Can you stop taking this drug suddenly?

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Official answer

by Drugs.com

Key Points

  • Talk to your doctor first if you want to stop taking Topamax (topiramate) or change your dose, even if you do not have epilepsy. You should not stop taking Topamax suddenly unless your doctor has told you to stop.
  • Stopping suddenly may increase the risk of seizures or other withdrawal side effects. If you have epilepsy and you stop taking Topamax suddenly, you may have seizures that do not stop.
  • Your doctor will tell you how to safely stop taking Topamax if you need to stop. It may take several weeks to months for you to slowly and completely discontinue your dose of Topamax.

    • How do I safely stop Topamax?

    Do not stop Topamax with speaking to your doctor first and follow your doctor's instructions about how to slowly stop taking Topamax. Only stop Topamax suddenly if your doctor tells you to. Your doctor can determine the best way to slowly stop your medicine to lower your risk for a seizure.

    Never stop taking Topamax suddenly, or “cold turkey”, because this may cause you to have an increased risk of seizures, more frequent seizures, or other serious withdrawal symptoms. This can happen even if you do not take Topamax for epilepsy. Topamax is also approved by the FDA to be used in patients to help prevent migraine headaches.

    To decrease the risk for seizures or other withdrawal symptoms, your doctor will let you know how to slowly stop taking Topamax. Depending upon the dose you take, it may take several weeks to a few months to slowly discontinue Topamax.

    You should always follow your doctor’s specific instructions on how to slowly stop Topamax.

  • In adult epilepsy clinical studies, daily Topamax doses were decreased in weekly intervals by 50 to 100 milligrams (mg) per day.
  • In migraine studies, daily doses of Topamax were decreased in weekly intervals by 25 to 50 mg per day.
  • If rapid withdrawal of Topamax is medically required as determined by your doctor, you will need to monitored and followed closely.

    • This is not all the information you need to know about Topamax (topiramate) for safe and effective use. Review the full Topamax information here, and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.

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