Topiramate users, whats your dose?

Hello folks,

So I started topiramate yesterday. My neurologist has prescribed me in a following fashion.

First week, 25mg at night
Second week, 25 mg, twice a day
Third week, 25mg + 50mg
Fourth week, 50mg, twice a day

Since she sent prescription to the pharmacy, I didn't get a chance to ask her why she prescribed like this. Hence wondering, what dose is helping the users? Previously, I have used 200mg metaprolol without any help. Neproxen 250mg is ultimate solution but it exacerbates gastrointestinal bleeding.

Thanks in advance.

That's pretty much what my dosing what. I really hated being on the high doses of topamax- the highest I got I think was 150... although it helped I was pretty stupid on it. So I weaned off it. Now I am having hard times and am back to 100 mg.

I'm on 75mg/day. At 100mg I suffer exhaustion and have to sleep 12 hrs/day. I do have some word finding issues and memory loss but i'm not sure I can blame the Topomax.

Hey Deltaforce,

I am currently taking 200mg of Topiramate (100mg in the morning and 100 mg at night) I was originally taking 25 mg at night then that was bumped up to 50mg then 100 mg every month or so. I have a fairly complex cluster like migraine with aura. The 200 mg of Topiramate has been able to virtually eliminate all of my aura symptoms but none of my pain symptoms. I have not noticed any side effects with Topiramate but then again... so many of Topiramate's side effect match my migraine symptom list I could have them early on with the lower doses and not notice. Either way, I am glad I am on it.

Best Wishes.

Thanks folks for all the replies.

My migraine is pretty much under control with 50mg + 50mg topamax but still shows up once a week, so I have only 6 days week. The day I have migraine, I am essentially useless and only 2 Ibuprofen 400mg work. I am looking alternative to NSAID but haven't found one.

Planning for a CT scan very soon, lets see if I see anything in there, otherwise may ask the neurologist to up Topamax dose. I am losing appetite though, not too sure if its topamax. I am feeling a bit of memory loss as well but I have been going through very stressful situation (hence have quit the job). I will be changing lifestyle soon. I will see if there is any change in coming months.

Brand new to forum in fact first post ever doc just started on topiramate first week 1 25mg at night second week 25mg at night and 25 mg in morn this week 50mg at night and 25 in morning wants me to up the dosage now because i am still haveing daily migraines but personally i am not so sure what i am allways feeling on migtrains that is why i just joined to get others opinions.

I get tingling in right side of body usally ankles fingers and knee face and nose
and last couple days i have felt really cold but head has been killing me so bad too. so i dont know if med (since i just started taking 50 mg at night or due to head hurting more.

i'm taking 60mg a day , though trying to get hold of the 15mg is quite difficult , most pharmacists dont stock.
I hit a wall with alexia recently , GP reckons its aura not meds, but I'm not so sure. Has anyone else has experience of alexia?
Good luck all !

PS: I like the "tingling" when I lie down to sleep. I did not like it at all in the beginning. Also, have had 2 migraines since starting the medication. Both have been manageable with Tramadol and Excedrin and Phenargan, no vomiting, shorter in duration, even though I was hit at the beginning of this topamax try-out with two gigantic aggravations on the family front and one on the financial front, the kind of stuff that usually sends me straight to Planet Migraine to re-learn just how bad a head can hurt and for how long. But there's still time. I have very delayed reactions to these things.

AND, the 50 mg dose twice a day made my head hurt all the time! Not migrainal, just a swollen head pain all through my forehead and eyeballs, and a constant vague nausea, not to mention the incredible dry mouth, dry eyes, dry skin, dry nasal passages--this "cure" is the second cousin of the disease! It was awful. There I was, taking 2 Tramadols and 2 Excedrins am and pm, the very junk I don't want in my system anymore, thinking about how at least I wouldn't be getting a migraine when I finally met my littlest grandchild in November...and weirdly, having no energy about seeing her anymore, thanks to this deadening medincine. No, my tolerance for the side effects is NIL at my age. But 25 mg twice a day is working fine. It was also making me STUPID at that higher dosage, and I was finding myself not caring if it did. I tried to give it more time but when showering and brushing my teeth nearly wiped me out, I had to give it up. After all, my heart is a muscle. What if it made my heart decide to be tired and just quit, like my arms and back?

Post Edited (Carly Corday) : 9/24/2012 5:09:38 PM (GMT-6)

Hi I am new to Topiramate. I started with 12.5 half of the 25, I couldnt take the full 25. The side affects were horrendous. For the first 2 days I could handle the 12.5, than i couldnt really handle the migraines anymore, so i went gung ho and was determined to make this stuff work (migraine suffer for over 20 years, almost daily migraines). so than day 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 I did a half before bed and a half at about 6 in the morning and did good. My main side affects were strange dreams and constant thirst which led to constant peeing. I noticed soda started tasting funny. But the migraines were going away. So the second week I started doing the full 25mg at one time, but noticed I was still getting migraines so I started taking them one time at night before I get to bed and than one time in the morning the next day. Side affects were pretty much still the thirst, and constant peeing, I have had some light tingling, but not a whole lot, I have had some light lack of muscle cordination, like accidently dropping something. But not a whole lot. What I did get though was a tongue ulcer, now i am not sure if it is from the meds or not. I know that i did burn my tongue last week on coffee, but usually it goes away much faster. I looked at it the mirror and it seems like it is open underneath. I drink alot of water,so I am confused on this one. Right now I am up to 50mgs a day sometimes. 25 before bed, and 25 in the daytime, now if I do get a migraine going I will take another one, if I don't I just stay with the 25. It is working miracles with migraines. I am losing weight too. I don't have a scale so no clue how much, but before I got on the meds I was a size 16, I just bought a size 14 slim and a size 12 super stretch at american eagle, and some of last years clothes in xl's are fitting very well. My regular 14 american eagle jeans are falling down. So I am thinking maybe 10lbs? I made a cheese sandwhich with light mayonnaise, and either the bread or mayonaisse smelled like cat pee,, and i know my kitten didnt jump on my counter and pee on the the sandwhich, so my smell is affected too. Thank God tea isn't losing its taste. I love my soda and my tea. And ya soda is out. So did anyone experience the Tongue sore isssue? My tongue hurts. I did have a sore throat too. I am not sure what to do about this one. It hurts but I think its more tolerable than the migraines. I just talk with a lisp now lol~!