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Alcohol is dangerous to mix with topiramate or any other prescription medication. Topamax is known to cause sleepiness and dizziness, so mixing it with alcohol will worsen those symptoms. Alcohol is strictly discouraged while taking this medication.
Keep your doctor informed about all the medications you’re taking, including vitamins and supplements, to avoid unwanted interactions with Topamax. It’s important to also tell your doctor about any habits you may have consuming alcohol, whether it’s all the time or once in a while. It only takes once to mix the two and create an adverse reaction, so work with your doctor to make sure this medication is best for you.
Side Effects, Interactions & Risks
Drinking alcohol while taking Topamax can increase the chance of you experiencing side effects. The combination can cause excessive sleep, confusion, difficulty with memory and difficulty speaking. Don’t drive or operate machinery while on Topamax (topiramate), especially if you’ve consumed alcohol.
Topamax can also interact with orlistat (a dietary drug) and can decrease the effectiveness of your birth control, resulting in pregnancy.
If you are taking topiramate and you drink alcohol on a regular or irregular basis, please tell your doctor to avoid dangerous side effects and interactions from the two.
What Is Topamax (Topiramate)?
Topamax (topiramate) is an anticonvulsant prescription medication used to treat and prevent seizures (including those from epilepsy) in patients over two years of age. It can also be prescribed as a prophylactic (preventative) medication to stop migraines before they start in patients over 12, although it’s not effective to treat migraines.
Doctors are now prescribing Topamax to stabilize moods in patients with bipolar disorder, and the prescription is now being studied as a treatment for PTSD.
Topamax is taking orally and should be taken with plenty of fluids to prevent kidney stones from forming. In addition, topiramate may cause dehydration, especially in children, and has been reported to possibly cause vision problems.
There are some side effects which are possible while taking topiramate including drowsiness, dizziness, loss of coordination, tingling of the hands/feet, loss of appetite, bitter taste, diarrhea and weight loss. Some patients may also experience mental side effects, such as confusion, memory problems or depression from Topamax and should contact their doctor immediately if they experience these or any other side effects.
Mixing Alcohol And Topamax (Topiramate)
Drinking alcohol while taking prescription medications is typically discouraged, as it can lessen the effectiveness of the medication, counteract it completely and/or lead to some dangerous side effects. As mentioned above, mixing alcohol with Topamax can cause excessive sleep, confusion, dizziness, memory loss and difficulty speaking.
If you feel you can’t stay away from alcohol while taking Topamax or if you feel you or a loved one is misusing either of these or both, don’t wait to get help. Go online to www.TheRecoveryVillage.com or call 24/7 to our toll-free hotline at 855-548-9825 to learn more about the road to recovery. We can help you overcome your addiction today.
The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.