Topomax

[Chex]

Is Topomax the same kind of med as lyrica?

[calluna]

Topamax is the brand name for topiramate, which is an anticonvulsant. Lyrica/pregabalin is also an anticonvulsant. These two meds do not work in quite the same way though, and their effects and side effects are different too.

Pregabalin is a frontline med for neuropathic pain. Topiramate is not usually used for neuropathic pain. It is however now quite widely used for preventing migraines, as well as being used as an anticonvulsant. It has also been observed that it has the effect of enhancing the pain-relieving effect of GABA medications ie gabapentin and pregabalin, when taken alongside.

I'm being prescribed topiramate together with pregabalin at the moment actually.

[Chex]

I just wondered because I have been given topomax for migriaine. I was wondring if it would help along with my elavil for even more pudendal pain relief. And hopefully my neck nerve pain. I was on lyrica and had to go off before because of the side effects. My one eye drooped and I was falling and stuff.

[calluna]

That's an interesting one. Elavil is amitriptyline, that's one of the old tricyclic anti-depressants. It isn't one of the GABA meds. They don't seem to have done much testing for topiramate and neuropathic pain in general, only for diabetic neuropathy where they didn't find it to be helpful.

I have not taken topiramate by itself, only together with pregabalin. It does have some odd side effects of its own, to be honest.