Topamax Weight Loss a Risky Diet

June 30th, 2011. By AbiK

It’s not news that Topamax is prescribed for a number of conditions—migraine is one. And, given that migraines typically affect women more frequently than men, a Topamax prescription should raise a questioning eyebrow in women of child-bearing age. After all, Topamax has been linked to birth defects—oral defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate. So much so that the FDA recently switched the Topamax pregnancy category from a Pregnancy Category C to a Pregnancy Category D drug.

The beauty of pregnancy migraines, however, is that for many women, they cease to exist or at least diminish in their frequency or severity. And, ideally, a woman who has been given a Topamax migraine prescription then stops taking the drug as there is no apparent need for it. Unfortunately, as any migraine sufferer will tell you, it’s not that simple. If you get migraines, you know that the pain and nausea is enough to make you wish for a fate not less than death at times—just for the anticipated peaceful relief. So would a woman who wants nothing less than to avoid a migraine willingly stop taking Topamax on the mere hope that her migraines have subsided due to temporary hormonal changes from pregnancy? It’s questionable.

And, keep in mind, unlike some migraine medications, Topamax is taken daily to prevent the headache—it’s not taken ad hoc once a migraine starts to relieve pain. Once you’re on it, you’re on it.

Migraines aside, one condition that most all women have a hard time with during pregnancy is weight gain. There is no way around it. And chances are, if you’ve been pregnant yourself, you know that weight gain is a topic of conversation with your doctor, your friends, yourself and even your mirror. It can seem like the only place that isn’t experiencing weight gain, bloating, swelling or spreading of some sort is your hair. And for some, it’s a serious health concern—they need to manage their weight during their pregnancy. And that drives many women to seek out various means to manage that weight, particularly if their OB-GYN has indicated that the weight needs to be managed (or reduced) during the pregnancy.

While Topamax is clearly not a drug that a doctor would prescribe during pregnancy, and not all doctors will prescribe Topamax off-label for weight loss, pre- or post-pregnancy, some will. In clinical studies, a Topamax weight loss regimen has been reported to show a 4 to 16 percent reduction in weight. That’s no small weight loss. An article from the Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.com) puts the average Xenical weight loss at 5 to 7 pounds (Xenical is the prescription strength version of OTC diet drug Alli). For a 200 lb. woman, a Topamax weight loss plan would seem the way to go.

Except for the Topamax side effects should she be pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant. Or, not know she’s pregnant. (Note, some studies have shown Topamax can reduce the level of some oral contraceptives in the bloodstream, thereby potentially reducing the effectiveness of the birth control pill…) 

Pregnancy seems to provide a perfect storm for a woman who’s battled weight gain to seek out a weight loss wonder like Topamax. And, given that Topamax only recently became a Pregnancy Category D drug, it’s conceivable that a pregnant woman might have found herself on Topamax for weight loss—not fully knowing or understanding the potential for a Topamax cleft palate defect. And, not fully knowing or understanding the lifelong implications of a cleft palate defect for her newborn.

This is why a website—or at least the web page on the site—like ehow.com can be a bit irresponsible—and why consumers need to be more vigilant and diligent in where they seek health-related information. Weight loss is a hot topic on the web and there are countless websites touting miracle weight loss cures, “walk in” gastric bypass surgery, and more. In marketing terms, it’s an “easy prey” subject as it hits home with many (especially) women. Knowing that, the article over at ehow.com that’s titled “How to Take Topamax for Weight Loss” is, in my estimation, irresponsible.

For starters, Topamax has not been approved by the FDA for weight loss—weight loss only happens to bea known Topamax side effect. So any Topamax weight loss prescription is completely an off-label use. And secondly, no where—NO WHERE—does the article mention that pregnant women should avoid it or what the Topamax birth defect risks are. For all intents and purposes, “How to Take Topamax for Weight Loss” comes across as nonchalantly as an article about taking a multi-vitamin.

For anyone who’s considering a Topamax weight loss plan, think long and hard about the potential Topamax side effects. The risk, particularly to a child in utero, may not be worth it.

Tags: Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate, Topamax, Topamax Birth Defects, Topamax Diet, Topamax Migraine, Topamax Side Effects, Topamax Weight Loss, topamax-birth-defects-topiramate-lawsuit

This was posted on Thursday, June 30th, 2011 at 12:17 pm and is filed under Drugs/Medical, Emerging Issues, Personal Injury . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.