stomach problems with topamax

I started taking Topamax six months ago to prevent migraine. Ever since then I am experiencing abdominal pain. Before I started using Topamax, everything was ok with my stomach. Is it possible that this medication is causing my problem? Can it cause other problems? I am a bit worried so I would like if someone could tell me more details about this drug.

Topamax (topiramate) is a medicine that is used to help control some types of seizures in the treatment of epilepsy. It is also used to help prevent migraine headaches in adults, like in your case. The risks of taking Topamax must be weighed against the good it will do. It comes in a form of tablets and capsules and it can be taken with or without food, on a full or an empty stomach. If the tablets are held in the mouth or chewed the bitter taste may be noticeable. If you miss a dose of this drug take it as soon as possible. But, if it's almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule and do not doble doses. Abdominal pain that you are experiencing is one of Topamax's side-effects and it's one that is less common. The most common ones are: blurred vision, double vision, eye pain, clumsiness, confusion, eye rolling movements, dizziness, drowsiness, eye redness, generalized slowing of mental and physical activity etc. If you are worried about more side-effects please contact your doctor and tell him about your fears.

You know I never even thought about topomax but i gues it could be the cause of my stomach pain as well.
I know its embarrassing but even with miralax I have not bee able to have a sucessful BM in 2 weeks.
I have such severe pain I am starting to think that my colon is going to rupture or I have diverticulitis....ughhhhh
how many mg of topomax do you take a day????
have you taked to your doc. or neurologist about this what is there input???

I too have had problems with my stomache and nauzea, have been on topamax for 5 years. Also have severe back and joint pain...Have recently reduced my dosage and it has become more severe...have gone from 200mg, now at 75mg.

I have been on and off of Topamax for 3 years and I am now up to 400mg in dosage. I have lost significant amounts of weight on this drug due to the side effects. This is a powerful drug and you must monitor it carefully. The side effects are not to be taken lightly. Stomach problems, including weight lose and lose of appetite are common, along with kidney stones, so are memory problems and concentration. Always talk with your doctor and Neurologist if you are taking Topamax for headaches about your side effects. If you can find a comfortable and managable dose this drug can be a life saver. For me it is. I have been through almost every type of drug there is out there for chronic headache-mirgrain in my 12 years with this condition.

I too have had serious stomach pains with Topamax. Is there a way to offset the stomach side effects with perhaps zantac or so other stomach med? Has anyone doctor had any suggestions how to get around this. I need this medication!

I began Topamax a little over 2 months ago for severe migraines (75 mg once per day). When I began this medication I was 145-150 pounds.
Within a month I began have unbearable left lower quad. pain, inability to eat, going from constipation to diarhea but the headaches did not decrease.

I went to my primary care b/c the abdominal pain was more than I could take and feared I had diverticulitis or an obstruction. A CT was ordered, returned normal and I was sent to a GI who labeled me with IBS and prescribed Librax to control the colon. The pain did not decrease. I went on like this for a few more weeks before calling him back, insisiting that SOMETHING is wrong with my and he decided to do a colonoscopy..normal. He sent me to my GYN for another opinion. He, too, felt it was colon related and sent me on my way with yet another RX for my colon.

Another month passed, 20 pounds were lost, energy level in the toilet, crying all the time, and just miserable.

I went to my Infectious Disease doc for an appointment I had scheduled for months and it just so happened he saw the 'real deal'. I was having a terrible day, pain level through the roof, tears pouring, etc. He admitted me on the spot.

He ran a million tests through blood work, called in another GI, and on a lark, withheld my Topamax. Five days later we had it figured out..my liver was beginning to fail and the time off the Topamax made my symptoms improve. I was released Friday, feeling much better, just weak from lack of nutrition for so long. I haven't taken the Librax since Friday morning and my colon seems to be just fine. My pain has been at a zero since Friday. I came home and threw the rest of my Topamax away!

I KNEW something was wrong with me; not just IBS. I wanted to post in case anyone else is having similar issues...maybe my experience will help someone else.

I'm not saying Topamax is evil as my mother has taken it for years with NONE of the side-effects but I wanted to post another experience.

I've only just started using topomax 2 days ago. My first mistake was using it in the morning. I was so "doped out" I had to leave work and use 1/2 vacation because I couldn't function. Not sure if people actually use this during the day, but I don't know how you could function. I went home and took a nap. Yes, Dopamax is definitely a good term for this drug. So last night I took 1 50mg before bedtime. I did feel just a little bit dopey this morning but not too bad. I am already noticing the weight effects. I am normally a very constipated person. I have had what most people would consider "normal" bowel movements the past 2 days. Which is a great side effect for me. My stomach is already flattening because I'm not full of it. I also notice that I am still hungry, but when I do eat, I feel a bit nauseated afterwards.
However I am very concerned in reading the side effects of the hair loss. I already have very thin fine hair and I cannot afford to lose a single extra strand. So I am really weighing out my options here whether this is right for me. I am thinking I might just down my dosage to 25 mg every other night since I am using this for the weight loss and not for the migraines or seizures. I am also thinking of supplementing with Biotin, Potassium, Magnesium and using Nioxin (which I had considered using prior to this anyway) on my hair because it's so thin. Oh I don't know what to do. This is such a big decision and so much at stake because seriously your hair is front and center....do I really want to be bald???? NOOOOO

free0809 wrote:

I began Topamax a little over 2 months ago for severe migraines (75 mg once per day). When I began this medication I was 145-150 pounds. Within a month I began have unbearable left lower quad. pain, inability to eat, going from constipation to diarhea but the headaches did not decrease. I went to my primary care b/c the abdominal pain was more than I could take and feared I had diverticulitis or an obstruction. A CT was ordered, returned normal and I was sent to a GI who labeled me with IBS and prescribed Librax to control the colon. The pain did not decrease. I went on like this for a few more weeks before calling him back, insisiting that SOMETHING is wrong with my and he decided to do a colonoscopy..normal. He sent me to my GYN for another opinion. He, too, felt it was colon related and sent me on my way with yet another RX for my colon. Another month passed, 20 pounds were lost, energy level in the toilet, crying all the time, and just miserable. I went to my Infectious Disease doc for an appointment I had scheduled for months and it just so happened he saw the 'real deal'. I was having a terrible day, pain level through the roof, tears pouring, etc. He admitted me on the spot. He ran a million tests through blood work, called in another GI, and on a lark, withheld my Topamax. Five days later we had it figured out..my liver was beginning to fail and the time off the Topamax made my symptoms improve. I was released Friday, feeling much better, just weak from lack of nutrition for so long. I haven't taken the Librax since Friday morning and my colon seems to be just fine. My pain has been at a zero since Friday. I came home and threw the rest of my Topamax away! I KNEW something was wrong with me; not just IBS. I wanted to post in case anyone else is having similar issues...maybe my experience will help someone else. I'm not saying Topamax is evil as my mother has taken it for years with NONE of the side-effects but I wanted to post another experience.

Dear free0809,
Could you please let me know if there was anything specific that they did for you in the hospital...any "therapy" they gave you to reverse the effects on your liver?
My 9 year old son started having stomach pains 6-8 weeks after starting Topamax (September, 2008.) I, too, called his doc who said he didn't think that Topamax was the culprit b/c "it should only cause problems within the first couple of weeks...usually subsiding by a month or two." Nightly stomach aches became the norm. Then they came and stuck around all day for3-5 days at a time with a week or two off (back to stomach aches only at night.) This cycle continued until February 2009. Now 3/1/2009, our son has has constant 24 hour stomach aches for 4 weeks. All CBC with Diffs normal. CT scan, normal. Endoscopy (upper and lower) appear normal (biopsy results coming this week.) He has missed around 30 days of school. He eats VERY little, but all the time. His pain worsens after he eats. He hasn't lost weight, and only occasionally has diaherrea...I've only known of one day of constipation, but 9 year old boys get embarrased to talk about their poo, so it's anyone's guess what 's really been going into the toilet. I should mention that he has had intermittent low grade fevers throughout these last 4 weeks. His normal temp hovers in the low to mid 97 range. His "fevers" have been putting him in the 99-99.7 range. He cries and whines alot, and he recently told me that it is hurting him to walk down stairs or lay flat, for whatever reason. We are at a loss as to our next step. But reading your post resonated so much...I am praying that you will get this and respond. I know I'm grasping at straws here, but I KNOW there's something very wrong with him. If anyone else wants to jump in here, please feel free. I'm just digging and praying right now. Thanks in advance, Mocha

There was no therapy for the effects of the Topamax...just time off of it and the pain subsided.

I am so sorry for your sons misery. I hope you find help and answers soon!