Doctors or nurses please help!!! Reaction to a medication?

Question

I began takeing Topamax about two months ago and now I am taking 25mg/ 3 tablets - 2x a day. Ever since I began the medication my face has broke out horribly with acne. Is it because of the Topamax? If so can the acne be treated or will I have to stop the Topamax? It is to the point now that I have tried so many different things to get rid of teh acne that my face is just raw, red and swollen and really painful. I cant get ahold of my Dr. right now because of the holiday, that's why I'm hoping for some kind of hope on here. I take the Topamax for Bipolar II and am doing soooo well on it, I really would not like to switch but my face it terrible. Can somebody please give me some input??

Let me repeat myself, I have tried so many different things that my face is literally raw now, It hurts to put anything, even water on it now, I tried a prescrpition from the dr, benzaclin, retina micro, clindamyclin, i washed with clinique 3 step cleanser toner and moisturizer, i tried just laeving it alone....i tried everything i could think of

I did try to ask the pharmacist and she just looked at me like "are you kidding me?" and she was rude and said that its was definetly not an allergic reaction and that i just needed to talk to my dr...so i was like thanks you were a ton of help and really brightened my day too (that was at the walmart pharmacy so i guess that should have told me something)

Answer 1

Well, buried in the depths of Crazymeds is this...

Interesting Stuff Your Doctor Probably Won't Tell You: Topamax is the worst when it comes to birth control pills. If you're taking The Pill for any reason at all and you start Topamax you need to contact your OB-GYN immediately, as you may need a new prescription. It depends on the type and strength of oral contraceptive you're taking. It's all spelled out in the PI sheet. What's not in the PI sheets of either Topamax or various oral contraceptives is that combining the two often produces wacky hormonal effects that will make you feel like you're a teenager again. The most common of which is acute acne.

So that could be your answer...

Answer 2

Your body's reaction could be due to 'toxicity' from the deication.........or an undesirable side effect of the medication which has triggered some kind of physiological response within you.

You should not try to remedy the situation with some other medication prior to getting a professioanl opinion.

Holiday....or no holiday.......if your face is worth anything to you.........you should go for proper medical consultation rather than asking this urgent question on Yahoo!

Or do you want to wait to see if your face turns into a 'pineapple'?

Answer 3

Have read the other “answers” and would agree that the best would be to discus this with the doctor that prescribed the medication (Topamax) for you. Just as a word of advise, asking medical questions in this manor is dangerous for a couple of reason. One most of your answers wont be from medical personal (beside mine and maybe a few others…) so therefore wouldn’t me advised to take their advise, even it does sound right/reasonable. Secondly, to answer such a question a person would need to have more information than what you gave, and with that it is not good to give out a lot or personal or medial information over the web. I hope your doctor will deal with this appropriate and/or refer you to an “expert” so that this issue can be dealt with appropriately.

Answer 4

Just looked up Topamax in Davis's Drug Guide For Nurses for you. Did not see any adverse reactions or side effects re acne.
FYI:##########################
1. Advise patient to use a nonhormonal form of contraception while taking topiramate.
2. Advise patient to use sunscreen and wear protective clothing to prevent photosensitivity reactions.
The more you work your skin, the worse it is going to become. Use a mild soap and tepid water in the am and in the pm to clean your face. As you know, you cant scrub away acne. Apply topical med to help dry eruptions. Hang in there......

Answer 5

It is a rare side effect, but a rash can occur with Topamax. With that reaction, you should go to see a MD. Also, erythema multiforme which is blistering, peeling, loosening of skin; chills; cough; diarrhea; fever; itching; joint or muscle pain; red irritated eyes; sore throat; sores, ulcers, or white spots in mouth or on lips; unusual tiredness or weakness can occur, and its incidence has not been determined.

Answer 6

i would just start using some astringent or like some face treatments like proactiv or clearasil, even rubbing alcohol but that tends to dry ur face up a bit but when applied to a pimple or area pimples dissparear quickly, i usualy rub a lil peroxide on my face to get the bacteria out, i would reccomend any of those, that or go to a dermotologist but theyll just tell u the same thing to wash with antibacterial soaps and to use astringents hope it gets better!

Answer 7

Don't ask Dr's or nurses this. The best thing is to call the drug store and ask the pharmacist. You might have to be switched to a different med or dosage.

Answer 8

Try L'Oreal 3-step adult acne kit, you can get it at Walmart. If that doesn't work, visit a Dermatologist, they will be able to help you.

Answer 9

You need to change prescriptions and tell your doctor about what is happening and you have a side effect....

its getting bad it can do more damage

Answer 10

i checked my davis drug guide....i didn't see acne listed as a side effect....since you can't get in touch w/ your dr. check w/ the pharmacist...you could also call the dr office...if he's in a clinic there should be someone covering his calls while he is out...it sounds like your in a lot of pain...good luck and i hope you get this issue resolved.