I shared why I’m taking Topamax for migraines and my various symptoms in my previous post so today I am following up with Topamax Journal after taking it for a week. I begin week two on Wednesday so as of today I have been on Topamax for about twelve days.
The first week on Topamax was the hardest for me. I felt a little brain fog. I could not figure out when I should take it, and I was staying up until 1:30 am. I was dealing with insomnia, and my feet were on fire every night (which may or may not have had anything to do with the meds).
When To Take Topamax:
I had researched the best time to take Topamax to avoid brain fog the next day and everything I read said an hour or two before bed.
THEY WERE WRONG.
At least in my case.
For me, the best time to take Topamax is right before I go to bed. It is helpful to take Topamax at the same time every night, so I try to make sure I do that. I do still struggle to wake up, which used to never happen. I used to wake up and be wide awake (at around 5 am) now I hear the alarm at 6 am and just want to sleep until 7 am but summer is just around the corner so I should fine in a week or two.
Headaches and Migraines:
After about twelve days I have only had one migraine and three-morning headaches two of which went away on their own within an hour. I call that major winning. The biggest test will come in a few days when I’m due for my hormonal migraines that come once a month right before my period. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Topamax Side Effects:
I still continue to experience hand numbness and tingling with the feeling of pins and needles (again not that bad).
Weight Loss / Food / Eating:
It’s commonly said that Topamax can help with weight loss, and I think I may know why.
A new side effect that came after about three days was a complete loss of appetite. I was NEVER hungry. I didn’t want anything to eat. Nothing looked good, I was never hungry, and even though my stomach was growling, I didn’t feel the need to eat. I do live a very healthy lifestyle so I often woke up and immediately ate breakfast, forced myself to eat lunch, and then ditched dinner (which I would normally never do).
Now, if that symptom would have never gone away for me I imagine could over time begin to waste away. I didn’t lose a pound during this period, though.
Something changed after a week, and I suddenly got my appetite back. It wasn’t like I was really hungry. I didn’t crave food, but my stomach started growling all the time, and I started to feel sick if I didn’t eat. I live the keto lifestyle, and I have spent years researching weight loss and the human body. I believe my metabolism is being affected by Topamax. I started eating all three meals on the seventh day of Topamax and sometimes a snack, and the weight started falling off. As of today, I have lost five pounds.
I don’t personally have a lot of room to lose weight. I could probably stand to lose about ten more pounds and remain in a healthy weight so my hope is that my body will regulate itself. I can’t imagine that Topamax would push me into an unhealthy weight, but I guess anything is possible.
Food tastes different now. When I read that people who take Topamax hate soda I can understand why. I don’t drink soda, so I can’t attest to that, but some foods taste different.
Peaches, Strawberries, Blueberries – these fruits have more of a bitter than sweet taste. Salty foods taste saltier to me. Overall these things don’t bother me. I do sometimes ask my family to taste something to see if it’s “just me” because it’s just a weird feeling. I do believe that Topamax affects the pleasure center of the brain as I have read in studies because that first bite of food when you’re hungry that is always so satisfying is now just “uh, whatever.”
I haven’t noticed anything in regards to other areas of my life, though. My sex life, creative thinking, parenting, family relationships are all the same if not better. I have been more motivated, less stressed, less depressed. Most of this I would just attribute to being in less pain on a daily basis, but who knows maybe it’s the Topamax.
I am scheduled to up my dose on Wednesday so I am curious to see how that will affect me. Hopefully, all will continue to go as well as it has and I will be on a road to optimum health!
I hope you have been having as good, if not better results on Topamax. As always, I would love to hear your stories so feel free to share them here.
aviva
Monday 1st of February 2021
this is i think my third day and i feel so fuzzy and strange. lights are too bright, things look weird its like im in a weird bubble underwater or something.
Sara
Monday 10th of February 2020
Can I ask how much weight you lost in what time period? I am considering taking this meds for migraine symptoms just like yours
Kimberly
Friday 9th of August 2019
Arw you still taking this medication? How did it work for you?
Shasta Walton
Monday 19th of August 2019
I had to stop. I lost a ton of weight (and didn't have a lot to lose) and the side effects were just too much for me.