It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress at regular visits to see if the medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using this medicine, tell your doctor right away.
Birth control pills containing estrogen may not work properly if you take them with topiramate. To keep from getting pregnant, use an additional form of birth control (eg, condoms, spermicide) together with your birth control pill. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
This medicine may cause vision changes, clumsiness or unsteadiness, dizziness, drowsiness, or trouble with thinking or speaking. Make sure you know how you or your child react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, climb in high places, swim, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert, well-coordinated, or able to think or see well.
Check with your doctor before using this medicine with alcohol or other medicines that affect the central nervous system. The use of alcohol or other medicines that affect the CNS with topiramate may worsen the side effects of this medicine, such as dizziness, poor concentration, drowsiness, unusual dreams, and trouble with sleeping. Some examples of medicines that affect the CNS are antihistamines or medicine for allergies or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicines, medicine for depression, medicine for anxiety, prescription pain medicine or narcotics, medicine for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, medicine for seizures or barbiturates, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics.
Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have changes in vision or pain around the eyes during and after treatment with this medicine. Your doctor may want your eyes to be checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).
This medicine may make you sweat less which will cause your body temperature to increase. Use extra care not to become overheated during exercise or hot weather with this medicine. Overheating may result in heat stroke and hot baths or saunas may make you dizzy or feel faint.
Topiramate may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. Make sure the doctor knows if you have trouble sleeping, get upset easily, have a big increase in energy, or start to act reckless. Also tell the doctor if you have sudden or strong feelings, such as feeling nervous, angry, restless, violent, or scared. If you, your child, or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.
This medicine may cause nausea, muscle tremors, breathing problems, eating problems, a fast heartbeat, restlessness, and stomach pain. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have any of these symptoms. You might have a serious condition called metabolic acidosis (too much acid in the blood).
This medicine may cause slow growth. For children, the doctor will need to keep track of height and weight to make sure that the child is growing properly.
Do not suddenly stop using this medicine without checking first with your doctor. Stopping the medicine suddenly may cause your seizures to return or to occur more often. Your doctor may want you or your child to gradually reduce the amount you are using before stopping it completely.
Serious skin reactions can occur with Topamax®. Check with your doctor right away if you have blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, red skin lesions, severe acne or a skin rash, sores or ulcers on the skin, or fever or chills with this medicine.
Check with your doctor right away if you or your child are having unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness, feelings of sluggishness, mental depression or anxiety, nightmares or unusually vivid dreams, or vomiting. These may be symptoms of a serious condition called hyperammonemic encephalopathy.
Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have sudden back pain, stomach pain, pain while urinating, or bloody or dark urine. These may be symptoms of kidney stones.
Tell your doctor if your or your child's skin feels like it is burning, crawling, itching, or if you have numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feeling after using topiramate.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
