I have had chronic, in the clinical sense (no full month free periods) but 4-5 years ago they were once a day tops or as low as 2-3 a week. Still high level ones, so I was tried on Topiramate (Canadian name use) my pharmacist said and I quote "Ahh, the California drug" I was like huh? She said it is kind of an inside joke, because it makes you skinny and stupid. Took several months for the fuzzy brain, no taste, and other side effects mentioned above to really dissipate, but it cut them to about 1-2 a week, nearing the end of summer...4-5 years ago, ended up with a kidney stone. In hindsight part of the problem was topiramate and I see now, I had one of the rare "heartburn" side effects but since heartburn was semi common to me, it never registered. So eating antacids like candy may have attributed to a calcium build up and to a stone.
So, to wrap up, I collected said painful, yet less painful than most of the beasts, specimen and next time I saw my primary Dr, she sent it out, took me off topiramate not long after as it was a stone consistent in makeup of those that can be a side effect of topiramate.
Now, this is where things went to hell in a handbasket, not long, maybe...2 weeks? They started...5-6 a day, every 1.5 hours, lasting give or take 2.5 hours and rarely anything below a 6. every 5 days or so I would have a skip day, but that faded. I ended at a refractory chronic ch with even a return to topiramate doing nothing (Decided I would rather pass a few kidney stones a month than have the beast) but it did nothing. As of right now 4 years later am sitting at funnily enough a new change, (might be related to dhe) of every hour for the last couple days. So, use with caution, while anecdotal it surprised the hell out of me to read above someone else who had their frequency go out of control once they went off.
Final sum up, it worked, worked well, once passed the most annoying of the side effects and if you have a few pounds to lose.....But kidney stones and for me, they went insane once I was off.