stomach problems with topamax

I noticed stomach pains after eating a variety of fruit & raw vegetables (salads). I've been taking Topamax for about 5 months. I then cut back on them and now my stomach is starting to feel better. Perhaps get the vegetables from soup & eat a less acidic fruit - that's what should help.

I'm sorry for such a terrible and lengthy experience for you, I am thankful you have decided to use it to help others, It has me. Thank you so much

My 21 year old has been epileptic since she was 14. Been on MANY different med choices and topamax for the past 2 years approx. with stomach pains, and all of the other problems. But i just did research and am taking the chance. Alot of the problems that people have is because literally your PH balance is off. Too acidic or to alkaline. So i'm taking the chance because she does have migraines atop of so many other issues. And seeing if this actually helps. I've read that leveling your PH balance you will notice a huge difference when it comes to migraines, stomach problems, gerd, gout, arthritis and so on. Even diabetes. So, here we go. I've also found that Activated charcoal relieves migraines as well within about 20 min. if not completely, then to be very tolerable. Just google on these ideas and see where it takes you. I honestly would go all natural for my daughter, but i have to work with it first while she is still on her medications. Good luck to you all

I have had almost 1 year of investigations into abdominal pains only to discover that Topiramate (Topamax) was the cause. It caused the nerves on the lining of my bowel to be damaged and became hypersensitive. I've been off it 2 months and the difference is amazing. Getting more migraines again though!!

Hi everyone,

Looking for some advice,

I'm in the UK where apparently not a lot is known about topamax so my gp is pretty much tied and just going with what the neurologist says. I started with daily headaches about 7 and a half months ago.

Been on the topamax 3-4 weeks now and seem to be having all the nasty side effects with none of the benefits. Have the tingling in my hands and feet. My face tingles, especially my lips and feels really sensitive, even my hair when it blows in the wind feels sore, I've reduced the dose slightly and that does seem to have to have helped. Think we went up the meds too quickly and was just too much for my body to handle. Had THE worst stomach pain I've ever had on Monday night, thought I was going to end up in hospital, I've never had a baby but could imagine it was worse than labour, thanfully it passed within about 20 minutes and touch wood I havent had it since then. All of this I could probably deal with if it was helping with the headaches but it's not, if anything I feel they're worse. I feel like I'm wearing a helmet thats 3 sizes too small for my head and is crushing my skull, a real pressure headache. It's not always that bad, usually on a night, from 5pm onwards but the last week it's never really gone away. I'm not convinced it's cluster migraines but have told we have to give the topamax 6-8 weeks before we can try something else.

So, my question really is when you all started on the topamax was the relief immediate or did it take months to have an effect?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.Becky

To tell you the truth I have notice it also. I to was experiencing this exact same pain and still am. At First I thought it was because I should of eaten a little bit more with take the medicine. The pain was became overwhelming. I start taking the medicine and drinking milk to coat my stomach. I am pretty sure there are plenty of more people with this same complaint.

I'd like to know if Topamax can be helpful in the treatment of abdominal migranes?  I've been taking something to try and prevent them, and then have meds to treat them once they start, but there has to be a better solution

Ive been on both Generic and namebrand versions on Topamax for epilepsy

On name Brand Topamax they had me leveling up 25 mg a week till 300mg a day .. while leveling both times i got sedation, memory lapses, appetite loss, weight loss, confusion.  When i reached the target dose the sedation, confusion and memory lapses wore off.

Then I had break thru seizures and the beefed my dose from 300 to 400mg a day.. sedation started really severe.. completely dead appetite, rarely eatting anything, weight plummetted. and started spilling severe ketones, acidosis 3 times.. very severe abdominal pain, very hard to wake up. after a while they realized that it was hard on my liver.. elevated liver enzymes.. then they decreased the dose from 400 to 300 a day and the excess sedation, ketones, acidosis stopped.. but still had elevated liver enzymes.

On Generic topiramate.. (years later) I was started on 25mg 2x daily (using the 50mg pills split in half). and upping the dose by 50mg a week until 200 a day (while on another antiepileptic drug that i had been on for over 10 years).. within 2 days of starting the generic topamax i got the worst stomache aches ive ever had.. vomiting, nausea, migraines, severe confusion, chest pain while breathing in, perverted taste, flu like symptoms, dead appetite, and a UTI..  I was able to kill the headaches and nausea a bit by crushing the doses and hiding them in some food.  2nd week dose up to 50 mg and i was sick.. then they removed the topamax.. switched me onto another addon seizure medicine..

a few months later we decided to retry the generic topiramate..  this time on the 25 mg tablets and 25mg  dose up every two weeks till 200mg.. keeping the current seizure med combo the same.. and testing the topamax for a lil bit to see if my system can cut it..   so far im getting stomache pain (again), eye pain, nausea (again) , perverted taste (again)

I have been on Topamax since Aug and I have been having stomach issues since about then. I dont know if they are connected. with the stomach issues they are centered in one location and radiate out. My doctor tried telling me it was acid reflux but its not. I was on Topamax when I was younger and I never had any issues.

Yes it's the topamax. He doesn't understand what's really happening to his body. I have had the same exact problem six weeks into my Topamax. The best thing you can do is take him off the Topamax and try to different med. The stomach issues are very real and very painful although he is young and may not be able to describe them to you he is suffering. Please find another medicine, there are plenty out there that do the same job without these harmful side effects.
Been there too❤️

Hi! I'm 19 and I've been on topomax for 9 months now, I also take vyvanse 50 mg for my ADHD which I have been taking since I was 12, and just recently removed welbutrin from the equation hoping that would help with the 75 lbs I have just lost in the last 6 months. I am very scared. I work 6 days a week so I've ignored the fact this has been happening hoping it would just go away. The thing about the other medications I am taking is they all affect my appetite. What I really want to know is why was I prescribed topomax for my anxiety and depression my phsychiatrist has been telling me it was a mood stabilizer. I feel betrayed. Anyone have any idea what she may have been thinking??

**updated from earlier**

they had me on the 25 mg Topiramate was on it for months.. i finally figured out what was killing my stomach..  they were giving me the Sun Pharma brand  25mg tablets and it was loaded with lactose.. a big no no for lactose intollerant people, so they just switched me to teva brand topiramate sprinkles.. oo i hate them so much.. i dont have hardly any feeling in fingers to even pick them light things up (side effect from phenobarb, joy joy , i end up shattering them capsules .. and i just plain hate Teva.. sooo what ill do is probably ask to switch back to Sun pharma brand + Lactaid

Topamax can be used for those anxiety and im not sure about depression. Topamax WILL kill your appetite.. im on it 4th time for severe epilepsy, remember to watch for severe weight drop.. a little fun thing about Topamax is it "teaches" ya to eat healthier, as I put it.. with the appetite loss.. but remember to eat or you will spill ketones, and that feels 100 times sicker then any flu you've ever had. id be careful with any seizure drug (I take them for that reason) the psychiatrist tries putting ya on.. because ya have to titrate up and to come off you must titrate down,

I know exactly how you feel I took topimax for tremors several years ago and it caused me severe stomach pain. I got off it and still had issues and had my gallbladder removed - thinking the gallbladder was the problem , I began taking it once again about a month ago and WOW it has began tj hurt bad again I hate it so bad as it really works great for the tremors

I started topamax about 2 weeks ago. I have had extreme stomach issues. I was about 140 when I started this medication and I am 130 now. I do exercise, but loosing weight this fast is not normal for me. Ive thrown up from waking up to an upset stomach almost every night sense I've started this medication. I can't go more than 30 minutes without having to go to the bathroom, and there are problems there.