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Topamax vs. Neurontin

Are Topamax and Neurontin the Same Thing?

Topamax (topiramate) and Neurontin (gabapentin) are anticonvulsants used to treat and prevent epileptic seizures.

Topamax is also used to prevent migraine headaches.

Neurontin is also used to treat nerve pain caused by shingles (herpes zoster).

Side effects of Topamax and Neurontin that are similar include drowsiness, dizziness, coordination problems, difficulty speaking, or changes in vision/double vision.

What Are Possible Side Effects of Topamax?

Common side effects of Topamax include:

What Are Possible Side Effects of Neurontin?

Common side effects of Neurontin include:

  • dizziness,
  • drowsiness,
  • unsteadiness,
  • memory loss,
  • lack of coordination,
  • difficulty speaking,
  • viral infections,
  • tremors,
  • double vision,
  • fever,
  • unusual eye movements, and
  • jerky movements.

What is Topamax?

Topamax (topiramate) is an anticonvulsant prescribed for preventing epileptic seizures and migraine headaches. Topamax is available as a generic drug.

What is Neurontin?

Neurontin is a prescription medicine used to treat:

  • Pain from damaged nerves (postherpetic pain) that follows healing of shingles (a painful rash that comes after a herpes zoster infection) in adults.
  • Partial seizures when taken together with other medicines in adults and children 3 years of age and older with seizures.

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What Drugs Interact With Topamax?

Topamax may interact with other medicines that can make you sleepy (cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for depression or anxiety), other seizure medications, lithium, hydrochlorothiazide, metformin, atropine, belladonna, benztropine, dimenhydrinate, methscopolamine, scopolamine, bronchodilators, bladder or urinary medications, or glaucoma medications.

What Drugs Interact With Neurontin?

Do Not take Neurontin if you are allergic to gabapentin or any of the other ingredients in Neurontin. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in Neurontin.

Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines that make you sleepy or dizzy while taking Neurontin without first talking with your healthcare provider. Taking Neurontin with alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness or dizziness may make your sleepiness or dizziness worse. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how Neurontin affects you. Neurontin can slow your thinking and motor skills.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Taking Neurontin with certain other medicines can cause side effects or affect how well they work. Do not start or stop other medicines without talking to your healthcare provider.

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

 

How Should Topamax Be Taken?

Topamax usual adult dose is 200mg twice a day. Drug interactions include acetazolamide (Diamox), methazolamide (Neptazane), dichlorphenamide (Daranide), carbamazepine (Tegretol) and phenytoin (Dilantin) and oral contraceptives. There are no adequate studies of Topamax in pregnant women and it is not known if Topamax is secreted in human breast milk. Use during pregnancy is not recommended unless the potential benefit outweighs the potential unknown risk to the fetus. Topamax passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

How Should Neurontin Be Taken?

Take Neurontin exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider will tell you how much Neurontin to take.

Do not change your dose of Neurontin without talking to your healthcare provider.

If you take Neurontin tablets and break a tablet in half, the unused half of the tablet should be taken at your next scheduled dose. Half tablets not used within 28 days of breaking should be thrown away. Take Neurontin capsules with water.

Neurontin tablets can be taken with or without food. If you take an antacid containing aluminum and magnesium, such as Maalox®, Mylanta®, Gelusil®, Gaviscon®, or Di-Gel®, you should wait at least 2 hours before taking your next dose of Neurontin.

If you take too much Neurontin, call your healthcare provider or your local Poison Control Center right away at 1-800-222-1222.