You may have heard someone say, "Topamax ruined my life" and wondered how one drug can harm life rather than save it. It is not far away and also not a myth, it is possible for this drug to ruin your life as it has many side effects. Topamax, or topiramate, is a drug that acts as an anticonvulsant, acting on the brain to prevent seizures. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996 and sold as a commercial drug.
Topamax is manufactured in two forms. The first is a tablet that comes in 25 milligrams (mg), 50 mg, 100 mg, and 200 mg. Each dosage is prescribed based on the condition for which the drug is being used. The other form is a sprinkle capsule that can be swallowed or sprinkled over a drink or spoonful of soft food. The capsule is available in 15 mg and 25 mg.
TOPAMAX USE
Topamax is used to treat:
- Chronic migraines in adults and children over 13 years of age
- Epilepsy in adults and children over 12 years of age. Treats partial seizures, tonic-clonic seizures and epilepsy caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
- Diabetes
- obesity
- Depression
- nerve damage
- alcohol addiction
- Fibromyalgia
- uncontrolled impulse
- Bipolar disorder
TOPAMAX SIDE EFFECTS
Some side effects have been reported by users of this drug. The effect depends on the condition being treated. Common side effects of using Topamax include:
- Appetitverlust
- weight loss
- taste changes
- Tingling in legs and arms
- dizziness
- nausea
- sleepiness
- memory problems
Mild side effects that may occur when using Topamax include:
- Numbness in some parts of the body.
- hair loss
- Fever
- stomach problems
- strong taste change
- severe loss of appetite
- unexplained weight loss
- fatigue
- Blurred vision
- earache
- Dry mouth
- sleep disorders
- stun
- inability to say the right words (speech impairment)
- Tingling in arms and legs
- Discomfort in the extremities
- poor memory
- Psychomotor impairment that may cause you to speak more slowly than before
- Cold and other upper respiratory infections
These side effects can be temporary in some people and are easily controlled. If you experience these effects or if they last for a long time, you should consult your doctor. In fact, it is not recommended to use Topamax without a prescription from your doctor or healthcare professional.
Topamax can cause serious side effects, such as:
- Eye problems such as dry eye, abnormal feeling in the eye, photophobia, blepharospasm glaucoma which can lead to blindness if left untreated
- Mood swings, such as inexplicable anger, aggression
- Kidney stones
- muscle cramps
- Severe skin condition, such as rashes
- Serious and negative changes in memory.
- Inflammation of the brain, which can be caused by high levels of ammonia in the blood.
- Less sweat and increased body temperature.
- Allergic reactions such as wheezing, swelling of the face and tongue, difficulty breathing and swallowing
- unusual skin odor
- cognitive disorder
- Decreased performance and sexual desire
- High acidity in the blood.
- fast heartbeat
- Inability to respond to normal conversation (stupor).
TOPAMAX RUINED MY LIFE: 5 USER REVIEWS
There are user reviews of this drug on Drugs.com. Reading them will give you an idea of how this drug can affect a person's life.
EU.The first report was that the user was having seizures and spots appeared in the eye. From the time he started taking the drug until he wrote about his experience, the spots are still on his eye. In addition to frequent seizures and spotting, she suffered from severe weight loss, hot flashes, itching and hair loss. He even had a small stroke afterwards. Some of these effects are permanent and this user was partially blinded.
ii.The second user (Bella) was given Topamax to treat her recurring migraines but says her life got worse. The first effect he felt was a severe loss of appetite, followed by nausea. Then there were the psychological effects that made her paranoid, anxious to the point of depression, even while on the drug. she started to havehallucinations, saw shadows and shapes moving in front of her and various voices in her head. What is sad is that he still hasn't recovered from these consequences.
iii.An anonymous user left his comment on the site that he was taking Topamax to treat migraines as prescribed by his doctor. After a few days I had no migraines or headaches, but after a while it got worse than before taking the drug. You have this heightened feeling because you have not been able to fully understand people or have normal conversations with them without voicing their words.
4.The following is from a user named Erin Gibson who used Topamax to treat chronic headaches. The reaction he got was extreme tingling in his feet and hands when he had images of human faces distorted like in a horror movie. Erin experienced these effects for 2 years.
SOME NOTES ON THE USE OF TOPAMAX
- Peggy only used Topamax to treat migraines for a month, she said the migraines stopped. But he got panic attacks, memory loss, confusion and changes in his brain.
- Ckaz was prescribed Topamax by his doctor to treat his headaches. He began hallucinating that he had shot himself in the jaw, but luckily he survived. He fell into a coma and did research on the drug. He found that of all the men who took Topamax, 31 percent committed suicide because of the side effects they experienced.
- Another anonymous user claimed to have taken the drug but ended up feeling dizzy, confused and having mood swings. There was also severe pain behind his eyes that felt like his eyes were being gouged out. His perception deteriorated because he couldn't drive, he felt his car was full at one point while the road was moving. There was also memory loss and an inability to understand or form meaningful sentences. Then came the pains in her extremities, so bad that she couldn't wash her hair or go upstairs. He has stopped taking the drug but is still feeling some of the effects, albeit minimally.
HOW CAN TOPAMAX RUIN YOUR LIFE?
If we look at the side effects and user experiences, we can probably say that the drug is not really safe. There are other users experiencing the same or even worse effects. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) included a black box warning about the side effects of in 2014Topamaxthat can ruin users' lives in the following ways:
1. Visual field defect:This is the loss of part of the eye's normal field of vision, which can lead to poor vision and even blindness if not treated well.
2. Acute myopia and secondary angle-closure glaucoma: This is very bad as it can cause permanent vision loss.
3. Suicidal Behaviors and Thoughts:This can result in losing your job, friends and even putting you in a mental hospital.
4. Oligohidrosis and Hyperthermia:Less sweat and increased body temperature, which can make you look sick and pale all the time.
5. Metabolic Acidosis:This can cause the blood to become acidic, which can lead to toxicity in the body.
6. Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric:You will have the thinking ability of a child and will not be able to control your emotions. You won't be able to have easy, meaningful conversations as long as you're always depressed and grumpy.
7. Fetal Toxicity:When used by pregnant women, Topamax can cause fetal birth defects.
8. Withdrawal Problems:Using Topamax can make you withdraw from people while always wanting to be alone. It can be compared to hard drugs and you know how drug addicts behave when they cannot tolerate the substances.
9. Kidney Stones:This can happen due to the use of Topamax, which affects kidney function.
HOW TO USE TOPAMAX TO AVOID YOUR LIFE
Knowing how to use Topamax will save you from side effects, especially mild and severe ones.
- Do not take Topamax without a prescription.
- Always have tests such as your blood bicarbonate level and an eye exam to check for side effects.
- Tell your doctor if you have any health problems. This will be helpful in determining if serious side effects will occur.
- Topamax can cause dizziness, so you should not drive or use machines while using it.
- Never combine alcohol, alcoholic beverages or hard drugs with this medication to avoid aggravating effects such as dizziness and mental deterioration.
- Wear light clothing, drink plenty of fluids, and stay away from anything that could cause you to overheat.
- Consult your doctor before using this drug in children as they may be more sensitive to side effects than adults.
- Consult a doctor before using this medication in an older adult as they are also very sensitive to the effects.
- Do not use this medication if you are pregnant unless your doctor prescribes it.
- For your safety, always consult your doctor before combining Topamax with any other medication.
DIPLOMA
Topamax is like a necessary problem, it has good sides, but the side effects are more. Many users have reported how this drug has ruined their lives, so you may need to follow the directions and precautions carefully to minimize most of the effects that can make your life worse than before taking it.