it works like a charm for me. i also have trigeminal neuralgia so it does double duty for that. after a horriffic year of medicine side effects from abilify, lithium & god knows what else they had me on (seriously those are the only 2 i recall i have no memory of the "lost year" i fought to get on the topomax...& it is the best thing going for me.

it's been about 2.5 years now & for the msot part i have been pretty stable...it has been adjusted a little up, a little down but that's it. i also take effexor with it & the same thing as far as adjustments. (75-150/day of each depending on whats going on)

lost a ton of weight, got a little tingly at first but that was a long time ago...when i first started it for the trigeminal neuralgia...i had taken it for that years & years ago & i knew it made me feel better mentally as well so i fought to try it for the bipolar.

i noticed no "dumbing" effect..but then again i suffered what was called almost a brain injury from the meds i was on..i am able to think again & do most of the things i was able to do before with the exception of some comprehension etc but that is not from the topomax.

like i said...it is my drug of choice.

stumpy