Could be constipation. I don’t know if topiramate is known for that, but I got sharp stomach pains and constipation from Verapamil and that was quite unpleasant.
You could drink more water and possibly add a laxative. Or eat some prunes. 
I’d talk to your doctor if the symptoms don’t clear up or get worse.
Hello all,
My wife was diagnosed with vestibular Migraine back in May of this year. She started on propranolol which did nothing for her. Then moved on to Topriamte starting at 15mg. The dosage has been increased slowly so the side effects were manageable. She moved up to 75mg 2 weeks ago an it has been really hard. She has FLU like symptoms which is a new one. Were not sure if its the dosage / illness or stress of everything that is making it worse.
Is this normal for topiramte?
Should we go back to 50mg?
I know this thread is quite old, but if anyone has any advise I’d really appreciate some guidance.
Kind regards, N
I too have vestibular migraine. I’m on Topomax & take the generic which is topirimate. I’ve been on it since June 2014. My initial dose was 25 mg once a day & increased to 25 mg twice a day. This was done over the course of 4 weeks. My neuro-opthamalogist told me that the drug was difficult to deal with at first but to trust him & it would get better. I felt awful the first week or so that I was on it & then I felt like a million bucks ever since. My symptom for the first week or so was a terrible headache which was unusual for me because although I have MAV I don’t have headaches. I would give the dr a call if you’re considered about the side effects but for me has proved to be an awesome drug.
Hey Nicksmom,
I was wondering whether you have had continued success with topomax in reducing your MAV symptoms?
I have a severe problem with fluorescent lights (especially compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs) and backlit screens, such as computer monitors, TV screens, etc. making me very dizzy, causing strange head pressure and a feeling of a bouncing head. I get vertigo in grocery stores and places that are lit up with fluorescents as well. I’m very sensitive to stormy weather changes which make my MAV symptoms worse.
My MAV was sudden onset in April 2013, triggered by a case of vestibular neuritis. I’ve been dealing with this for almost three years without medication. It’s been really tough.
Did you ever try nortriptyline before going on topomax? I did not seem to get any better on nortripyline when I tried it this past week and was more dizzy than ever. I was prescribed topomax by another neurologist (25mg for three weeks, titrating up to 50mg the fourth week), and I started it last night and seem to be feeling less dizzy but still sensitive to fluorescents.
It is very interesting to read that many people’s symptoms were helped a lot by a dose of 100mg or higher of topomax, but that you were helped with it at 50mg. Do you have any plans to taper off of it or do you plan to stay on it for good? Any tips for avoiding kidney stones?
Thank you in advance!!
I’ve been on Topomax since June 2014. I started with 25mg tapering to 100mg over the course of a month. I just had it increased to 75mg twice a day. I haven’t tried any other meds. I am very happy with it. I am able to work full time as an attorney, workout… Be very highly functioning. My side effects are mild forgetfulness which has gotten better over time, occasional tingling in my hands that resolves rather quickly and I don’t sleep much. It’s the only medication I’ve ever had to take daily. I wouldn’t say it made my symptoms go away, but it made them significantly less severe. I have MAV. No headaches, but eye tracking abnormalities, light sensitivity, difficulty with patterns like stripes, I don’t like certain stores, crowds… My neuro opthalmologist says my brain is hyper sensitive to stimuli. The drug seems to take the edge off. Since I’ve been on it I’ve had 1 episode of vertigo and that was about a year ago.
Thank you so much for your reply. Hugely appreciated. I started Topomax two days ago at 25mg and will be on this dosage for three weeks until I go up to 50mg. I suspect I will need to go higher like you and reach 100mg to calm my brain. I have many of your symptoms. I have eye tracking abnormalities, eye pressure/pain when looking at certain screens for a long period of time, light sensitivity (especially fluorescents), I don’t like crowds or stores either. Sometimes it can feel like my head is being pulled like a magnet if it’s directly under a strong light. I’m also sensitive to very low barometric pressure and high humidity. Too many stimuli - that’s exactly it.
The drug has already seemed to help calm my nerves a bit. It is easier to look at my computer without feeling disequilibrium. However, today is a very humid day here where I live (we just had a lot of T-storms come through) and that always makes my symptoms worse so that Topomax is only barely taking the edge off. I hope that when I titrate the dose higher it will start to kick in even better. I have a full time job too and need to be functioning well on my computer and in settings with a lot of screens, so I am really hoping that Topomax will help me get well from MAV. It’s been almost three years!
Do you have any tips for staying well on Topomax, by the way? Just drinking a lot of water, to avoid kidney stones, right? Did you notice any vision changes at all in the mornings? My vision has been a little blurry in the morning but I figure that’s probably normal given that it’s affecting my nerve firing. I’ll keep an eye out for any big side effects…hope I’ll be able to tolerate it.
P.S. Would you mind recommending the name of your neuro-opthalmologist? I’d be very appreciative. I’ve been seeing a normal neurologist but I’m not sure he really understands how the symptoms intersect with respect to light sensitivity and vertigo.
Hi Anne!
I wanted to check how you are doing? Did you end up tapering off Topiramate and remain stable without drugs?
Any insight would be appreciated. I hope you are doing great :).
Asli