"i was on lithium carbonate for 15 years and  never felt like a &quot;normal&quot; human being. i felt like a zombie. when i was told by a new psychiatrist to pick out a new medicine for my bipolar illness, i chose topamax even though it is an off-label treatment for bipolar disorder, it seemed to have the least amount of side affects and i feel whole again. i have been on topamax for 15 years (i think) and the only adverse effect i have is decreased sweating in hot weather."