A Fairly New User To Topamax

Hello everyone. I am a fairly new user to Topamax. Back in August I had Viral meningitis and Encephalitis. I was a very lucky girl. I had been sick for 2 days and had no idea why and just sort of brushed it off until I was basically delusional and my husband had to rush me to the hospital because I had no idea what I was doing. My mindset was basically that of a toddler. The doctors had told my husband and my mother that we were all very lucky because my brain had swollen so badly that any longer and I wouldn't have been around much longer. So that brings us to the present my neurologist is now doing a good bit of testing to see if I am suffering from seizures or if the results of my inconsistent EEG's are from severe migraine headaches. I have been on Topamax since the beginning of September 2012. I started with a low dose and I am not up to 300 mg a day. I've noticed that since I have been on these I suffer from severe constipation especially since my dosage has increased so much. The doctor told me that I can't go off the Topamax because it has helped so much and that I will be on it for a prolonged period of time. So basically what I would like to know is has anyone else had to deal with the constipation and if so what have you done to keep regular? I've tried fiber and all that does is give me stomach pains it really doesn't help. I was going to try a stool softener but I wasn't sure if you could take something like that every single day or not. Thank you in advance for the help.

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Hi Bridget,

In regards to using a stool softener, I think if you were to take a more natural approach, (perhaps from your diet or certain vitamins & minerals), you may not have to worry so much about the effects of taking it everyday.

Many different types of fruit, such as bananas, dates, mangoes, berries, melons, etc, all offer beneficial bacteria and digestive enzymes that can help alleviate the severity of constipation. The fiber in fruit might also be much easier on your stomach than a fiber supplement that has no other vital nutrients in it. Vitamin C has also been known to have laxative effects in larger amounts.

Constipation is also common in those who may not be drinking enough water (where in essence you could have more solid foods in your stomach than you do liquids); which can make food more difficult to break down.

Another common cause of constipation is a lack of digestive enzymes. These mainly come from fresh raw fruits, vegetables, seeds or nuts. Digestive enzymes are the catalysts that keeps your metabolism and digestive tract healthy and strong.

Have you tried changing certain aspects of your diet around to help counter the constipation?

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Water is not the problem. Aside from a morning cup of tea or soda. I drink water typically all day long.
Fruit and veggies are also not a problem because they are a normal part of my diet. I don't really see what I could change as far as my diet goes. The constipation never started until my doctor upped the dosage of my Topamax. I was always regular and never had a problem till then. I am now going on day 3 of no bowel movement and this is the 2nd week of this. It's been going on for a few months now. I have an appointment to see him the first week of April and plan to talk to him about this but I don't know if I can wait that long. I think I am going to contact him before that. This has already been going on to long for me to handle.

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I've been on Topomax/Topiramate since October of 2012. When my dose was increased from 25 mg 2X per day to 50 mg 2X per day I started to have terrible constipation and have had it every since. I've never had this problem before so I'm just now exploring solutions. My pharmacist recommended a fiber like Metamucil which I've been trying for about 10 days and I'm seeing some improvement. Also I'm trying the old apple-a-day plan and being aware of adding more natural fiber via my diet which is all new for me as well. These two changes are starting to help. I'm not sure that these are going to be the final answers. I know that I am not going to be able to increase my dose to the 200 mg per day my Doc wants because I simply cannot stand the dehydration. I drink water or unsweetened ice tea all day every day. I cannot stand to be without a drink close by. I think that is part of the constipation problem. It simply is not humanly possible for me to hydrate any more each day so this is the place that I think I am going to have to say comfort and efficacy will meet.

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Magnesium

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