Migraine

That eventually preventatives (like topamax) get rid of a migraine?? because that's what my migraine specialist is telling me!??? wondering what you guys have heard.....Thanks

If by "getting rid" of migraine you mean "cure," then no. Topamax can prevent migraines, but migraine is a neurological disease, there is no cure.

This link might help:

Topamax Profile

no i mean get rid of my current status migraine....eventually

I want to say that this worked for one of our members here, Medieval Writer, but she'll have to let you know for sure.

Hmmm...I've often talked about this with my specialist. I have daily migrain pain that (so far) has not improved with many different preventives.

My HA specialist often talks to me about "breaking the current migraine cycle BEFORE focusing more strongly on the preventives." He has given me meds like decadron, medrol dose packs, Zyprexa, etc. to break particularly persistent migraines. I've also used IV meds on an outpatient/inpatient basis to break a migraine cycle.

I'm certainly NOT a doctor, so I'm just sharing what I've seen from personal experience....

I suppose a preventive med could eventually start doing its job--i.e., preventing the migraines. BUT my doctor has always told me that the preventives have a MUCH better shot at working if the current migraine cycle is broken with a more aggressive intervention (like the things I talked about above). My doc seems to believe that breaking the cycle with a short-term cycle of meds is very important to the long-term success of the preventives.

I hope that makes sense!

I'm sure others will have thoughts about this, too!

jenny

Are you talking about status migrainous, where you've had the same migraine for over 72 hours without a four hour break while awake?

Status Migraineous


Or do you mean just the current pattern of your migraines?

Topamax used as a preventive can help decrease the number and intensity of your migraines, sometimes to the point of not getting many at all.

quote:

no i mean get rid of my current status migraine....eventually

yeah- he thinks i've never been able to get rid of my previous migraine- which i totally agree with-i've never been the same since (about three weeks ago) pain wise, personality wise, i'm out of breath in three seconds of pushing a cart in target, my neck still hurts, iv treatments of keppra haven't really helped, etc. i can't do inpatient DHE treatment- I have a 7 week old baby!! I never got a migraine in my life till 7 weeks ago (6 days after my son was born)- I'm 27 years old- has this ever happened before?? (my family has NO history of migraines and I have NO way of figuring out triggers right now with a 7 week old!)I feel like I'm gonna end up telling my doctor what to give myself - kinda backwards huh(I do have a migraine specialist)?? Can depression cause migraines??

I'm sure this has something to do with my hormones- maybe I just need to go on Zoloft and it will all stop because this never happened to me after my first baby (i was prescribed zoloft for post partum depression after my first baby was 2 weeks old- never got 1 migraine!!)

I believe hormones from other events other than our monthly cycles can affect/bring on migraine. I went through fertility treatments over 10 years ago and haven't been the same since.

Certainly just giving birth can contribute.

I would bet lack of sleep with a newborn can be affecting you. Also, even though I can't really find any family history, my grandma on my dad's side always had 'sick' headaches. I suspect, now, migraines.

Depression can't cause migraines, but can be a co existing condition.

This article may help:

Comorbid conditions

Hmm... Jenny, your specialist seems to be of a different opinion than mine. Mine seems to be more of the opinion that only a preventive will eventually get rid of the daily pain (which I agree with) so we should focus on that first (which I don't entirely agree with).

I will say that the very first time I took Topamax, in college (starting in 2003) it got rid of my chronic daily headache within a week. But, that pain was different in character than the pain I have now so I'm not convinced preventives will be able to do that again (and so far they haven't been). I'm remembering that Medieval Writer mentioned to me on another thread that Topamax was able to get her out of the status migrainous she was in but it took a while.

I'm also not convinced that's the way to go, that's one of the reasons I've been pushing to get some other treatment to try to break my own cycle.

quote:

Originally posted by jennyc:
Hmmm...I've often talked about this with my specialist. I have daily migrain pain that (so far) has not improved with many different preventives.

My HA specialist often talks to me about "breaking the current migraine cycle BEFORE focusing more strongly on the preventives." He has given me meds like decadron, medrol dose packs, Zyprexa, etc. to break particularly persistent migraines. I've also used IV meds on an outpatient/inpatient basis to break a migraine cycle.

I'm certainly NOT a doctor, so I'm just sharing what I've seen from personal experience....

I suppose a preventive med could eventually start doing its job--i.e., preventing the migraines. BUT my doctor has always told me that the preventives have a MUCH better shot at working if the current migraine cycle is broken with a more aggressive intervention (like the things I talked about above). My doc seems to believe that breaking the cycle with a short-term cycle of meds is very important to the long-term success of the preventives.

I hope that makes sense!

I'm sure others will have thoughts about this, too!

jenny

well, now my specialist has me up to 125 mg/day of topamax (still having the wonderful side effect of my heart beating really fast and insomnia) and I'll be on my 4th week of it....still with the same migraine. If it doesn't let up this week, I think I'm gonna give up on the topamax- i think i'm gonna try a beta blocker?? any ideas?? My dry cleaning lady uses Atenol(sp?)?

Did somebody call?

Yes, twice Topamax has broken my mild status migrainous. Took about two weeks during the regular ramp-up schedule each time. Never knew a person could have mild status migrainous but that's what my Dr. Breathtakingly Arrogant the Migraine Speck told me. Everything I've read says status migrainous is a medical emergency but he seemed totally unconcerned.

Of course, he might have decided against hospitalization to punish me because I wouldn't go back on Imitrex. After all, he did invent the stuff (NOT!)--and to think I didn't know who he was!

Alex, you have many preventive options, so don't let the doctor pressure you into staying on Topamax if you can't stand the side effects. However, if you are thinking of giving it up because it isn't working, that's a different matter. It may take three months to know whether it will work, and you don't want to give up on it too soon if it actually could be the drug to help you.

I take a beta blocker called Inderal (propranolol.) There are two beta blockers, Inderal being one, that are FDA-approved for migraine prevention. Most drugs for migraine prevention are prescribed off-label.

problem is topamax has actually INCREASED the frequecy of my migraines but decreased the severity. i've never had to take so much maxalt in all my life!! topamax is the devil but my doctor seems to be sold but monday i'm walkin' with 2 kids and throwin' the towel!! I want new meds NOW! The only time I felt semi normal were the days I got the keppra IV's so maybe I just need to take keppra?? I don't know!?

So Nut, how did you finally decide on Inderal?? Just trial and error??

Unfortunately, trial and error is the name of the game. Inderal was my third attempt at a preventive, after we tried Topamax and Neurontin. I couldn't tolerate Topamax at all, and I stayed on it less than a week. I tolerated Neurontin better, although after I stopped it, I realized how much it had been dragging me down. It took me two months just to ramp it up to the minimum therapeutic dosage my doctor specified, and I took it at that level for five weeks, and my migraines were getting more frequent.

At that point, my neurologist took me off the Neurontin and recommended Inderal. If I'd had a different preference, she certainly would have listened to that, but I really didn't. The Inderal was like a miracle drug for me--I started to see improvement in about a week.

I'll link the list of preventive meds HERE. Take it with you to the doctor. You have every right to insist on a change from Topamax. If your doctor won't make a change, fire his sorry butt. Under no circumstances, however, should you stop the Topamax abruptly. Get a safe taper schedule from a doctor.

For more info on firing a doctor's sorry butt, see this thread:

Teri's Story

Take care.