Comments on: Do You Get Migraines? Can They Be Prevented?

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:32:25 +0000

My doctor and I are trying to figure out which medicine would be best for preventing migraines for me. I tried the Topamax for a month, however, it made me really confused and really tired. Now we are getting ready to try Depakote. Has anyone been on this drug. I keep reading how it make you gain lots of weight and lose much off your hair. I even hear about birth defects. I’m concerned and I don’t know what decision I should make.

By: mommapolitico

mommapolitico — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:49:33 +0000

I have had migraines since I was 18, and have now been migraine free, with the exception of the occasional aura (w/o pain) for two years. I went through the lo blood pressure meds, the anti-convulsives (Topamax), etc. I finally did some internet research and talked to several friends, and marched into my MD’s office and said, “This is what we’re going to do.” I had him prescribe 25mg of Elavil, a very low dose of an old-school antidepressant. I sleep better and I have had no full migraine attacks, save for the occasion aura pattern w/o pain, since I started 2 years ago. Hope this will be helpful to other sufferers. It’s changed my life, quite literally.

By: Kayris/MommyK

Kayris/MommyK — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:07:07 +0000

A topic near and dear to my own heart…

I have been getting migraines since the age of 8. I’m 29 now. They came and went with the years, coming with increasing frequency when I had mono at age 18, and during both my pregnancies. Just recently, I had a migraine of such intensity that it left me unable to stand, unable to move one of my arms and barely able to speak. I had to call my husband to come home from work to care for our two kids, and later that day, he took me to the doctor, where I was diagnosed with a “crippling migraine” and given an injection of something that made me feel better.

I tried Topamax, but it made me feel so disoriented and groggy that i quit taking it after 3 days. I’m supposed to be keeping a headache log and having a brain imaging study, but as usual, those things have been pushed to the back burner. What does seem to help is medication when the aura appears–Tylenol/Sudafed and caffeine ort for the really painful headaches, Imitrex.

After my episode with the crippling migraine, I went online to see if there was anything about migraines that I didn’t already know and was horrified to read on a message board that some people (mostly men) think migraines are the “hysterical rantings of hypochondriac bitches.” Clearly, those people have never suffered from a crippling migraine.

When I posted about it at my site, I received plenty of comments from women who are migraine sufferers, but I don’t believe any of them are fibromyalgia patients as well.

By: Janet Geddis

Janet Geddis — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:17:14 +0000

Hi there! I have read about the connection between fibromyalgia and Migraine disease. I know that Migraine is often accompanied by many other chronic conditions, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

You asked if we took preventive meds. I no longer take prescription meds to prevent Migraine attacks (but I do take them to abort Migraine and help with pain & inflammation). I used to take a handful of prescription drugs but now take a combination of so-called “alternative therapies”–Vitamin B2, magnesium, Petadolex, etc.

I hope you’re doing well and have been dealing okay with the new diagnosis.