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Topamax is a widely used antiepileptic drugs to treat epilepsy, migraine, aura, headache. Long term intake of topamax can cause some side effects such as nausea, fatigue, depression or even convulsion, etc. Also high creatinine counts have been reported and it indicates that taking topamax can cause renal damages especially for those that have diabetes, high blood pressure or after kidney transplant surgery, etc.
The main reason of elevated creatinine after taking topamax is that the topamax and its breakdowns are mainly discharged from the kidneys. At least 81% of the drug need to be filtered though the kidneys, therefore for those that have been suffering from kidney problems or for those that are at high risk of developing kidney disease such as hypertension, diabetes, heart problems, long term intake of topamax will definitely increase burdens to the kidneys. If this lasts for long time, renal functions can be impaired, creatinine and metabolic wastes and toxins can not be discharged efficiently from the blood. High creatinine count will occur.
Besides, it has been reported that taking topamax can increase the risk of forming stones in the kidneys and bladder. Though kidney stone is in most cases benign, it can cause very discomfortable pains and symptoms to the patients or even lead to renal failure. Therefore it is recommended that more fluid should be taken while having topamax to decrease the chance of getting kidney stones.
It takes about 4-8 days for those that have normal kidney functions to restore stable serum concentration of topamax, while for those that have moderate or severe renal impairments, it may take 10-15 days. Therefore it is important that you should tell your doctor your kidney problem if topamax is prescribed to see if there is alternative drug for kidney disease patients. If not, it is necessary for you to have regular kidney function tests so as to have close monitoring of your kidney functions and have timely measures if there is any problems.
