Topamax

[VaBusa]

No experience with Topamax.  However, my wife takes a migraine drug called Amerge.  They work like magic, but they are expensive.  Our co-pay is $18 a pill.

There is another one called Imitrex that is like Amerge. They work by constricting vessels in your brain, and they can seriously raise blood pressure as a side effect.  My wife has never had any bad experience though, and I think the bp thing is fairly rare. For her, no detectable side effects at all. These drugs are non-narcotic (they are not "pain killers").

I looked up Topamax and it is primarily considered an anti-seizure drug (anti-epileptic drug).  This type of drug usually has unpleasant side effects.

Imitrex is one of those drugs I've never tried, yet I know plenty of migraine sufferers that say it works once, twice, then it's a waste of time...

Never heard of Amerge; I'll go look it up...I've tried several migraine meds that you take at the onset of a migraine; since none of them work long-term, I'm leaning toward trying the preventative instead. My doc offered it to me last year and I opted out, figured I'd just hope for the best with the meds I was on, but it's clear now that none of them are really doing the job...

And yes, Topamax was originally deemed a drug for epilepsy, but it's used for other conditions as well...my best friend takes it daily for issues unrelated to both epilespy or migraines...that part does kind of worry me though...

 

[BigDiesel]

hey if your allergies are getting worse, ask your doc about injections...when I was like 7 and sneezing at everything that existed, doc started me on a regimen of shots-1 in each arm each week for 6 mos, then every other week, then once a month, and finally (2 years later) just took claritin every day for like 10 years. Dont take anything anymore just sum allegra when i get a bad spell of congestion, or some sudafed....


heck, if migraines are beatn ya up, there's always the "herbal remedy" ....

dont think you can take that at wok tho-all your co-workers will want sum; then everybody will get back to workn...but forget what they're doing, where they were doing it, and have a sudden need to order pizza n cookies

 

[VaBusa]

hey if your allergies are getting worse, ask your doc about injections...when I was like 7 and sneezing at everything that existed, doc started me on a regimen of shots-1 in each arm each week for 6 mos, then every other week, then once a month, and finally (2 years later) just took claritin every day for like 10 years. Dont take anything anymore just sum allegra when i get a bad spell of congestion, or some sudafed....


heck, if migraines are beatn ya up, there's always the "herbal remedy" ....

 dont think you can take that at wok tho-all your co-workers will want sum; then everybody will get back to workn...but forget what they're doing, where they were doing it, and have a sudden need to order pizza n cookies

Pregnancy seemed to fix my allergies; now the hubby's got 'em after never having 'em...

Herbal remedies would be awesome if only the ones I'd like were LEGAL...perhaps I should move to Amsterdam? LOL My coworkers would definitely fight for some of my stash; it's a usual topic around here, a potential way for us to deal with stress though none partake since we'd all be fired for it

 

[BiG-T]

...just take two of these and call me when you wake up two days from now.

 

[Shibumi]

Hey Michelle, I've been treated for headaches for 4-5 years, I have tried Topamax, and Zomig, and Maxalt, but apparently my headaches are not migraines and those did not help. I also had sinus surgery, helped for 6-8 months and then headaches came back. I think I just have crappy sinuses, and weather changes kill me. Currently see a pain management specialist and she monitors my meds. The new ones are worth a try, you never know.

For your husband, I went to an allergist like BigD and had shots for 2-3 years and no longer have symtoms and have been off the shots for 3 months. The shots are actually painless, 28 gauge needle, I did my own after I got up to a maintenance dosage. It is REALLY worthwhile, allergies are miserable to have.

 

[Turbo-Torch]

I started getting migrains around the age of 15 and they SUCK. They always start off with the pin point of light that continues to grow. After 10 minutes I'm about 95% blind as all I see are jagged silver like flashing lights. I can barely see the outline of my hand in front of my face and if I'm driving I have to find a safe place to pull over. Oddly there is no pain or sick feeling as this is happening. After 20 minutes the flashing lights move off to the right and I can see again, but then the sickness sets in. All energy is gone, upset stomache and the worst part is the dull headache. Nose bridge, ears, between eyes and jaws hurt like hell...I think it's everything made out of cartilage. I feel like total shid for 2 days and just want to sleep during that whole time.

In high school they were hitting me about once every three weeks. Back then I had some stuff called Cafergot which did nothing but get me wired. Tried Imitrex in the 90's and that never made a bit of difference.

In my late 20's they didn't happen quite as often, maybe once every 2 months which was still too much. The cure all was when I had my wisdom teeth removed about 5 years ago! Once those impacted bastards were sawed out of there, the migrains disappeared.

So many things can trigger a migrain...anything from bright light, allergies, certain foods, stress ect. I got lucky in that it was just my wisdom teeth.

 

[VaBusa]

...just take two of these and call me when you wake up two days from now.

Can I at least have a chaser?

 

[VaBusa]

Hey Michelle, I've been treated for headaches for 4-5 years, I have tried Topamax, and Zomig, and Maxalt, but apparently my headaches are not migraines and those did not help. I also had sinus surgery, helped for 6-8 months and then headaches came back. I think I just have crappy sinuses, and weather changes kill me. Currently see a pain management specialist and she monitors my meds. The new ones are worth a try, you never know.  
 

For your husband, I went to an allergist like BigD and had shots for 2-3 years and no longer have symtoms and have been off the shots for 3 months. The shots are actually painless, 28 gauge needle, I did my own after I got up to a maintenance dosage. It is REALLY worthwhile, allergies are miserable to have.

I'm sorry you've been through all of that only to end up with pain mgmnt...does that work? Do you still get the headaches but the meds ease it or do you find that you're still dealing with pain and get some relief from time to time? What meds do they give you for the pain? 20 questions, I know

My husband had some allergy tests run; he nearly passed out from those little needles...can you say "baby" when it comes to needles

I too went to an allergist when I was 18 or so and it only yielded that I'm allergic to many things, most of which I can't avoid...after all of that, I was not a candidate for the shots

 

[VaBusa]

I started getting migrains around the age of 15 and they SUCK.  They always start off with the pin point of light that continues to grow.  After 10 minutes I'm about 95% blind as all I see are jagged silver like flashing lights.  I can barely see the outline of my hand in front of my face and if I'm driving I have to find a safe place to pull over. Oddly there is no pain or sick feeling as this is happening.  After 20 minutes the flashing lights move off to the right and I can see again, but then the sickness sets in.  All energy is gone, upset stomache and the worst part is the dull headache.  Nose bridge, ears, between eyes and jaws hurt like hell...I think it's everything made out of cartilage.  I feel like total shid for 2 days and just want to sleep during that whole time.

In high school they were hitting me about once every three weeks.  Back then I had some stuff called Cafergot which did nothing but get me wired.  Tried Imitrex in the 90's and that never made a bit of difference.

In my late 20's they didn't happen quite as often, maybe once every 2 months which was still too much.  The cure all was when I had my wisdom teeth removed about 5 years ago!  Once those impacted bastards were sawed out of there, the migrains disappeared.

So many things can trigger a migrain...anything from bright light, allergies, certain foods, stress ect.  I got lucky in that it was just my wisdom teeth.

I've never had those symptoms, but my sister did...my migraines are are always just damn painful, feels like someone's stabbing me behind my left eye 85% of the time, and the other 15% finds my right eye as home...I have seen aura and flashes of light with my migraines, but they only happened during pregnancy while the docs doled out Tylenol with Codeine and Fioricet for the pain, both of which do nothing for a migraine...

I keep hoping I'll be one of those that just stops having 'em...been waiting for that day for years now...

I'm so glad you finally found out what may have been triggering 'em...my wisdom teeth are gone, so alas that's not my trigger

Sorry you suffered so much with them though; that's tough...

 

[FastCurrey]

I didn't start geting migraines until I was 24, before that I rarely had headaches. The doctor started me on the caffegot but that only led to rebound headaches. I was sent to a neurologist who started me on imitrex which worked but it took about 2.5 hours before i began seeing any change. Imitrex also upset my stomach and made me want to puke.

About three years ago I swapped from the imitrex to the Zomig and initially it was great but then started making me sick...like I needed that. I also take a preventitive called Zanaflex that is supposed to help relax muscles and reduce the number of migraines.

For the past year I have been seeing a chiropractor which seems to help. Now when a migraine pops up I ice my neck for 15 then stretch. It helps but still hasn't fixed the problem.

My triggers are chocolate and smells. If i catch a wiff of something strong I am a goner. I also suffer from allergens like pollen but am ok with critter dander. When I am home in Florida I dont have to take my Claritin but still suffer from Migraines with about the same average.

As far as prevention I got nothing so keep me informed...please.

 

[Aquaman]

I used to get migrains all the time as a kid.Somehow they just went away.The last one I got was a few years back and it wasn't till I ate one of those dang frozen chicken pot pies,I was in agony.Had to leave work.
I really dont know if that is what caused it,but I was fine till I ate it.....
Aint touched one again!!!

 

[VaBusa]

I didn't start geting migraines until I was 24, before that I rarely had headaches.  The doctor started me on the caffegot but that only led to rebound headaches.  I was sent to a neurologist who started me on imitrex which worked but it took about 2.5 hours before i began seeing any change.  Imitrex also upset my stomach and made me want to puke.

About three years ago I swapped from the imitrex to the Zomig and initially it was great but then started making me sick...like I needed that.  I also take a preventitive called Zanaflex that is supposed to help relax muscles and reduce the number of migraines.

For the past year I have been seeing a chiropractor which seems to help.  Now when a migraine pops up I ice my neck for 15 then stretch.  It helps but still hasn't fixed the problem.

My triggers are chocolate and smells.  If i catch a wiff of something strong I am a goner.  I also suffer from allergens like pollen but am ok with critter dander.  When I am home in Florida I dont have to take my Claritin but still suffer from Migraines with about the same average.

As far as prevention I got nothing so keep me informed...please.

I was going to a chiropractor for my back issues that eventually culminated in back surgery last summer

but he also specialized in patients that suffered from migraines because he did as well...maybe I didn't go enough, but I never really saw a change for the good and it got to pricey to continue the visits...

Perhaps I should think about going there again though...sounds like you've been through 'em plenty yourself, but much of the same "there's really no good 'cure' for a migraine"

It seems like most meds work for a time, then peter out...at least you know some of your triggers...

If I learn anything great and new, I'll let you know

 

[Altec]

Michelle, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. I'm in the same "why can't I just be normal camp." You are definately not alone there.

I'm diabetic and I've been on a lot of different meds for the past 4-5 years. Glucophage was one as was Topomax. I did not have any side effects from either of them. I was on Topomax for over a year or so. Topomax is kinda the new wonder drug. Originally for epileptics and now they are finding it is good for all kinds of stuff.

I moved from the glucophage to Avandamet, which is Avandia and Metformin in one pill, but now I'm on Avandaryl. Smaller pill and seems to be doing just as well as the others where containing my blood sugar is concerned.

For my migraines, I've been using something called Relpax, which if taken immediately at the onset of the migraine seems to work very well. I try to use the over the counter stuff before going to the heavy duty stuff for the obvious reasons, like driving and cognetive thinking

This stuff seems to work for me at the moment. I haven't had to drop it except a few times so I can't give a real evaluation of the long term on it.

Something to consider: do you occassionally get your headaches on days you don't have caffeine? Caffeine is an addiction and I went through a real hard time when I had to stop drinking regular Coke.

Also something to consider is that your body may be going through some sort of change and as a result one of your other medications may now be a contributing factor where it was not before.

Dunno if any of that is helpful, but I wish you all the best with it.

 

[Over_Easy]

Holy Crappola, we sure have a lot of headache/allergy/sinus health related issues on the board here. Use to have bad allergies in high school and college, took shots for a few years, stopped and haven't had them since but I've moved as well.

I read that the body will adjust to long term use of a particular medicine and it doesn't have as strong as an effect from when you first take it. Therefore it was recommended to rotate medications.

Try some whacky weed/chiba/Mary Jane...for medicinal purposes of course.

 

[omslaw]

My husband is Omslaw, and he handed me the computer and told me to read your post and offer you my advice. I have had migraines since I was 2 and have been on every kind of medication known to mankind. I started seeing a neurologist about 12 years ago. He did many tests, and we tried many medications. I have been on Topamax for about 3 1/2 years now. I take it every day, on a very strict regimine. My migraines have been under control ever since I started taking it. Every once in awhile, when I am under a lot of stress (like that happens with a husband, three kids, and my own law firm!!), I get a peak migraine and take relpax. One of those pills and I am usually good to go. The Topamax helps keep my migraines under control. I have not suffered any side effects except the occassional weight loss. Too bad, huh?? I stopped looking for any additional medications once I found that Topamax worked for me. In my experience, not all medications work for everyone in the same way. Topamax is a very touchy medication. The dosage has to remain constant in your bloodstream. You have to start low, and slowly raise your dosage over time. I am at 250 mg per day, but had to work up to that at 50 mg per day for 5 days at a time. So it took almost a month to get up to my dosage. You cannot run out of the medication because you cannot miss a dose of it for you will feel the difference, or you might have to start over to increase the medication back in your bloodstream again. It is worth it, at least to me. My migraines, which were weekly, are now one every four months. Not bad for me. And, they last only a day to maybe two days. They used to last a week. It has made a difference to me. Hope this helped. Good luck!

 

[chrisjp]

ok va...got a friend of mine with severe migraines ...she says topamax is preventitive only...if you to 150 mg you can have comprehension problems and it varies from person to person and see a neurologist

 

[TruWrecks]

Something to remember about the human body. It's constantly checking and adjusting the hormone and chemical levels in the blood and body. If a change is detected, it will react, and not always in a good way. If you have made any changes in diet, stress, or even environmental exposure, the body will attempt to adjust to compensate for the changes. It's the worlds most amazing balancing act.

If your migraines became more frequent at some point in time, figure out what may have changed, and talk to your doctor about it. You should be able to find something that works for a while. Since the human body also aquires a tollerance from repeated exposure, you should rotate your meds with ones in different drug families. 2 different drugs in the same family will have similar chemical properties that the body will treat as the same drug, but the side effects may differ slightly.

When I had back surgery the nurses would give me morphine one time, but switch to percocet for the next shot. After a few days they switched me to toradol and vicodine. I couldn't keep any food down, but it did wonders to help control the pain from the nerve damage.

Sent you a PM.

Later,

Doug



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[forceofnature]

Are your migranes food alergy related?  I know my son had them and layed off certain food types and now he rarely gets them.  He would get them so bad he would vomit.

I've tracked 'em for years and there's no real rhyme or reason to them...the only true trigger I know of is sudden loud noises, like someone popping a balloon...that always leads to a bad headache in an instant, and sometimes migraines.  

I get them pretty badly, but not to the point of being sick to my stomach unless I've just popped too many pills...I pretty much can't function when they're bad though; no driving, can't keep my eyes open (light sensitive), no sound...

Glad your son found the trigger though...

Ok I am not a Dr. but play one on TV (just Kidding). From the sound of your triggers which are random and sense driven you really need to see a specialist if you are already then find another specialist.

I dont like the sound of your random triggers.

 

[nitrousjunkie]

Demoral Michelle!

 

[VaBusa]

Thanks for all the advice and replies...

Omar's wife gave me some insight on Topamax and I really appreciate that; I'm so glad you've found a balance with that drug.  It gives me some hope...I think it's the one I'm going to really ask about on Friday and I know you have to work to build it up in your system much like I had to do with glucophage years ago...I am a bit worried about the whole "forgetfulness" while on the drug because God knows, I don't need ANY more of that in my life, but hey, I might be fun and free entertainment for my coworkers while I try to recall if I wore one pair of socks or two...thanks Omar for getting your wife to post up!!!  Means a lot...

Seriously, great insight from everyone and I had no idea so many of you GUYS have had migraines; my experiences have shown that it's mostly women and I almost didn't post up because I figured most guys haven't had 'em...I have been proven wrong, again...

As for my triggers forceofnature, I think I'll resume tracking them, what I am eating/doing/other factors to hopefully figure out what's causing them.  I do know that very sudden loud sounds kill my head in a millisecond.  I can go from feeling fine, *boom* and then the headache begins (explains my aversion to Harleys LOL)...it's instantaneous and drives me nuts...many of those do lead to worse headaches or migraines...

Or, perhaps I'll just try NJ's idea...pass the Demoral

Thanks for the PMs too guys...

 You're all the best!