Topamax: reviews of patients and doctors

Is such a medicine as Topamax effective? Reviews of doctors and patients will be presented below. Also, you will learn about the purpose of this drug, how it should be used and what therapeutic properties are characteristic for it.

Composition, shape

In what form do they sell Topamax? Patients' reports say that this remedy can be purchased in the form of hard gelatin capsules of white color.

The active ingredient of this drug is topiramate. It also includes the following auxiliary elements: sugar grits, povidone and cellulose acetate.

The drug "Topamax" (the doctors' comments on it are very ambiguous) are on sale in polyethylene bottles and packs of cardboard, respectively.

Characteristics of the medicinal product

What are Topamax capsules? The reviews say it is an antiepileptic drug that belongs to fructose derivatives. Its active element is capable of suppressing sodium channels, as well as slowing the development of repeated action potentials with prolonged depolarization of the neuron walls.

Admission of the agent under consideration increases the activity of γ-aminobutyric acid against certain types of GABA receptors. In addition, this drug is able to block the activation of kainate receptors to glutamate and regulate the activity of GABA receptors. Such therapeutic effects of the drug are dose-dependent, and are observed with a blood value of 1-205 μmol.

What other properties are characteristic of Topamax? The reviews say that its main ingredient is able to suppress the activity of a number of carbonic anhydrase isomers. It should be noted that the severity of this pharmacological property, the drug in question is quite inferior to the inhibitor of coal anhydrase, that is, acetazolamide. Such activity of the drug is not the main component of its antiepileptic action.

Kinetic features of the preparation

Is the topamax medicine absorbed? The reviews say that after taking this remedy, its active substance is absorbed very quickly from the intestine. At the same time, the bioavailability of topiramate reaches 81%. The use of food does not affect this indicator in any way.

The binding of the active component of the drug to plasma proteins reaches 13-16%.

To achieve an equilibrium state, people with normal kidney function may need about 4-8 days. Transformation is subjected to about 20% of the accepted dose of the drug. At the same time, 6 metabolites (inactive) are formed.

Topiramate, as well as all its derivatives, is excreted by the kidneys. The average half-life is 22 hours.

Indications for taking medicinal capsules

In what cases are patients prescribed Topamax medicines? Reviews with migraines are only positive. The drug in question is used not only for the treatment of the said neurological disease, but also for its prevention.

It should also be noted that this remedy is well manifested in epilepsy. It is used for monotherapy of children from two years old and adult patients. In addition, Topamax is often recommended for people with newly diagnosed epilepsy.

As a component of complex therapy, this drug is prescribed for children of two years and adults with partial tonic-clonic or generalized seizures, as well as for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

Contraindications to taking medicinal capsules

When should Topamax capsules not be taken? Reviews (for children under two years of this drug is contraindicated) say that the drug in question is forbidden to use when the patient's hypersensitivity to its components.

With extreme caution, this medicine should be used for liver failure, nephrourolythiasis, renal failure and hypercalciuria.

Mode of application

Take the drug "Topamax" should be taken orally. Capsules can be swallowed whole, and you can mix their contents with a small amount of soft food.

To control epileptic seizures, it is recommended to start therapy with low doses of the drug, and then titrate them to an effective dose.

In tonic-clonic seizures, as well as Lennox-Gasto syndrome, the minimum effective dose of this drug is 200 mg per day. In some cases, patients may be shown a maximum daily dose of 1600 mg.

In children from two years, the recommended daily dose is 5-9 mg per kg of body weight.

How should the drug be treated with epilepsy? For monotherapy of adults, 25 mg once a day for one week is prescribed. Further this amount is increased by 25-50 mg with an interval of 1-2 weeks.

The recommended dosage for monotherapy of epilepsy in young children can vary in the range of 100-400 mg per day.

For the prevention of migraine, this drug should be taken at 50 mg twice a day. If necessary, this dose can be increased (before the onset of clinical effect).

Side effects

This drug can cause a lot of adverse reactions. The most frequently manifested are the following:

• Drowsiness, lethargy, dizziness, tremor, apathy, apraxia, impaired thinking, amnesia, impaired coordination, dystonia;
• Confusion, crying, slow thinking, hallucinations, depression, decreased libido, euphoric mood, aggressive reactions;
• Anorexia, pancreatitis, gastritis, flatulence, dyspeptic symptoms;
• Spasms, cramps, swelling of the joints;
• One-sided blindness, presbyopia, conjunctival edema and others.

Topamax medicament: reviews

Epilepsy is the main disease in which this drug is administered. According to the doctors, with this diagnosis, this medication does not always show proper therapeutic effectiveness. In addition, his reception contributes to the development of many side reactions, including from the psyche and the nervous system.

As for patients, they also indicate a poor tolerance of this drug. Therefore, many of them prefer to use safer means, which the doctor recommends them.

One can not help saying that this medication is actively used by many patients as a means of losing weight. However, experts say that when taking Topamax capsules for this purpose, it is necessary to take into account its high toxicity.