Topamax

Topamax (topiramat) is a prescription seizure medication intended for the prevention of seizures in patients at least 2 years old. It can be also prescribed to treat migraine headaches, but is not going to treat a headache that has already stated. Instead, this medicine will reduce the frequency of migraine headaches you get. Make sure you take this medicine for as long as prescribed, even if you feel better, as stopping suddenly may bring back the seizures. If you still get seizures while taking this drug, this may mean you are not getting the benefits of the treatment you are supposed to get. Make sure you tell your health care provider about it. If your symptoms get worse and you experience any of the following, make sure you talk to your doctor as soon as possible: hostility, depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, thoughts about suicide, agitation, restlessness and behavior changes. These symptoms may indicate certain changes need to be made to your treatment schedule, and your dose may need to be adjusted – to make sure you will benefit from taking Topamax as much as possible. The following health conditions may also affect the dose you are prescribed, as you may not be able to take high doses of Topamax if any of them are present: kidney disease, emphysema, a history of kidney stones, glaucoma, bronchitis, a recent history of a surgery, liver disease, and asthma. This drug is FDA pregnancy category C. This means that pregnant or breastfeeding women must first talk to their health care provider and weight up all the risks and benefits associated with the treatment – and only then start taking this medicine. This medicine can make birth control pills less efficient. Make sure you use an additional method of birth control when taking Topamax to prevent a pregnancy. If you think you may have become pregnant while using this medication – call your health care provider as soon as possible, but make sure you carry on with the treatment, as otherwise you may get seizures, and this can be even more dangerous – both for you and the baby. The following serious side effects are sometimes experienced by people taking this medication regularly: dry mouth, vomiting, nausea, hot and dry skin, drowsiness, decreased sweating, fast heart rate, confusion, muscle pain or weakness, seizure, and sudden vision loss. Other side effects are also possible, as they are quite individual, but the ones mentioned must be reported to you doctor as soon as you can. There are some mild side effects you may also get, including but not limited to: trouble concentrating, headache, weight loss, memory problems, numbness, loss of appetite, tingling, sleep problems, problems with balance, and dizziness. The mild side effects mentioned go away on their own without any need for anyone’s interference – in most cases. If your mild side effects get more severe, change in intensity and start to interfere with your everyday life – report them to your health care provider as well to make sure your treatment is going just as planned.