Migraine

My neuro prescribed zonisamide (generic Zonegran) to me as a preventative. I'm to do 50 mg twice a day for two weeks then increase to 100 mg for two weeks then to 150 mg twice a day. He told me I could stop at either of the two levels if I was seeing positive effects.

But...since I started eight days ago taking 50 mg in the a.m. and 50 mg in the evening, I've struggled with a low-grade migraine almost continually. Midrin does nothing; 2.5 mg of zomig temporarily knocks it out.

Have any of your who've taken zonegran or zonisamide experienced this side effect? Did it go away eventually? I'm wondering if I'm having this problem at 100 mg/day if it will just get worse at 200, or if I should hold off until the headhache stops.

Hi Jeff,

I restarted Zonegran and had pretty bad naseau for about three weeks. Then it just stopped.

Did you have this "low grade migraine" before you started zonegran or did it begin when you started the medication? There really is no way to tell if your Migraine pain will get worse, but hopefull, if it is a potential side effect it will go away the longer you stay on this medication. If not, this may not be the medication for you. Have you spoken with your doctor about it?

The migraine started a day after I started the zonisamide. A nagging headache is rare for me, so I'm thinking it's the medication. I'll give it a few more days before I give my dr a call. Maybe it will be like your nausea and just go away!

Jeff,

You might also ask your doctor about starting at a lower dose. Zonegran has an extremely long half-life of 72 hours. When I started it, my doctor had me take 50 mg once a day every other day for the first week. Then 50 mg once a day every day, and slowly up from there. Eventually, I took as much as 400mg a day.

Please keep us posted?

Haven't experienced this on Zonegran, but on Depakote, YES. I traded my regular migraine pain for a "low grade" constant headache/migraine that never went away. Similiar, maybe? Hope it goes away for you soon!

Update on my zonisamide experience....Just started my fourth week and am now at 300 mgs/day (150 mgs in the a.m. and 150 mgs in the evening). My low-grade headache went away after about 10 days!! I am going on 6 days without a migraine, which is my longest streak in a long time. My only noticeable side effect is my a strange mood. I wouldnt call it depression...maybe more "moodless". Hopefully, that will go away in time. I just hope the headaches continue to stay away!

Isn't Zonegran Sulfa based? Maybe some of you are having a reaction to it. I can't take anything that is sulfa related.

Jeff,

Great news that the zonisamide has started to work for you. If the mood, or lack of it, is bothersome enough, check with your pharacist (I can't spell tonight, sorry) and see if that's a possible side effect. Some adjustment might be necessary when you see you doctor, or as you continue to get used to it, it may go away. If we could vote, I'd vote for it going away .

Take care and I hope the medication continues to work for you.

Cindy

I was just thinking about you -- thanks for the update.

I take 3oo MG of zonisamide at bed and I haven't had any side efects from it, I think I started at 100 MG for a week and worked my way up. But that was a while ago and it doesn't seem to have helped with the migraines but the DR. is keeping me on it anyway.

I hope it works well for you.

Good luck and good health.

Jim

After almost eight weeks, I had to stop the zonisamide. The strange mood (or depression or whatever it was) was not going away, and those around me were asking more and more if I was "ok." A week ago, I was in such a funk and not feeling well, so I called my neuro to ask about stopping completely. He told me to take 7-14 days to wean myself off the 300 mgs/day. Admittedly I went faster than he suggested, and I went to zero mgs in about four days. I've now been zonismide-free for four days and feel 100% better. A coworker today told me the "fun" Jeff was back today.

So, my zonisamide experience is done. I go back to the neuro in six weeks, and we'll figure something else to try.