Schizophrenia.com

Topamax/Toprimate for weight loss

Medications
#1

Hello,

I’ve just seen my psychiatrist and we discussed weight loss. I had a foray into the field of metformin a little while back but that didn’t do too much for me. It curbed my appetite at the beginning but I didn’t lose any weight.

Now he has sent me home with the name of a drug called topamax/toprimate to research ahead of our next appointment as he is willing to prescribe it for me.

I figured since it’s commonly prescribed for mood swings and mood disorders there might be a few people here who have tried it. If you have, did you lose any weight?

Thanks for your input!

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#2

ive never taken Topamax but I was considering it when I was having mood problems but heres a few things I saw when I looked at reviews and stuff when I was gonna ask for it-
for some people it makes diet soft drinks taste bad
it can impair memory and cognition that’s why some people call it dopamax

also it wont directly make you lose weight if u eat the same way on it but it will decrease your appetite a lot so you will probably be eating a lot less most of the time people lose weight without an effort on it but if you actually take it and diet than u will lose weight really fast

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#3

Thanks Sig!
1515

#4

Ah Dopamax… There a plenty of threads if you do a search…
http://forum.schizophrenia.com/search?q=topamax

I couldn’t find my reply in any of those. So here goes again:

I started at 25 mg and worked up to the max 200mg over time. I’m not sure it did much. I did manage to lose about 26 lbs but I attribute that lose to a deep depression where I couldn’t eat a thing. But I also think it did curb my appetite because I stopped the late night eating and snacking while taking it.

Now I’m gaining again on Abilify, Lithium and Wellbutrin combo, I’m thinking of asking the pdoc for it again.

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#5

Thanks @Skims sounds like it might not be the best drug to try?

#6

As is often repeated here, what works for some may not work for others. Everyone reacts differently. I have heard of amazing results with topamax. And I found the dopey feeling receded with time.

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#7

So maybe it’s worth a shot. I can’t really afford to be dopey with work so I’m hesitant. I plan on starting a new diet when we get back from out interstate trip.

#8

I was on it throughout nursing school, which is intense. But I continued anyways using topamax and got all A’s. So I felt dopey, like Balloon head but could still perform and think straight.

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#9

That’s actually really promising!

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#10

I’ve been taking topamax for a little over a month, I just bumped up to 50 mgs. It has a profound effect on my sugar cravings. I still have them but I’m able to live without the sugar whereas before I felt like I would die without it. I’ve not lost a significant amount of weight yet but I just bumped up. I will probably bump up again when I see my pdoc in a month. I am very obese and really need the help. Topamax was prescribed for mood stabilization because I’m sza but my pdoc and I both are hoping for weight loss so this weight doesn’t kill me.

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#11

Topamax was one of the very few meds I really liked. Seems I’m “Up-side down” on all my meds as the pdoc told me once, but it was prescribed for me as a mood stabilizer.

Seems some of the side effects were good for weight maintenance, and headaches too, because after I ran out and had to stop taking it, my headaches returned (I’d forgotten how bad and how frequent they were while taking it), and my weight, which had ran normal while taking it, increased. Mostly because everything suddenly tasted very good, and I ate too much.

50mgs daily works well, when I started at 100mgs daily, sodas tasted flat, and my hands and arms got tingly, much like when they fall asleep-only not so severe.

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#12

Hi there, I have never heard about topamax before. There are many medications available which helps to reduce weight, but some of them are not good for your health. My sister is overweight and she is using the detox tea from Cellublue suggested by her friend which helps to lose weight naturally.

#13

I take 400mg per day of it for epilepsy. And I have had no weight gain on antipsychotics. I am slim.

I tried coming off it a couple of years ago and when I did I noticed weight gain.

So it does actually keep weight down.

All the best with it.

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