Migraine

Hi,
Last eve. I pulled out the insert that comes with my Frova. I did not understand all the reported symptoms listed there are MANY. I got online and looked up some terms. Gee, that explained alot of these weird stroke like symptoms.

Also I love this. I am quoting from the insert now.
" The safety of treating an average of more than 4 migraine attacks in a 30 day period has not been established." Gee I only have used 16 pills per month for about 2 years, being assured by my migraine specialist, that it was safe. Of course we know what I already fired her for.

From back pain to amnesia all listed as possible side affects of frova. Remember I said that I was losing blocks of time?

I am LIVID that the nuero who introduced me told me to take 4 pills per week, along with 2 ergotamine shots per week, when the manufacturer clearly states diffrently. Also in this information it Clearly states not to take with antidepressants naming them, the Cymbalta included. I was only on the two of them for 8 months. I am lucky not to be dead or permantly impaired. Also under the manufacturer's guildlines of who should not take Frova I may now fit their description. Further complicating my life as the other meds for migraine have frequently failed me. From the many preventatives right on up to Morphine. So now I have to start all over????

Terri, now I see why you were telling me that 4 frova and 2 dhe45 shots per week were problem. Now that I know the dangers of having migraine every day for months on end, I also know the dangers of the meds, for MY body. Now I have to decide which I would be better off taking my chances with.

Fortunatly for me I feel better mentally the past 2 days. However my body is still weak. I will be able to relay all this to dr. tomorrow. Trust me if he is not on the same ship I am it will be a short visit.
I knew I did not actually have fibromyalgia and am now going to investigate this severe fatigue to see if it is induced by meds, as it is in the Frova info.
I simply am angered AND relieved to read all these symptoms can be caused by the Frova. Of course I am not an idiot and will still rule out other things. And I know just because this was bad for me does not mean everyone else. However I am LIVID that patients do not always recieve accurant information from their dr's. I feel at $300.00 an hour we are entitled to at least that much. I guess I could have read it myself, but after 11 months of daily migraine, puking my guts out every day, I just expected DR to inform me. Wrong?

I fit the description for a few diseases,already diagnosed. Gee I wonder what other diseases they could diagnosed me with that were actually symptoms from medications. THEN- they could give me more meds for those diseases and I can die from side affects of those.

You know what? I am weaning off all these meds except the Inderal I take as a preventative.
A while back something told me I should get off meds. Remember when I wrote you about it? Now I do not suggest to anyone else this method. But as for me and Fredrick, migraine is a walk in the park compaired to being paralized, unable to speak, black outs, and the like. Not to mention what my poor Bruce has been thru, with me. the 1trip to ER that I did not go in ambulance was ONLY 4,220.00. Now that Dr. I asked specificly if the FROVA could have caused any of the symptoms. I would like to think that the Dr. drug info is at least as much as is in the patients box. Dr's being familiar with all the medical terms should have had NO PROBLEM lining up my symptoms and that given from manufacturer. 2 ER visits I saw 3 doctors. What is up with that? The only thing one Dr. said about Frova when I pressed him, after he looked at drug info, was that they simply did not know. I thank him for that because that statement set the red flag out for me. If not for him saying that I might have kept taking it and died, or worse, from a stroke or heart failure.
The first ER trip I had to go in an ambulance. I have not yet recieved that bill but am sure it will be around 6,000.00. There, all the Dr. said I was dehydrated and slightly low Potassium. Insinuatting I had misused my lacix. However have not even taken any of that for months now. If I was dehydrated to the point of my leg being paralized, should they not have at least given me a bag of fluid?
The 2 ER bills will total right around 10,000 and they told me absolutly nothing other than I did not have a stroke right then or a heart attack. Also as you said the MRI and CT alone are not conclusive. The needed test are MRA and one other.
The first ER Dr. did say to me when I asked what could have caused the paralasis, well, you do take alot of medication. I was angry when she said it, not realizing she was probably right. But why could she not just tell me the description of the Frova reported symptoms? She went and looked it up.After all Iam paying her about 1,000 for looking it up and helping me.

ALSO LET ME SAY THIS> I AM SO STUPID FOR NOT READING EVERY WORD AVAILABLE TO ME ABOUT ALL RX. AND THEY DO HAVE WONDERFUL ONLINE MEDICAL DICTIONARIES FOR EVEN FREDRICK TO FIGURE OUT WORDS.

Am I wrong to be LIVID? That is why I did not rush back to ER when I continued to have symptoms. That is also why I am taking it on myself to figure it out and inform new DR. what I have found. I know it is not my job, but I feel as though my life may depend on it. What is more important is my quality of life. I feel like if New Dr. is a good one. Good one meaning he is open minded, knowledgable, and willing to listen and do research, I stand a chance. He can rule out diseases that may have caused me to fall ill like that. But I want tests, proof positive on everything, from here on out.
Did I mention the fact that I am LIVID? 6,00000000 times?
On another medication, not migraine related, I was reading the print out from the pharmacy that accompanies RX. I called pharmacist to ask questions about it. Do you know she had the odassity to tell me I should not be reading the info. that accompanies the RX?
I ask you. Is there something wrong here?
At first I tried to e-mail this to you, not wanting everyone to read it. The e-mail came back, and now I am glad. I think everyone should read this. Mabey it will prevent others from just blindly following their Dr. instructions. Specialist or not.
My final thoughts, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Knowledge is power, and could very well save you alot of trouble, money, and possibly your life.

Bev,

The part about safety of treating an average of more than 4 Migraines in 30 days is something you just can't worry about. There will NEVER be studies to show that kind of safety. They're extremely expensive, and the pharma companies get enough grief about the prices of meds.

As for listed side effects, keep in mind that they're POTENTIAL side effects. Everything anyone reports -- even ONE person -- has to be listed, which is good, but it's possible that some of what's reported wasn't even due to the drug. Some could have been coincidental.

I do agree that your neuro should have know that triptans and ergotamines TOGETHER should be limited to two or three days a week.

Regarding antidepressants -- read it again. Does it really say not to take both? The prescribing info does NOT. It says, "careful observation of the patient is advised, particularly during
treatment initiation and dose increases."

Bottom line, Bev, is that you need to get to a good Migraine specialist. Doing our own research to share with our doctors is OK, but the doctors really need to know more about this than we do. Look at all the expenses you listed here. Get thee to a specialist!