Topamax is an anticonvulsant drug that has been on the market for many years and is available by prescription only. Topamax in indicated in the treatment of many different conditions in both adults as well as children, as indicated. It is most commonly associated with the treatment of epilepsy in children as well as adults. It was originally formulated as an anticonvulsant and is still used as such. Today Topamax also used to treat migraines and was approved for such use by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Paired with antidepressants, Topamax is also commonly used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Studies have not proven that it is particularly useful in treating this condition, though many patients and doctors report being successful in treating bipolar when other options have not been effective or as effective as one would like.
Topamax is also used in an off label capacity for the treatment of alcoholism as well obesity. It is also used to reduce the incidence of binge eating in those that suffer from it. It is currently under clinical trials to determine if it is useful in treating posttraumatic stress disorder. The longer Topamax is on the market the more useful the drug is found to be in treating a wide variety of uses.
There are a vast number of off label indications for Topamax including smoking cessation, obsessive compulsive disorder, cocaine dependence, essential tremors, bulimia nervosa, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, as well as neuropathic pain. Topamax is a medication that has proven to be very effective in treating a wide number of conditions and will likely continue to expand in terms of its use as doctor’s experiment with its use. Generally it has been proven to be very safe to use and is prescribed by doctors in just about every field as symptoms and disease indicates. Doctors and patients should discuss side effects as they occur as well as the effectiveness of the medication to determine if it continues to be the best course of action.