Cognitive problems on topamax

I've been on topamax for about four years in varying dosages, now at 75mg a day split between morning and night. For the last couple of years I've been struggling more and more with some thought processes and am wondering how much of it is a side effect. I'm trying to address it with my dr but a long time lapses between appointments.

one thing is that i have problems spelling things out while writing them down. at work i often have to write people's names and when they spell them out i often can't tell what the letters are unless i memorise it quickly and then slowly repeat it back in my head. i usually end up guessing what the letters are because they don't make sense. l and m and n and a and e often all sound the same/get confused. despite lowering the dose of the topamax at some point this has continued.

another thing that has only started recently is forgetting words, forgetting what to say, or just saying nonsense. like i've said "okay" instead of "good day", mixed up words and just plain made up words sometimes. this is also making work a bit stressful - like if i answer the phone i really have to concentrate on what i'm saying.

can side effects like this actually get worse over time even though my dose has actually gone down?

It sounds like time to make an appointment with your provider to specifically assess and address this concern. So many things can affect cognitive processes, medication, anxiety, neurological changes, certain illnesses----time for the doctor to rule out/test for things. (((((((((((((((((((((hug)))))))))))

thanks, I have an appointment in a couple of months. i've emailed various times but that's obviously not the best way.

Topomax took away my ability to think rationally. I wasn't on it long at all. As for waiting two months to see some-one I think it would be wiser to get it done before then. It could be that the Topomax is no longer doing you any favours or it could be something else completely.


Please make time to see your p'doc if not them then a general doctor who could check things out for you.

I think two months is too long to wait...
Would calling them be more effective? I feel frustrated for you. ((((((((((hug)))))))))

I agree, please call.

Let us know how it goes.

thanks everyone. i did call to get on the waiting list for a sooner appointment, and the secretary said to email and copy her in so she could print it out and give it to the dr as well. did that but haven't had a reply yet.

i'm also having twitches a lot of the time - usual kind of under the skin twitching, and then jerks in my fingers and hands sometimes.

I discontinued Topamax for this reason and I returned to “normal.” I was put on it during an IP stay. My pdoc calls it Dopamax.

I have taken dopamax as I call it too. I became forgetful and plain dumb as a rock, not being able to remember words to express myself and forgetting things I was supposed to do. It helped me lose some weight but besides this it was a frightening experience. I thought I was losing my mind which was already screwed up from mental illness. My memory was extremely impaired, and it really did not help me with my mental disorder. I stopped it and although I am still dumb as a rock, I returned to being semi-coherent.

I took it for about 4 years too and same thing. I remember there was a huge lag in thinking what I wanted to say and actually saying it - so I seemed quite slow in actual conversation. I appeared very socially awkward, and it made me withdrawn, however I did not know this at the time. I had to go IP for an eating disorder, depression, anxiety, general breakdown, and my meds were completely overhauled, and I finally realized the topamax was the cause behind my brain fog. I wasn’t stuttering or grasping for words anymore, I could keep up with conversation, even make people laugh. Ironically, I’m now back on it bc it works for me as a mood stabilizer, somewhat. The second time you take it, it is less effective and the side effects are so much less compared to the first time (no tingles, zero appetite suppression, so far cognition okay) and it’s been maybe 6 or 8 months on 250mg. If I start getting dopey again, it will be time to come off of it though.

my dose has actually been decreased and at first I thought that had worked - for a few weeks i didn't seem to have any word trouble. but now it's come back quite badly. i don't know if it's topamax related now...