Any Positive thoughts on Topamax?

As a lifelong migraine sufferer I was prescribed Topiramate by a consultant neurologist. I could only tolerate the minimum dose. It was effective at stopping day to day headaches which were triggers for attacks and reducing severity of attacks. However after 8 months the side effects started to outweigh the benefits .. kidney stones, UTIs, memory loss, anxiety attacks  and hair thinning. None of which I’d suffered before. Luckily all these reversed on being weaned off topiramate. With the exception of the occasional anxiety attacks which I manage prn with propranolol. 

I have suffered from migraines for about 20 years. I was recently put on Topamax at 25mg at night. It’s been 3 weeks. I normally had 2-3 migraines a week a now it’s 1-2, so I’m sure my doctor will want to bump me up to 50mg. As far as side effects...I fall asleep much easier at night, within an hour of taking it. I feel better rested. I didn’t notice many side effects until this past week. My appetite is changing, I’m not really hungry for breakfast or lunch. I do find myself having a little bit of brain fog and have to think about finding the right word to say from time to time. I have lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks as well. I have always been hesitant to take medication like this, but after so many years of migraines interrupting life I think this might be working. Give it some time and start slowly. Don’t be so eager to jump to the next higher dosage, it takes time to work. Good luck.

I posted here 2 years ago... an update is required.

Since I stopped taking Topiramate. I went to a different doctor, who was NOT a neurologist and told him my rather depressing story. My migraines were somewhat different. I only had migraines during the night and none of the typical precursors. My doctor immediately said, that he wanted to check my blood pressure... which was 140 over 90, which is not great but usually not the trigger of the migraine. I thought my high blood pressure was the effect of the migraine and not the other way around... because I had little sleep day after day.

He put me on Amlodipine 5mg, which is a Calcium Channel Blocker (whatever that is). To be sure I am on a diet as well ... and I keep Sumatriptan around for a rainy day.

I did not have migraines for more than a year.

To be sure, migraines can have any or no causes, but this was my cause. The diet is mostly low sodium

< 1000mg, low carbohydrates, low alcohol.

What my mental deterioration under Topiramate concern... I am doing rather well as an Engineer... so it is not permanent. My advise: Try to "manage" migraine with diet and general health and lifestyle.