Hello- Are any triathletes out there currently taking the medication topomax for migraine control? I was recently perscribed 50mg of Topomax along with 1100 mg of Naproxen Sodium. I wanted to see if any other athletic types have fared well on the Topomax. If there are any neurologist/triathletes out there on this forum, Id love to get in contact with you as no Dr cant seem to relate to my athletic lifestyle. Im someone who went from no meds to freaking out about being on meds with some side affects.
Hello- Are any triathletes out there currently taking the medication topomax for migraine control? I was recently perscribed 50mg of Topomax along with 1100 mg of Naproxen Sodium. I wanted to see if any other athletic types have fared well on the Topomax. If there are any neurologist/triathletes out there on this forum, Id love to get in contact with you as no Dr cant seem to relate to my athletic lifestyle. Im someone who went from no meds to freaking out about being on meds with some side affects.
Many thanks!Topomax, also known as “insanity in a bottle”. If you study/research the use of Topomax on migraine sufferers, you will find way back that docs pretty much picked it out of a hat blindfolded. From what I have read, there is no real reason to assume it would be of any use to a migraine sufferer. What I found was that it made me crazy, and actually hallucinate. (I watched my office doorknob melt and drip onto the floor). It did nothing for my headaches, kept me up at night, and was a totally negative experience. Ask you doctor to tell you exactly why and by exactly what mechanisms Topomax might be helpful, and for research to back it up. Then go find another migraine doctor.
Sadly, many of the other migraine preventives do things to you that you will find affect your athletic performance. I don’t recall which ones exactly, but a couple of them kept me from reaching a high heart rate - and as a roadie that ain’t what you want! I decided to take the headaches rather than fall off the back the moment the pace increased.
I don’t care what happens to me, I’m never taking Topomax again! Nor will I ever see a second time a doctor who blindly prescribes it.
Be careful with topomax. I’m by no means a doctor but I had my share of head injuries from playing contact sports in high school and college and still experience some mild migraines and headaches. I’ve heard of Topomax being linked to causing fatigue and often times memory loss so I make sure to stay away from it. Keep searching for a neurologist in your area that has some sort of athletic background and get it checked out. Head issues are pretty serious.
Bloom, I have migraines and have good results with Imitrex. It comes in a pill or nasal spray. I have found that I get blurred vision at the begining of a migraine. I take the nasal spray and about 40 to 50 minutes later the migraine and symptoms are completely gone.
You might have to try different medication until you find something that works.
My wife is a pharmacist and says that some Dr’s will prescribe Topomax to try something different to manage the migraine.
Good luck and I hope you find something that works!
Bloom, I have migraines and have good results with Imitrex. It comes in a pill or nasal spray. I have found that I get blurred vision at the begining of a migraine. I take the nasal spray and about 40 to 50 minutes later the migraine and symptoms are completely gone.
You might have to try different medication until you find something that works.
My wife is a pharmacist and says that some Dr’s will prescribe Topomax to try something different to manage the migraine.
Good luck and I hope you find something that works!
RexImitrex is an abortive, and does work well for many. I respond better to ergot type abortives, which are hard to come by these days - Migranal helps to abort my migraines. Topomax is used not to abort a migraine but to prevent them. From what I have gleaned, there is absolutely no technical reason to expect Topomax to work as a preventive medication, yet its use persists. I know more people who have stopped Topomax use than have continued with it. I guess most people never inquire about the meds that are prescribed for them, and just trust a doctor blindly - which is apparently how Topomax was chosen, blindly. I question everything, especially my doctors, as medicine is “practiced” rather than perfected. I, too hope the OP finds something that works and does not affect other aspects of his life. I have huge doubts about the ability of Topomax to do that.
I don’t know how far down the path of migraine maintenance you are. Maybe you’ve already tried evertyhing I’m going to suggest.
But, what’s worked for me:
-figuring out triggers. In my case, caffeine. (Why couldn’t it have been something else? I’d go without many things before going without caffeine. But, I’ve adjusted).
-taking a baby aspirin every morning. This has made a huge difference.
-recognizing stressful situations that can trigger migraines.
That, for me, has made me go from a very frequent migraine sufferer to a very occasional (1-2x/yr) migraine sufferer.
It’s still not perfect. But that Topomax sounds scary.
first of all its “topamax” also known as topiramate.
its a titrateable, oral, migraine prophylaxis, tablet.
if youre migraines are that bad for you to need it, you should probably keep taking it. if you have ANY indication of stopping the drug regimen, tell your doctor first to prevent rebound effects.
I definately agree with one of the posts above about finding what triggers your migraines. Then try to eliminate or modify that.
Typical common stuff: caffeine use or caffeine withdrawal, dehydration, lack of sleep, muscle tension, illness, medications, stress, anxiety or depression, alcohol, exercise, etc.
Be careful listening to random “cases” on this board, and horror stories about topamax. Remember, millions of people use it daily with great results.
I have been taking topamax (and as of a few months ago the generic version which is less effective for me and has different side effects) since July 2006. I was taking 200mg/day at one point and am now taking 100mg/day. I also take Maxalt for treatment when I have a migraine. Before I started topamax I was getting migraines almost every day. For me, the side effects of topamax have always been bad, but I thought it was worth it, but once I got switched over to the generic version, it was not as effective and I could not afford the brand name anymore. Even at my best, with brand name Topamax I was getting 4-6 migraines a month and putting up with a lot of side effects. Now, I get about 12-15 migraines a month (quickly treated with Maxalt) and have worse side effects with generic topamax.
Everyone is effected differently by medicines. I originally thought Topamax was great, but have found that the side effects are too great and over time it really hasn’t helped me that much. This is me, as I said, everyone is different.
Topamax is very much patient dependent.
There are lots of patients that are on topamax and do fantastic. No problems with exercising etc,.
Some people however do very badly on the medicine. It’s nickname is ‘dopamax’ because it CAN make you kind of “dopey.” Hallucinations, etc,. Theres lots of different stories on how people react (see above).
I think the only way to know is try it and see if it works for you.
All the side effects stop after you stop taking the meds.
With that being said, LOTS of people LOVE LOVE their topamax.
Just note that no one here has attempted to explain the mechanisms at work behind Topamax and migraine relief. Migraine is incredibly complicated. I have a friend who has been eating some crazy vitamin complex someone sold her and it seems to be decreasing her migraine frequency. Might just be that magic thing she’s missing in her diet in those supplements she’s taking, might simply be some other external factor at work. Regardless, she’s having fewer migraines. Too many unaccounted variables in the situation to ascribe any single thing to a change in migraine habit. Mine are highly seasonal, and weather related, a strong low pressure system will almost always trigger a migraine for me. Extreme bright light - like the snow cover we have here today - almost always gives me one, so I’ve been indoors avoiding the sun drenched snow. Whatever works for you - awesome, you are lucky if you find it.