Has anyone ever taken this before? One of their side effects is losing your taste buds where you can't taste carbonated beverages, everything is FLAT and tastes like water. :cds: How long before this goes away? Does your normal taste ever come back :confused:

Awful stuff. Some people swear by it but I had a really bad experience. I didn't have any issues with taste or weight loss but I couldn't remember $hit or concentrate. They tried other anti-convulsants after and I didn't do well on any of them. Good luck with it, I've heard that a lot of people do really well on it.

Awful stuff. Some people swear by it but I had a really bad experience. I didn't have any issues with taste or weight loss but I couldn't remember $hit or concentrate. They tried other anti-convulsants after and I didn't do well on any of them. Good luck with it, I've heard that a lot of people do really well on it.

Maybe its me but I felt like drastic mood swings too. About the taste... thing... I was drinking an O'Doules, all was fine and then halfway through it turned flat on me. I dumped it out, opened another... same thing yukc!, then opened another... same thing yuck... then another and another... I gave up and went to bed pizzed off at the makers of O'Doules or the store carrying them. Then the next morning I grab a coke... its flat as chit.... again, watered down coke... no fizz... nothing... I think maybe its the coke... I get to work and get a coke... again... flavored water.... go home last night grab a beer... watered down bud light :barf: :barf: I looked up side effects and that was one of them... well... I havn't taken one since Monday... its now Wedensday... when can I taste again? Oh and coffee tasted like cat pizz...I can see why folks would loose weight on this :lmao:

Maybe its me but I felt like drastic mood swings too. About the taste... thing... I was drinking an O'Doules, all was fine and then halfway through it turned flat on me. I dumped it out, opened another... same thing yukc!, then opened another... same thing yuck... then another and another... I gave up and went to bed pizzed off at the makers of O'Doules or the store carrying them. Then the next morning I grab a coke... its flat as chit.... again, watered down coke... no fizz... nothing... I think maybe its the coke... I get to work and get a coke... again... flavored water.... go home last night grab a beer... watered down bud light :barf: :barf: I looked up side effects and that was one of them... well... I havn't taken one since Monday... its now Wedensday... when can I taste again? Oh and coffee tasted like cat pizz...I can see why folks would loose weight on this :lmao:

Your taste will come back very soon. I tried Topomax several years ago and my Dr. warned me this would happen. I couldn't handle it and stopped taking it. I love my carbonated beverages way too much for this.

Your taste will come back very soon. I tried Topomax several years ago and my Dr. warned me this would happen. I couldn't handle it and stopped taking it. I love my carbonated beverages way too much for this.

Okay! Good to know! Thanks! :flowers: I had other effects too. If it was just the beverage issue or taste issue, I'd over look it. It would have been a good diet tool. :lol:

I took Topomax...no side effects, except I lost my appetite and lost about 25 lbs. I never lost taste, I just wasn't hungry, didn't want to eat anything.


Has anyone ever taken this before? One of their side effects is losing your taste buds where you can't taste carbonated beverages, everything is FLAT and tastes like water. :cds: How long before this goes away? Does your normal taste ever come back :confused:

I took Topomax...no side effects, except I lost my appetite and lost about 25 lbs. I never lost taste, I just wasn't hungry, didn't want to eat anything.

I dont think it affected my appetitite then again I just took the one pill and that within hours made carbonated beverages flat :crazy: then other issues :crazy: I guess I'll give it another try tonight and see if maybe it all doesnt just iron out after a few weeks. Thanks! The weight loss alone might be worth it. :lmao:

Has anyone ever taken this before? One of their side effects is losing your taste buds where you can't taste carbonated beverages, everything is FLAT and tastes like water. :cds: How long before this goes away? Does your normal taste ever come back :confused:

I am taking it now....I have been on it for about 5-6 months. Still can't do carbonated beverages, I LOVE me some diet coke, but I am slowly getting over that.
I am not too fond of the medicine, It hasnt made me any :crazy: than normal....hasn't made me lose any weight either, I was happy about that side effect, but of course that one I dont get, lol.

It sure does make me SLEEPY.

I am up to 125 mg. and still getting 1-2 migraines a week I HATE having to take it.

I see a headache specialist tomorrow, I am hopeful that she will actually want to look for the cause of my headaches and not just want to throw pills at me like the neurologist I am currently seeing.....

I guess I'll give it another try tonight and see if maybe it all doesnt just iron out after a few weeks.

How often a day are you supposed to take it? From what I read you have to take it consistently to benefit from the drug.

How often a day are you supposed to take it? From what I read you have to take it consistently to benefit from the drug.

only when the coin lands on heads - j/k :lol:

Thanks for your help! :flowers:

I'm supposed to take it 25mg once a day then up it to 50 mg after a week. I took the one pill then got a bit freaked out when I couldn't taste carbonated beverages as nothing but flavored water within a hour or so of taking it :cds:, then a little while later I got a headache, went to sleep and woke up :barf: thats what did it. I didn't know the carbonatin thing was connected until later the next day. So..:blahblah yesterday, still had carbonated bevearge issues and some major mood swings where I'd be in tears and upset at the drop of a hat - irrational thinking - well more so than usual :lol:. My nuerologist is on vacation this month. Yeah the entire month until like the 29th or something. Guess I can try it again. Unfortunately it does NOT make me tired :tantrum: :lol: So with all that said, I'm not sure if this is something I should take consistently or not... sorry for the :blahblah:

So with all that said, I'm not sure if this is something I should take consistently or not... sorry for the :blahblah:
"This medication is also used to prevent migraine headaches and reduce how often you may get them. Topiramate will not work to treat a migraine headache once it occurs."

"Take this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same times each day. Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor. Some conditions may become worse when this drug is suddenly stopped. "

No really, if you want to receive the proposed benefit of the drug, you have to take it consistently.

"This medication is also used to prevent migraine headaches and reduce how often you may get them. Topiramate will not work to treat a migraine headache once it occurs."

"Take this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same times each day. Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor. Some conditions may become worse when this drug is suddenly stopped. "

No really, if you want to receive the proposed benefit of the drug, you have to take it consistently.

Okay, well I just hope these side affects disappate or the taste buds come back eventually but from reading in here, you just have to get used to it.... that bites because most my caloric intake is beverages :lmao: I'll be dropping pounds left and right. :lol:

My Neurologist took me off of it when he found out I was having a kidney stone problem. I felt a lot better when I stop taking it. It also drop my sex drive bad. I know TMI but I was just so tired and out of it I just didn't want to be bothered.

only when the coin lands on heads - j/k :lol:

Thanks for your help! :flowers:

I'm supposed to take it 25mg once a day then up it to 50 mg after a week. I took the one pill then got a bit freaked out when I couldn't taste carbonated beverages as nothing but flavored water within a hour or so of taking it :cds:, then a little while later I got a headache, went to sleep and woke up :barf: thats what did it. I didn't know the carbonatin thing was connected until later the next day. So..:blahblah yesterday, still had carbonated bevearge issues and some major mood swings where I'd be in tears and upset at the drop of a hat - irrational thinking - well more so than usual :lol:. My nuerologist is on vacation this month. Yeah the entire month until like the 29th or something. Guess I can try it again. Unfortunately it does NOT make me tired :tantrum: :lol: So with all that said, I'm not sure if this is something I should take consistently or not... sorry for the :blahblah:

Just so I understand.... You only took one pill? I don't think that one pill has much of an effect at all. Topomax is a medication that needs to build up in your system for a couple weeks before you get any effects positive or negative.

If you don't do great on it ask to try Neurontin. It didn't work for me but out of all the prevantative medications they tried me on the Neurontin had the least amount of side effects. I was a little tired and slow getting up in the morning but it didn't put me on my ass like a couple of the others had.

Just so I understand.... You only took one pill? I don't think that one pill has much of an effect at all. Topomax is a medication that needs to build up in your system for a couple weeks before you get any effects positive or negative.

If you don't do great on it ask to try Neurontin. It didn't work for me but out of all the prevantative medications they tried me on the Neurontin had the least amount of side effects. I was a little tired and slow getting up in the morning but it didn't put me on my ass like a couple of the others had.

See THATs just it ... it was ALL from ONE pill... :crazy: I STILL dont have my taste back and can't taste carbonated bevearges, but now that you mentioned it... I dont believe I looked at the dosages, maybe I started with the 50 instead of 25, I forgot they were in two separate px bottles :doh: but yeah ONE freakn' pill did that. That's why I stopped.

No go on the neurontin, it didn't help much for my kind of headaches, also developed a side issue with the neurontin.

You have to let your body build up a tolerence to it. It took about a week for me to get used to it. I felt kinda funny and out of it the first week, but then my body got used to it, and it's all gravy now. Nuerontin didn't do a dang thing for me. It sux.
Also, did your dr tell you to take it at night before bed? My nuerologist instucted me to take mine right before bed...that way it gets into your system while you're sleeping and it has started working by the time you wake. Try that if you aren't already...


See THATs just it ... it was ALL from ONE pill... :crazy: I STILL dont have my taste back and can't taste carbonated bevearges, but now that you mentioned it... I dont believe I looked at the dosages, maybe I started with the 50 instead of 25, I forgot they were in two separate px bottles :doh: but yeah ONE freakn' pill did that. That's why I stopped.

No go on the neurontin, it didn't help much for my kind of headaches, also developed a side issue with the neurontin.

You have to let your body build up a tolerence to it. It took about a week for me to get used to it. I felt kinda funny and out of it the first week, but then my body got used to it, and it's all gravy now. Nuerontin didn't do a dang thing for me. It sux.
Also, did your dr tell you to take it at night before bed? My nuerologist instucted me to take mine right before bed...that way it gets into your system while you're sleeping and it has started working by the time you wake. Try that if you aren't already...

Yes, I'm to take that and another med, unrelated before I go to bed, both of which are supposed to make me tired. Neither of them do. :ohwell: Good to know its not permanent. I felt like in a fog yesterday and everything was blurry too... yeah... all from ONE pill. But I could have made a mistake wtih the starter dosage. I bet that was it. Will give another try tonight. Thakns all for the suggestions! :flowers:

Good luck!!!

Good luck!!!

Thanks... It just bites I can't enjoy a cold beer anymore. :cussing: :lol:

Busy night tonight, but long story short, still no flavor back on cokes and beverages with carbonation... nothing but flavored water still and its now been over two days... I checked the meds... I was supposed to do 25mg for 30 days THEN do 50mg.. . I accidentally took a 50 :ohwell: I wouldn't expect it to be that strong of a reaction... but still no taste yet :tantrum: But didn't want to discourage other topamax users by my thread... I goofed. :doh: My issue, my problem :stupid:

Has anyone ever taken this before? One of their side effects is losing your taste buds where you can't taste carbonated beverages, everything is FLAT and tastes like water. :cds: How long before this goes away? Does your normal taste ever come back :confused:

I have taken this for almost two years now and still cant drink carb. stuff :cds: but my migraines are SLIM TO NONE!! So I will give that up for no migraines!

I will say the first few weeks were a little rought but getting thru it was worth it! Tingling in the fingers and toes went away... and I felt a little light headed.... and that went away also. :yay:

My insurance sent me the generic and I had a major reaction to it... LOTS OF HAIR LOSS :cds: so I went back to brand and back to normal.

I do like it but I am also on a low dose!

good luck!

Just so I understand.... You only took one pill? I don't think that one pill has much of an effect at all. Topomax is a medication that needs to build up in your system for a couple weeks before you get any effects positive or negative.

If you don't do great on it ask to try Neurontin. It didn't work for me but out of all the prevantative medications they tried me on the Neurontin had the least amount of side effects. I was a little tired and slow getting up in the morning but it didn't put me on my ass like a couple of the others had.

all it starts with is one pill .. to make things taste funny :cds:

mine happened within a few hours after taking it :shrug: I just thought there was something wrong with my drink :killingme

I live on sweet tea now :yay: and g2

all it starts with is one pill .. to make things taste funny :cds:

mine happened within a few hours after taking it :shrug: I just thought there was something wrong with my drink :killingme

I live on sweet tea now :yay: and g2

LOL the same thing happened to me, I went through like 3 diet cokes, before put it together that maybe it was the medicine, :lol:

I drink the same, tea and gatorade. I sure would kill for a soda though. In the beginning I would grab a coke slurpee every once in a while just for the coke flavor, :lol:

LOL the same thing happened to me, I went through like 3 diet cokes, before put it together that maybe it was the medicine, :lol:

I drink the same, tea and gatorade. I sure would kill for a soda though. In the beginning I would grab a coke slurpee every once in a while just for the coke flavor, :lol:

I would die to have a miller lite!!!!! :cds:

just one.. for old times!!!

I would die to have a miller lite!!!!! :cds:

just one.. for old times!!!

Luckily (I guess) I have never liked beer, so that was not an issue, just diet coke, I lived on diet coke.

I am not happy on a daily preventative though, I want to doc to find the CAUSE of my headaches, I am actually off to a headache specialist today, so I have my fingers crossed that she will at least think she should look for it. The neurologist I am seeing just wants to push the meds, I had to practically beg for an MRI....urggg...

Luckily (I guess) I have never liked beer, so that was not an issue, just diet coke, I lived on diet coke.

I am not happy on a daily preventative though, I want to doc to find the CAUSE of my headaches, I am actually off to a headache specialist today, so I have my fingers crossed that she will at least think she should look for it. The neurologist I am seeing just wants to push the meds, I had to practically beg for an MRI....urggg...


I have had two mri's and a cat scan.. NOTHING!

only thing we can figure is that its hormonal and I do BC pill back to back... because if I skip them.... oh lord then I have a weeks worth of migraines. With Topamax they are not as bad now... even if they last a week (cuz god knows Im always messing something up)

I have weened myself back to once a day on topamax but at the start i was taking it in the AM and finding I was having migraines in the PM.. so I started taking Topamax BID... for almost 6 months... then started to cut back slow!

:yay: I have found that even if I skip a day or so Im fine ... but dont skip three days :doh:

I had been dealing with BAD migraines everyday for about 10 years... it sucked

Luckily (I guess) I have never liked beer, so that was not an issue, just diet coke, I lived on diet coke.

I am not happy on a daily preventative though, I want to doc to find the CAUSE of my headaches, I am actually off to a headache specialist today, so I have my fingers crossed that she will at least think she should look for it. The neurologist I am seeing just wants to push the meds, I had to practically beg for an MRI....urggg...

I have had two mri's and a cat scan.. NOTHING!

only thing we can figure is that its hormonal and I do BC pill back to back... because if I skip them.... oh lord then I have a weeks worth of migraines. With Topamax they are not as bad now... even if they last a week (cuz god knows Im always messing something up)

I have weened myself back to once a day on topamax but at the start i was taking it in the AM and finding I was having migraines in the PM.. so I started taking Topamax BID... for almost 6 months... then started to cut back slow!

:yay: I have found that even if I skip a day or so Im fine ... but dont skip three days :doh:

I had been dealing with BAD migraines everyday for about 10 years... it sucked

May I suggest Dr. J. Khosla at The Neurology and Headache Treatment Center in Alexandria. In 20 minutes he diagnosed what no one else in 15 years had. Occipital Neuralgia. Had surgery 3 weeks ago Monday and other than the surgical pain all is great. I lived with a headache daily that would often flair into full blown migraines.

May I suggest Dr. J. Khosla at The Neurology and Headache Treatment Center in Alexandria. In 20 minutes he diagnosed what no one else in 15 years had. Occipital Neuralgia. Had surgery 3 weeks ago Monday and other than the surgical pain all is great. I lived with a headache daily that would often flair into full blown migraines.

That is awesome, Pix! I know you've suffered for quite some time.

LOL the same thing happened to me, I went through like 3 diet cokes, before put it together that maybe it was the medicine, :lol:

I drink the same, tea and gatorade. I sure would kill for a soda though. In the beginning I would grab a coke slurpee every once in a while just for the coke flavor, :lol:

Same here, I was half way thorugh an O'Doules and it was flat, opened up 4 more and THEY were ALL flat :mad: then in the morning opened TWO cokes... THEY were all flat... finally I googled side affect and saw I wasn't alone but couldnt see how long it lasted. I took the one pill monday - twice the dosage and have yet to have my carbonation taste buds back and coffee smells and tastes like cat pee but I try to ignore it. I hope its not permanent:cds:

I like budlights... I doubt they'll make a BudLight slurpee anytime soon at the 7-11. :lol: I'm soooo screwed :cds: :cds:

That is awesome, Pix! I know you've suffered for quite some time.

:love:

Has anyone ever taken this before? One of their side effects is losing your taste buds where you can't taste carbonated beverages, everything is FLAT and tastes like water. :cds: How long before this goes away? Does your normal taste ever come back :confused:

Your taste may never come back if you're still smoking. :poke:

Your taste may never come back if you're still smoking. :poke:

Nope... havnt smoked (inhaled) a smoke since June 6, 2008. :biggrin: :diva:

Nope... havnt smoked (inhaled) a smoke since June 6, 2008. :biggrin: :diva:

Great for you! Last time we discussed this you were having so much trouble quitting. Congratulations.

Great for you! Last time we discussed this you were having so much trouble quitting. Congratulations.

Thanks it was hard. I'm afraid to pick it back up because my friends and coworkers that tolerated me throughout would kill me.

I take 200mg before bed, I can only drink water or tea, DR said I would probally never get my taste back. I also found I can't eat a lot of things with sugar they just taste bad. On the up side I have lost 55 pounds I still have 25 more to go .

The only side effect I have had that really bothers me is my hands and feet get tingly or numb like they are asleep and it takes a while for that feeling to go away. I have had some lost some hair but not to bad.

The med does everything it was suppose to do so and I am happy with the results so I put up with the side effects.

I take 200mg before bed, I can only drink water or tea, DR said I would probally never get my taste back. I also found I can't eat a lot of things with sugar they just taste bad. On the up side I have lost 55 pounds I still have 25 more to go .

The only side effect I have had that really bothers me is my hands and feet get tingly or numb like they are asleep and it takes a while for that feeling to go away. I have had some lost some hair but not to bad.

The med does everything it was suppose to do so and I am happy with the results so I put up with the side effects.


:jet: :faint: :yikes: :shocked:

WOW.... So... did they increase you to this dose and found that this finally worked? or did they just stick you on this dose?

How long have you been taking this? (and the tingling has not gone away?... I talking to the point you dont have it anymore?)

wondering if someone on a higher dose would have side effects that may not go away. such as tingling hands and feet

:huggy:

I was given this as an alternative to another drug I was taking that was packing on the pounds as well as a few other bad side effects. I started at 50mg and worked my way up to 200 which was the equivalent of the other drug to see if it would work. The DR said he would adjust as needed. I have been on this since March and will probally be on it until it does not work anymore and they find something else to take its place.

Per the DR the side effects will lessen but not go away. The only side effect that went away was I got my memory back. For a while I could not remember anything it was pretty bad. It was like living in fog, that lasted about 2 months until my body got used to the dosage. The Dr joked that the drugs nick name was Dopeamax for a reason.

I was given this as an alternative to another drug I was taking that was packing on the pounds as well as a few other bad side effects. I started at 50mg and worked my way up to 200 which was the equivalent of the other drug to see if it would work. The DR said he would adjust as needed. I have been on this since March and will probally be on it until it does not work anymore and they find something else to take its place.

Per the DR the side effects will lessen but not go away. The only side effect that went away was I got my memory back. For a while I could not remember anything it was pretty bad. It was like living in fog, that lasted about 2 months until my body got used to the dosage. The Dr joked that the drugs nick name was Dopeamax for a reason.


:huggy:.....OMG.... :doh: I forgot about that side effect!!! :killingme yeah... that one sucked... I would start to explain something to my boss... and would just give him a blank look... I would have to think HARD about what I was trying to say or was I was going to say... I thought I was going :crazy: I still have moments like that from time to time... but I think thats just normal :whistle:

Im lucky... Im on 50mg and holding! dang.. I hate to think about how I would be on 200mg

next month will be two years I have been on it and I really dont miss sodas... Just a beer her and there.... but have learned to drink Bacardi and Cranberry... :otter: :lush: