Topamax Possible Side Effects

After several weeks on a higher dose of Topamax I am feeling a collection of problems that compelled me to finally call my doctor and see if these could be related to the drug. Now if any doctors read this, pleas note that these symptoms have been going on for weeks, but it is very hard for me yo discern what is "new" discomfort because I don't fell well most of the time... I have been generally tired and have had body aches for example since I was in my 20s and I am almost always suppressing some kind of headache pain. On top of that I simply don't like to complain... If I complained about every ache and pain I have The bitching would be constant and annoying as hell to those around me. So I have trained myself to hush my mouth and "take it".

You may need to understand these traits about some people you give medications to... I am sure some of you do, but in case I catch the ear of someone who had not considered it I thought it was worth explaining.

Drug manufacturers might want to make a note as well... if you actually care. (Yes I am sorry, I see you that way. Please prove me wrong.)

Here is the list of things I have noticed that seem to be going strange with me on my current dose of Topamax:

1. Numbness and or tingling in face, hands and sometimes feet.

2. Muscle aches, pains and weakness. Mostly in the hands but also in the feet and legs

3. Urge to cough when I draw a deep breath.

4. Cloudy urine

5. Strange and unpleasant taste/smell in mouth and nostrils

6. Unusually weak and tired ( I believe more so than before dosage increase but hard to gauge)


Details:

1. Numbness and or tingling in face, hands and sometimes feet.
I had something similar to this before starting Topamax that I believe is just a natural occurrence in me. I am referring to them as "Sleep attacks" my legs and arms get "weak" and "numb" and I feel like I can't move them and I am in a strange half asleep state. much like sleep paralysis. these seem to happen when I am in the low points of my modern headache cycles.

At first I thought the Topamax was just "smoothing" these out and making them occur at weird times and feel different. Now I am not so sure. They are similar, but now I am wondering if the Topamax is not triggering the thing that used to only happen once and a while "naturally" and therefore changing the nature of it.

2. Muscle aches, pains and weakness. Mostly in the hands but also in the feet and legs
Dunno...Is this related to point 1?

3. Urge to cough when I draw a deep breath.
This really freaks me out, I swallowed a pill wrong a few weeks back and honestly I though thats why I have been coughing... but its been weeks now. I don't seem to have any raspyness or flem... and that actually makes me MORE worried.

4. Cloudy urine
I started taking this pharmaceutical quality fish oil for my high triglycerides and I though that was what was doing this so I cut it out for a week and it seemed to get better but then I saw a cloudy batch... I didn't suspect the Topamax until I reread the side effect warnings and connected the dots about kidney stones. I just want to know if this is what is doing it so I can relax and drink tons of watter... I should be any way I guess.

5. Strange and unpleasant taste/smell in mouth and nostrils
Once again I thought this was all because of the fish oil... but I think its BOTH! I am a super taster and this may be a problem for me. Its really annoying, it almost makes me feel ill to have the smell/taste with me all day. Sometimes its like burning electronics.

6. Unusually weak and tired
Like I mentioned, its hard for me to gauge. But, I believe I am worse off than before my dosage increase. I feel pretty crappy as of late.

But of course then there is the big question...

"How have your headaches been doc?"

Not bad... modest pain, manageable, mostly brought on my sleep. If I sleep I hurt... Classic for me. But the short story is that nothing has peaked above a 3-4 since I have been at this level of medication.

My doctor discribed this class of medications as "throwing a blanket over the headache". I would modify that by saying its like throwing a wet wool blanket that sort of stinks over two fighting demons that want yo beat the crap out of your brain and that each increase in dosage is like another smelly old wool blanket that you use to try to block the sound and pain of the fighting demons but also makes it harder for you to walk around normaly and hold your head up like a person without a stack of stinking wet wool blankets wraped tightly around your head.

So at those levels of pain I could function pretty well... IF i had the energy and didn't feel like crap in OTHER ways *sigh* Thats always the story I can trade the pain for side effects that are almost as bad as the pain... and in some cases may be dangerous.

The sad truth is that as much as they hurt like hell, If you are used to them like I am, even the worst clusters can't really hurt you if you refuse to hurt yourself... the medication on the other hand just may blind you or worse.

Please read and be aware about this happening in a small number of Topamax users.
Topamax and Another Acute Glaucoma Attack - Almost.

Sleep=bad post 687

I accidentally fell asleep at just before 11pm tonight and awoke at 1:30am with a pretty screaming "two dogs fighting under a wet blanket" style type headache. Its almost 3am now and I am hoping I can get back to sleep soon and get a few hours of sleep like a normal person.

I need to post my summary of my recent visit with my neurologist. I keep forgetting.

I also need to post about Topamax induced "buzzy" extremities and unique daytime sleepiness I have been experiencing since a recent dosage increase.

Too tired now...