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Diagnosis & Tests
Diagnosis
If your chronic pain is affecting your quality of life, it’s time to see a doctor. This checklist will help you decide.
Pain medicine doctors are experts at diagnosing the cause of pain and treating it. Click here to learn more about pain specialists.
Prepare for your doctor appointment. Take this list of questions and others that you have.
Tests
To get to the root of pain, doctors can use several tests. This article provides an overview. Click here.
Your medical history is an important part of diagnosing your pain. Learn about the other tests and assessments your doctor might use. Click here.
This simple scale helps doctors understand the impact of pain on your life. Click here to see it at a helpful web site.
TOPAMAX is approved for migraine prevention in adults only.
TOPAMAX is not used to stop a migraine after it starts.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Serious risks associated with TOPAMAX include lowered bicarbonate levels in the blood resulting in an increase in the acidity of the blood (metabolic acidosis). Symptoms could include hyperventilation (rapid, deep breathing), tiredness, loss of appetite, irregular heartbeat or changes in the level of alertness. Call your doctor immediately if you get these symptoms. Your doctor may want to do simple blood tests. Chronic, untreated metabolic acidosis may increase the risk for kidney stones or bone disease.
Other serious risks include decreased sweating, increased body temperature, kidney stones, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and increased eye pressure (glaucoma). Call your doctor immediately if you have any decrease in vision or eye pain. These problems can lead to blindness if not treated right away.
More common side effects are tingling in arms and legs, loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, taste change and weight loss.
Tell your doctor about other medications you take. Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information.
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