Unlike many other medications for migraines, Topamax is used to prevent rather than treat these
headaches. Prevention is especially useful for people who have frequent or severe migraines, or migraines that do not respond to other medications.
It is thought that migraines may be triggered by nerve cells in the brain that are too easily excited. When using Topamax for
migraine prevention, this medication works by helping calm these nerve cells, working to prevent a
headache from ever starting.
In one study that used Topamax for migraine prevention, 200 mg per day reduced the average number of migraines from 5.5 per month to 3.1 per month.
(Click Topamax Uses for a complete overview of using Topamax for migraine prevention. This article also discusses the safety of using this medication in children and potential off-label uses.)
