Topamax, also known as topiramate, is an anticonvulsant that is most often used to treat migraines and seizures. While it can have some unpleasant side effects, there are also some positive side effects that are associated with this medication. These positive side effects can improve quality of life and help patients cope with chronic disorders.
Reduction in Seizures
Because Topamax is primarily used to treat seizures that are caused by epilepsy, one of the most positive side effects is a reduction in the number and severity of seizures experienced by epileptics. This anticonvulsant effect improves quality of life for people who suffer from seizures and can help epileptic patients maintain their normal activities.
Weight Loss
Topamax is sometimes used off-label to help patients lose weight. Off-label means that the drug was not specifically developed to treat a certain condition, but can be used to treat that condition in some circumstances. According to the Food and Drug Administration, participants receiving Topamax lost an average of 0.6 percent of their body weight during clinical trials of Topamax. However, weight loss only occurred in adult study subjects. Children who took Topamax experienced a net weight gain of 6 lbs. after 14 to 19 months.
Eases Migraines
Topamax may be best-known for easing the pain of migraine headaches. According to the manufacturer, Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Topamax is thought to reduce nerve cell excitement in the brain so that they don't send signals that can lead to migraine headaches. This drug can only be used to prevent migraines; it cannot be used to treat a migraine that has already started. Clinical studies conducted by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics showed that the frequency of migraines was reduced one month after beginning a Topamax regimen; this improvement was sustained after six months.
Pain Relief
Dr. Brian Loftus of Bellaire Neurology indicates that Topamax can also result in pain relief if used to treat nerve pain. Nerve pain, also known as neuralgia, can be caused by signals that are sent out by overactive nerve cells. Since the manufacturer of Topamax claims that the drug works to calm over-excitable nerve cells in the brain, some physicians prescribe it for people who have chronic neuropathic pain.
Reduced Alcohol Cravings
Another positive side effect of Topamax is that it has been shown to reduce alcohol cravings in people who abuse alcohol. Dr. Steven Williams of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, indicates that Topamax can be given in a 25 mg dose each morning to begin treatment for alcohol abuse. This amount is increased to 300 mg per day administered in a divided dose. Before this drug can be used to treat alcohol dependence, treating physicians should consider possible drug interactions and side effects.
