Migraine

I have had migraines for 10 yrs now and they have gotten worse over the years. My doctor wants to go ahead and put me on meds that I will have to take everyday to decrease them from coming 3+ wk. I was on Imitrex now he wants to put me on Inderal 60mg. I am worried because I hate taking medicine, and I am also a thinker so I worry am I doing more harm than good to my body by taking medicine everyday. Does anyone out there have any info good and bad on Inderal and how it did or did not work for them. Thanks to all and I look forward to gettin these migraines under control. Oh 1 more thing my doctor wants me to write a HA(Headache) diary. What does that all intell? Thanks again!!

Hi Angie,

Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear you're in such pain. You've come to the right place though, and I think you'll find a lot of useful information here to help you on the path to good health!

Your doctor is right! A preventative medicine is the way to go when you have regular migraines. I haven't taken Inderal, but it's a beta blocker used as a migraine preventative. You will always be able to find someone for whom your medication did not work, but I'd encourage you that there's also people out there that it DID work for! Plus, if this isn't the med for you, there are lots more preventative medications out there for you to try!

I understand your hesitation, I hate taking medications. I grew up in a very natural home, we ate organic, were treated with homeopathic and herbs and antibiotics were avoided like the plague! However, I know that my quality of life isn't worth it to avoid the medication, so I'm trying out different preventative medications right now, looking for the right one for me and some relief from my head pain!

A headache diary is a great idea, and most of the people on this forum keep one in one form or fashion. You just keep track of when you get a migraine, what triggered it, and what helped stop it. There's actually a free one that you can download on this site! There's a brief article included that can help explain things a little as well.

http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/tools-190553-5.html

Welcome again to the forum... I hope you start feeling better soon!

Hello, Angie, I'm so glad you found us. I hope you will join us on the forum often.

I hate taking meds too, and if there's a side effect out there, I'll find it. I resisted taking preventives much longer than I should have. But being in that much pain three times a week--and the activity in the brain that the pain stems from--is not good for your body, either.

I take Inderal, and it has really helped me. About the only side effect I have is a mild exercise intolerance. I assure you it doesn't interfere with exercise as much as a migraine does.

Here's some info about Inderal:

Inderal Oral

Good luck with this. If it doesn't work for you, there are plenty of other options.

Welcome to the forum Angie!

Your dr is absolutly right. If you are having migraines 3X a week you need to be on a preventative. Virtually all of us here are on one preventative or another. We also have the abortives(which your Imtrex is) for when we actually get a migraine. Here is a link about Preventative and abortive meds

I too hate taking daily meds. I am a pretty "natural" gal, and dont like putting anyting in my body like meds etc. But it is totally unavoidable in my case, with how bad my normal migraines are, not to mention my hemiplegic ones.

I have not been on Inderal. I have been on many others though. Sometimes it takes awile to find the right med. Some people handle side effects of one med fine, and cant tollerate another. Some meds help one person but not another. Its trial and error and lots of patience!

A migraine diary is a wonderful idea. Here is a great article about diaries It has a great migraine diary that you can download.

Keep us posted!

Tawsha

Welcome, Angie!

I'll add my voice to what everyone else has said. With migraines as often as you're having them, it's time for a preventive. Inderal is a common first step. I've never taken it, but we've got members who have taken it with success.

Migraines are a genetic, neurological disease. They're not "just a headache." When lifestyle changes and other methods don't work, it's time to attack the disease with medications.

Teri, our forum expert, has gone from 6 to 7 migraine days a week to one migraine every 2 to 4 months. It's worth it to find your best preventive medicine.

Looking forward to seeing you around!

Gret
Gretchen in Mississippi