Acne.org Products
zxc,
Read the drug info linked below. This is the released information and this is probably the only information you are going to get unless you know someone who works for the company.
Topamax (You will have to have Adobe Reader)
Anyways this is the only form you are going to get in, so why all the questions. It shows the molecular formula of the active ingredient. You aren't going to be able to mix this up in your backyard lab. The inactive ingredients seem pretty common so chances are the active ingredient is what affects the nerves/mind and any potential scar healing so they can't be separated.
This thread is pretty interesting, keep us updated! Also let me know if there is any side effects such as weight gain, that would be a bummer 
Trying to lose baby weight and all. I won't be trying this unless improvement is documented here, as I don't trust the other studies. It would be great if this stuff works though and getting rid of scars would cure alot of headaches 
tricia,
Actually this particular drug has shown to help people lose weight. It also reverses some negative health issues seen in diabetics which I think might contribute to the scars healing as it is known that diabetics do not heal as well as nondiabetics. But indeed it does have some negative side affects as well so it's not a miracle medicine.
when i finished Roacutan, i will get this drug, here is prescripted to the epilepsyc people, dont be easy to get this drug, but i will try to get.
Well i hope that really work, i hope, ALL here HOPE THAT THIS DRUG WORK, and we can rid this scars. God help us
(im speak spanish)
I think I am a bit OCD, who here isn't? maybe this drug would clear that too?? 
I just wonder what would happen when you got off the drug. I assume you would after 3 months since the study said 3 months was the trial? You would think there would be another change in brain chemistry at that point too, especially if you were on it longer than three months and then stopped abruptly. Did the doctor mention anything about this? I would normally never consider taking a drug like this, even if approved by the FDA, they are not perfect by any means, however I know the stress we go thru with scars and wonder if it is worth the risk. Your health is so important and you don't realize it till you are sick and then scars seem less important. I just don't trust doctors and their supposedly safe drugs for long term usage unless seriously needed.
It's only been a week of 25 mg daily and I feel fine. I seriously doubt I will see any of the psychological effects of this stuff. If I don't see any changes in 3 months I will quit but if I see improvement and no side effects there would be no reason to stop until I am happy with the results. At 25 mgs it wouldn't be stopping abruptly I don't think. It's like drinking a tablespoon of coffee a day then stopping abruptly.
Topiramate has no effect on collagen remodelling. The study noted it had a modest effect in reducing the redness of scars it had no effect in reduction of acne scar depth. A former member of this board trialled this drug a few years ago with no improvement to acne scars. Topiramate can cause metabolic acidosis therefore users of this drug should undergo blood tests prior to commencement of the drug and periodic blood tests whilst on the drug as was indicated in the study itself.
Where's this info? The article I read said people with acne scarring had the most success.
Melisconca,
When you say the study, (I take it you are refering to the UF study) do you realize that there were two separate studies done? One in Florida and the other in India? The one in India done by Rakesh and Lovedhi reported that they saw the best results with chicken pox and acne scarring and they had quite a few people with acne scars. Even then did you look at the pictures of the acne scars on the woman from the UF study? I see some change in redness but I also see a change in depth, texture, and contours. Is it all a hoax?
I also haven't found the info you mention about only having modest effects in redness and no effect in acne scar depth so by all means provide a link if possible. Maybe you have access to information the rest of us don't and if so I would be interested to see it.
Thanks.
Melisconca,
The UF study was not a control group study either and you really didn't answer my question about where you are getting your information cause I can't find it anywhere. Do you have anything to back up what you stated?
By the way if scars are over 2 years old they just don't start spontaneously improving by themselves to that degree without treatment in 3 months time especially in the case of that 41 year old woman 
. Hell if they did I wouldn't be worried one bit at this point.
IDBNVS2- I think it is encouraging you have had no side effects so far. I would be worried about the lack of concentration since I am studying for a job lately. Do you even experience dizziness or anything? Did your doctor mention you taking blood tests for this drug? I went and re-read the article again and it is interesting how the two articles says it helps skin-picking, perhaps this is why the raised scars got better at a higher ratio, maybe the patients got their mind of it and got better. Picking will definitely cause raised scars. Harsh chemical peel can do the same on damaged skin. I haven't been on here in awhile so haven't read what type of scars you have? Is there redness and are they raised? Are you ceasing all other skin products during this trial that would be harsh? If you see a lot of improvement in three months, and have done nothing else different then I may believe it.
I haven't experienced anything out of the ordinary. The doctor didn't mention blood test at all but I don't know if that has anything to do with me being relatively young and healthy. I have two bothersome indented scars. They aren't really deep but they bug me to no end. One is smaller but moderately deep and the other is wider and very shallow. The shallow one is very difficult to see in some lighting but more apparent in others. The deeper one is the more noticeable one but the two local docs I talked two wouldn't even do fillers on it so I don't really know how 'deep' it really is. They are right next to each other and they bug me because of that too.
I have other insignificant scars (a few scarred pores and such) so if I can improve these two I would be content. The only other thing I am using right now is tazorac in the hopes of correcting some textural/pore damage caused by an aggressive microdermabrasion by the brand name of SilkPeel around the area of the two scars.
An improvement in terms of percentages as per the consensus of patient and consultant was recorded as follows:
0-25 percentanone
25-50 percentaaverage
50-75 percentagood
75 percentaexcellent
Overall good to excellent response was found in 65 (71 %) patients. There was an excellent response in all the patients with post varicella scars. The response in post acne scars was also encouraging (93 % had good to excellent result). The response in keloids was not good. In melasma the response was average (Table 3). No side effects were observed in any of the patients
It seems the results weren't good with keloids, but they were good with chicken pox/acne scars which the only thing I care about.
The objective of the first study as stated in the study itself were to investigate the effects of topiramate on raised or red scarring there is no mention of indented scarring so one can perhaps presume that the woman with acne scars was chosen because her scars were red or raised which is difficult to tell from the photo.
Melisconca,
i'm assuming by "the first study" you're talking about the UF study? I'm assuming this b/c you mentioned the woman's picture, which is in the UF study. it would be helpful to refer to the studies as either "UF" or "India."
anyhow, i just re-read the UF study and interestingly it does state, "topiramate was tested in patients with scars that were both raised or discolored and at least 2 years old." i agree with you that it doesn't mention anything about indentations.
however, when you look at the picture of the 41 year old woman, she clearly had indentation scaring that seemed to be improved.
Also, the research team selected subjects with various types of scarring. in their study they listed: Accidental, Acne, Burn, Chicken Pox, Laceration, and Surgical. if the study was strictly focused on one type of scaring, why would the subjects have been selected with such a variation? when i think of pox and acne scars i think of indentations. this study is a little puzzling. they seem to have indentation scaring involved in the study, but they offer no explanation.
Well I went ahead and sent an e-mail to Bharti Rakesh asking for clarification. Hopefully I will get a reply. Here's what it contains.
Bharti Rakesh,
I am a member of www.acne.org who resides here in the US. Many acne.org members who have acne scarring were very interested in the study that you performed on scarring with topiramate. When you mentioned good to excellent results for acne scarring did you mean that depressed acne scars actually became more level with the skin? Also do you have any pictures of the acne scarring improvement you could send me?
Are you aware of any current or future plans for more testing of topiramate for scars?
Regards,
IDBNVS2,
is there anyway you could re-name this thread so that "topiramate" (or something like that) is in the title? this thread sounds like a gieco commercial or something. "Great News" -- i just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance. hmm? i think for future reference, it would be good to rename it, so people will know by the title what everyone is actually discussing here.
ylem,
Did you read the link in the very first post of this thread thoroughly enough to understand it? It clearly states this drug showed good to excellent improvement in acne and chicken pox scars. If acne and chicken pox scars aren't pitted then I don't know what type are.
