I had a gastric bypass 2.5 yrs ago and have recently experienced a 17 lb weight gain. My doctor recommended Topiramate to help get me back on track and advised it’s very successful with bariatric patients however the possible side effects were kind of concerning has anyone taken this? And if so what was your experience? I appreciate your feedback!

I used to take that years ago for migraines. I don’t remember losing a bunch of weight when I took it. But it was a long time ago.

I used to take that years ago for migraines. I don’t remember losing a bunch of weight when I took it. But it was a long time ago.

I used to take it as an adjunct for treating a mental health condition--and while there were some side effects for me, it wasn't bothersome enough to make me stop taking it. Among the side effects I had (which, you may not, or you may experience different ones): I got a little bit of tingling in my hands/feet, felt a little sleepy, it made bright objects against a dark background have a "trail" behind them when I was tired (I was able to mitigate some of this by taking my entire dose in the morning instead of every 12 hours, so if you get that, ask if your doctor thinks that's OK), and it made soda/anything carbonated taste terrible, but we're not really supposed to drink that anymore, either!

I had the same side effects listed above. It radically changed my tastebuds. But since my weight isn't from binging/overeating junk the med didn't cause weight loss. I took a pretty high dose of it for migraines for several years...

I think you'd be better served by tracking your food and activity for a few weeks to see if your patterns have changed. Even a regular 300 calorie difference can result in steady weight gain. Also, some go on GLP 1 meds to help with regain but their side effect profile isn't exactly kind either... Dealing with regain can be very frustrating!! I hope you find a good solution... ?

I think looking closely at why you regained 17lbs might also help you - possibly in conjunction with the new meds.

Are you still closely sticking to your surgeon's plan? If you have drifted a bit (and OMG we all will at some point) could you try to get back to your eating habits at the start rather than going on the new meds now?

I really appreciate people posting when they have drifted a bit. Most of us fear this scenario. I wish you the best of luck x

Thank you for all the responses! I appreciate everyone’s advice. It’s amazing how quickly the weight can start creeping up on you. I have been watching my daily calories but have been drinking half the water i used to and decreased my exercise to only 2 days a week vs 5 I’ve also noticed that I’m feeling hungrier in the evenings and will often have late night snacks, so hopefully taking this drug and trying to follow my old post bariatric diet will help make the difference here. I was surprised that my doctor only wanted to prescribe the Topiramate since there are so many other options out there!

28 minutes ago, Michele 2021 said:

Thank you for all the responses! I appreciate everyone’s advice. It’s amazing how quickly the weight can start creeping up on you. I have been watching my daily calories but have been drinking half the Water i used to and decreased my exercise to only 2 days a week vs 5 I’ve also noticed that I’m feeling hungrier in the evenings and will often have late night Snacks, so hopefully taking this drug and trying to follow my old post bariatric diet will help make the difference here. I was surprised that my doctor only wanted to prescribe the Topiramate since there are so many other options out there!

I imagine price might have something to do with the reason your doctor is starting with this one. I've never taken it, but I looked up the price and it's very affordable, like under $10 at some pharmacies. If this works for you, affording it long term will be a breeze. The newer GLP-1 drugs might sound so much better in terms of effectiveness, but at over $1k a month, I'd be praying for something else to work!

I took it prior to surgery while I was still considering options. It did absolutely nothing except made my hair fall out. After about 90days. I didn’t go bald but it was definitely noticeable and I did find out that was a weird side effect. max dose for weight-loss and I lost zero pounds. It gave me headaches the first 2-3 weeks but other than that it was not worth it