Topamax does work well for migraines and bipolar, I have been on it for almost 12 years now. But be careful, while it really doesn't have any major short-term side effects, it does have some long-term ones. After a long period of time, it can affect your memory and your balance. I had a hard enough time remembering things as it was, because of the bipolar, but now I'm lucky if I remember things that happened last week, and my balance is terrible. I had to put a bar in my shower for when I wash my hair, and I can stand on one foot but not the other. It's not terrible, but it is a pain. I would have an awful time trying to go back to work, which I need to do now, even tho I'm on disability, because I'm a waitress and balance is everything. But I only get migraines about once every 6 months, and the bipolar is better controlled than it was.