Topamax - Brand vs Generic (US Online) Interesting info if you've tried and failed

[NeverCanTell]

I just wanted to post this because if you've tried Topamax with hopes for success and have not tolerated it well, you may want to try a different type...meaning...well, read on.

When I first decided to give Topamax a shot, I ordered it from qualitygenerics.com. They sent me little salmon colored pills. It took me a few weeks to get adjusted (felt a little LSDish at first) and I worked my way up to 125mg a day. Then I did a reorder. This time, they sent a different generic. The pills were pink. They worked about the same, but felt "cleaner" somehow. I drink less, feel better and quite frankly couldn't be happier that I found this drug.

The cost was getting to me and I knew that generics were recently released in the US, so I went to my doc and had him prescribe them to me (not for drinking..as far as he's concerned, but as a mood stablilizer...I'm also bipolar). I got the US generics (tiny, tiny little white pills) for $4!! So I thought, WOW...wish I had done that sooner.

Started taking those and went on a trip to visit my sis in AZ. Pretty quickly I started becoming very depressed. My mind was racing with very dark thoughts and it got very bad, very fast. It was weird...and it WAS the new pills. As soon as I got back I started back on my old pills and cried for two days and then started feeling better.

SO...then I called the doctor and had him reorder the RX as non-generic. Went and got that filled for the real deal Topamax...and well, that was only $20 with my insurance...so still a major savings from ordering online (with the shipping and all)...so, all is not lost.

Starting taking those...thinking this was luxury...you know...the real stuff. Well, they didn't make me depressed, but...they did make me constipated beyond belief...and made my face break out something horrible. I gave them a couple weeks to sort out, but then decided to stick with what works for me and went back to qualitygenerics.com. : )

So what I'm trying to say here is...if you tried Topamax and had a bad side effect, you may want to try a different generic...or the brand name drug before giving up entirely.

Had I have tried the US generic first, it would have scared me off....but I am so happy with my generics from India. Seriously. I'm paying $200 for a three month supply, but I don't care. Worth it.

-NeverCanTell

[klmiller64]

Topamax - Brand vs Generic (US Online) Interesting info if you've tried and failed

Thank you - that is awesome to know! My salmon colored pills from India seem to be working well - so I won't stray either! Your experience is very valuable to me!

[mispadre]

Topamax - Brand vs Generic (US Online) Interesting info if you've tried and failed

Thanks for the post, the more info the better.

I just started taking the generic Topiramate which I got at Costco. I previously took another version of Topamax from overseas last year (self-prescribed) and had the side effects of dizziness. I was able to get up to 100mg but had to discontinue due to the cost.

Since the generic was available and I was able to find a doctor to give me a prescription I started taking the generic a couple weeks ago. The doctor started me at 50mg and I started noticing more side effects that before: dizziness, nausea, fatigue (8-9 hours after taking the medication), depression (1-2 hours after taking the medication).

I know it's still early in the game but I relapsed this weekend (Saturday - missed a dose of Topiramate as well) and just this morning (Wednesday) I had a nervous breakdown. I haven't had one of those in about a year. I feel a lot better now but it scared me.

I am also taking sertraline (aka Zoloft) for major depression and missed a dose of that last night. Usually missing one dose doesn't have that much of an effect but I completely lost control today and had to cancel an important business meeting as a result.

I'm not sure if any of this was a result of the drug being generic, or of the relapse, or of missing doses of medication, but I thought I would share my experience. I do think this drug is very promising and I am going to stick with it. I have heard that it takes about 10-12 weeks to fully kick in anyway.