’t wonder how topamax can ruin someone’s life when someone says; “Topamax ruined my life.”
Fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, lack of coordination, tingling of the hands or feet, loss of appetite, changes in the taste of food, diarrhea, and weight loss may occur.
Cognitive disorders such as confusion, slowed thinking, difficulty concentrating or paying attention, anxiety, memory issues, or language/speech problems may also occur.
If any of these side effects continues or worsens, do not hesitate to contact your doctor or pharmacist. This medication was prescribed because your doctor has deemed the benefit to you to be greater than the risk of side effects.
Many people taking this medication do not have serious side effects.
Alert your doctor if you experience any serious adverse effects, such as bone pain, signs of kidney stones (e.g. severe back, side, abdominal, groin pain, fever, chills, painful and frequent urination with blood or pink urine), unusual bleeding or bruising.
In an emergency situation, seek medical treatment immediately if you have serious side effects, including rapid breathing, slow/irregular heartbeat, or feeling faint.
Very few people who take anticonvulsant drugs for any medical condition (such as seizures, bipolar disorder, pain) experience depression, suicidal thoughts or attempts, or other mental/mood issues.
Tell your doctor immediately if you or your family members have a sudden change in your mood, thoughts, or behavior that may indicate depression or thoughts of suicide. You should also notify your doctor if you have any recent thoughts of harming yourself.
Rarely, Topamax can cause a severe eye problem. Usually, this complication appears in the first month of treatment, and it can lead to permanent blindness if left untreated.
If any of these symptoms occurs, get medical attention immediately. Sudden vision changes (such as reduced vision, blurred vision), eye pain or redness are clues that a medical emergency is occurring.
This medication rarely causes a serious metabolic problem (a high level of ammonia in the blood) if you are also taking valproic acid.
Tell your doctor if you experience sudden/unexplained fatigue, vomiting, or mental changes (such as decreased alertness).
Only an extremely severe allergic reaction to this drug is very rare. If you experience any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, seek immediate medical attention. These include rash, itching or swelling (especially of the face, tongue, or throat), severe dizziness, and trouble breathing.
In the US, call your doctor for medical advice about treatment side effects. You can report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
In Canada – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You can report side effects to Health Canada by calling 1-866-234-2345.
How Topamax ruined my life – Read what other people said on this
On Drugs.com, Topamax has an average rating of 5.8 out of 10 from a total of 594 ratings for Migraine Prevention.
45% of reviewers gave a positive rating, while 32% stated a negative experience. This puts Topamax in a precarious position, since it’s based only on the opinions of 44% of reviewers. Of all drugs, it’s undesirable to get that many negative reviews for a drug.
Several people have told me about their doctor visits over the past week. Each of them had a unique medical condition and they were all prescribed the drug Topamax.
I cannot but wonder how a single medicine could treat so many different disorders. I suspect that it cannot, and that the overtreatment is motivated by marketing more than medical treatment.
This lead me to do some research into Topamax. I’m not sure what I found. Topamax is prescribed for a broad array of diseases for which there is little evidence of its effectiveness.
I will drop some of the bad experiences people went through while on Topamax so that you can read why people say that; “Topamax ruined my life.” The following experiences are gotten from Drugs.com;
All the stories above show how plausible this assertion is; “Topamax ruined my life.”
Now, how has Topamax ruined my life, or how can it ruin yours?
It is clear from the complete list of side effects associated with this drug that Topamax is not very safe to use. Indeed, the list is long, so the drug can be deadly.
According to the FDA and their new label update in 2014, Topamax comes with a black box warning noting that it can potentially lead to these adverse effects:
The Problem: Brain Slowing; topamax ruined my life
Topamax may cause brain function to slow. Why? Topamax is a voltage-dependent calcium channel blocker (also called voltage-gated calcium channel blocker), which is a key channel for neuron communication through neurotransmitter release.
Topamax is systemic, which means it acts on all neurons and not just on certain types of neurons.
This means that the neurons that control how the heart beats, how the lungs work, how you blink, and how well you digest are all adversely affected by Topiramate.
The neurons cannot release neurotransmitters, so communication between hormones of the brain and hormones of the body is disrupted.
Many of the negative effects of Topamax are so severe that migraine sufferers who take this medication can be at risk of brain damage within as little as three weeks (sometimes even a day).
All of these examples demonstrate how “I haven’t used Topamax before, so it didn’t ruin my life.” I have never used Topamax, so it did not affect my life.
However, that’s not the point here. I want to demonstrate the potential danger of this drug to endanger your health.
So, you must be cautious, and know what is appropriate for your body and adhere to that. Living healthy makes you ever prepared to enjoy life and enables you to do anything you set out to do. So please be informed.
Always talk to your doctor before using any medications to make sure that you are using them safely. Some medications may not be safe for you.
Just because Topamax worked for someone you knew, doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. Always check with a professional health care professional first.
How Topamax ruined my life and how I recovered
Once again, I’m sorry as I cannot cite my personal experience with Topamax as I have never used it, but I have dropped the experience others had on Topamax earlier above, so you can read up there on the issue of “how Topamax ruined my life.”
Now, I am not going to drop those stories again. Instead, I will describe how to recover from Topamax.
Yes, get back into your life with Topamax. It’s not as deadly as cancer or HIV, and it’s definitely not a fatal condition. You can get better if you put your mind to it.
First, you must pay attention to the precautions and warnings, avoid drug interactions, and consult your doctor for medical care.
There are alternatives to Topamax. If your doctor prescribes it, he or she must discuss alternative treatments with you.
If you apply the work needed to recover, you will be serious, determined, and persistent, as well as inventive and resourceful. There are already numerous treatments and therapies available to you.
All you have to do is find the right ones, and then you may go.
How to use Topamax to get the most out of it (Warnings and Precautions)
You should be forewarned that the following guidelines can protect you from side effects while on, before, and after using Topamax.
It is nearly impossible that you will be harmed while using Topamax if you take a look at all of these.
Topamax drug interactions; topamax ruined my life
You must also know the drug interactions of Topamax to avoid taking substances and conditions into your body that could be dangerous while you are on it. For example, there are certain things or conditions that you are on that will in fact be harmful for you if you take Topamax, even fatal.
Your medications could be affected by interactions with your drugs or increase your risk of serious side effects.
Keep a list of all of the products you use (including prescription and nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist.
Do not change, stop, or start a medication dosage without your doctor’s approval. orlistat is a drug that can interact with this medicine.
The effects of hormonal birth control medications, patches, and rings like these can be reduced by using this injection. If such hormones are not entirely removed, a pregnancy is likely.
Consult with your physician or pharmacist to see if other reliable contraceptive methods are advisable if you are taking this medication.
Also tell your doctor if you have any new symptoms or bleeding, as these could be signs that your birth control is failing.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other products that cause drowsiness including alcohol, marijuana (cannabis), antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine), drugs for sleep or anxiety (such as alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants (such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine), and opioid pain relievers (such as codeine).
Make sure all of your medications (like cough-and-cold products or allergy medication) have the correct labels on them. Ask your pharmacist about using these items safely.
Better and safer alternatives to Topamax
Ever since Disposed of my health with Topamax; if another drug doesn’t work for you, that means that a different treatment might still work for you.
Consult with your doctor other than Topamax and find other treatments which are better, safer, and more effective than Topamax.
Topamax is not the sole medication for migraines, seizures, and other afflictions.
I affirm that they are other medical treatments and drugs that are more than suitable for your situation and that will not cause any harm to you. Stop dwelling on the past and do the appropriate action to improve your health.
These are good alternatives to Topamax;
Talk to your doctor about which alternative is best suited for your situation.
What will happen if I miss significant doses of Topamax and what do I do?
Just that if you have missed major doses, it will not be effective or potent enough to treat you for your ailment.
If you have missed a significant dose, do the following.
What will happen if I overdose on Topamax and what do I do?
Splenic toxicity can result from overuse of Topamax, which can lead to serious consequences such as severe drowsiness, loss of consciousness, brain damage, and death.
If you have accidentally overdosed or have serious symptoms, immediately call 911 or your doctor’s phone number.
Call a poison control center immediately. Residents of the US can call 1-800-222-1222. Residents of Canada can call the provincial poison control center.
Is Topamax FDA approved? Topamax Ruined My Life
Yes, Topamate is FDA-approved, but numerous restrictions and warnings have been issued, and there are litigations against the drug’s manufacturer Ortho MacNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and its parent company Johnson & Johnson.
It is said that Topamax manufacturers have paid fines for illegally promoting the drug to treat bipolar disorder, drug and alcohol addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other disorders.
Although it is not legal for drug manufacturers to promote off-label medications, physicians are legally allowed to prescribe anything they deem suitable for treating a patient’s condition.
Final comments on the issue of “how Topamax ruined my life”
Honestly, off-brand prescribing has gone too far.
I must add that Topamax is one of the most dangerous drugs in the prescription drug market today.
Not only is it a diet pill made from sugar derivatives (actually a sugar substitute) but it uses two dangerous methods (blocking both voltage-dependent calcium and voltage-gated sodium channels at once) to achieve what several classes of drugs normally do separately; and thus, with one medicine it affects and potentially damages the two circuits that are critical for brain function.
Topamax ruined my life! Topamac is hard to beat. The most difficult issue is that some physicians erroneously believe a drug that blocks the voltage-dependent calcium and potassium channels can only be easily stopped within a few days of withdrawal.
However, because the voltage-dependent calcium channel is a high-voltage channel, some people may experience seizures if the channel is disrupted.
Also, I have been informed of several instances in which Topamax has caused brain damage.
Topamax is a sugar substitute that failed as a diet pill but is somehow approved by the FDA for epileptic seizures.
It also contains approval for use in treating migraine headaches.
Wouldn’t we all like sugar to be a cure? Unfortunately, sugar or sugar substitutes do not have such severe side effects as Topamax (they have others).
Let’s all be aware. Our health is important and not something to be trifled with.
Be mindful of all the foods you eat, the medications and treatments you take, the drinks and creams you drink, and the various lifestyles we lead, because when your state of health is poor, you won’t have the ability to appreciate life.
Poor health is bad for business, whereas good health keeps you active.
Please take care with your health, and be sure to get your doctor’s approval before participating in certain therapies.