migraine preventative meds what do you take?

[minnieandmickeymouse]

I am getting more and more migraines. I now have an appointment with a nerologist and I hope they will be able to help me. I have maxalt to stop the migraines I get now, but I am begining to wonder if they are causing me to get rebound migraines. Having to take maxalt on a daily basis isn't good!!!! My headaches are taking over my life! I also don't know if they will be able to give preventative migraines meds if you are pregnant. We are about to go through IVF #2 at the end of March. A part of me is very afraid of getting pregnant with migraines like these.

I have had migraines ALL my life. When I was young I used to take something that was suppose to be a preventative meds, but I was really young and don't know what it was. I just don't get why they are getting so much worse.

I don't ever drink caffeine, and stay away from what I believe to be normal migraine triggers. I just don't know what to do.

 

[luvwinnie]

I take Topamax, but not sure you can take that if pregnant. It has helped a lot, but I still get them. For a natural "remedy" you can ask about trying CoEnzymeQ10.

 

[Maleficient]

I finally started on Topamax after 10 years of worsening migraines that are triggered by sinus. Sinus surgery helped for only a couple of years. Topamax has worked absolute wonders for me, but there are some minor (for me) side effects and I believe it is pregnancy category C since it is seizure medicine. I held off for years, not wanting to take a daily med, but the daily headache and frequent migraine was affecting everything about my life, like you said.
If your headaches are hormonal, there is a chance being pregnant will make them ease up; if like me, they are triggered by other things, pregnancy doesn't change them or can make them worse.

One thing that can work, and can be used in pregnancy with a properly trained doctor, is acupuncture. My insurance covered it for migraine as well. Good luck - I can sympathize.

 

[Sleepy]

I really don't have any suggestions, because I never found anything that would help prevent them. I have found that if I take something that knocks me out, sometimes that helps with the milder migraines. I have always taken Percogesic. It is an OTC med. For the actual splitting migraines I have taken Fioricet and Imitrex shots. I tried Maxalt and it did not work for me.

On a side note, I never got a migraine the entire time I was pregnant. Before and after I kept 2-3 a week.

 

[hulagirl87]

I take Topamax, but not sure you can take that if pregnant. It has helped a lot, but I still get them. For a natural "remedy" you can ask about trying CoEnzymeQ10.

I was on Topamax but being pregnant I went off of it and have had virtually no headaches. My neurologist said that this might be the case and that if after I deliver that I want to go back on it, we will talk about it then. I kind of hope that I don't have to!

 

[Jennasis]

Keppra worked for me.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I've never been on a daily med.....my doctor fusses at me all the time because of the frequency of my migraines but I hate the idea of taking something all the time. Pure stupid stubbornness, I know. Anyway, I also had NO migraines while pregnant...both times.

 

[dislaney]

I used to take Topomax as a preventative for my migraines. I will say this the best part of being pregnant was that I didn't have any migraines. Well maybe one but, it was the most migraine free I've ever been. I didn't take the Topomax while I was pregnant. I used to joke with my neurologist that I wanted to stay pregnant forever. I went back on it after I stopped breast feeding, for a short time, until I couldn't stand the side effects anymore.

 

[minnieandmickeymouse]

I remember when I was pregnant before I didn't as many migraines as I do now. The trouble is when doing IVF, after the egg retrieval, I have to take progesterone, and those caused me to have terrible migraines during my first IVF try. And if you do become pregnant, you have to keep taking them until the 12th week of pregnancy. I just don't know what to do. Is it normal for progestorone to cause migraines, or is there something in the suppository that causing the headaches?

 

[BCV513]

I've had migraines since I was two and have tried just about everything. When I was little, I was one a heart medicine as a daily preventative. Then I got asthma and couldn't take that anymore.

I've tried Neurontin, but that didn't do anything. I took a prescription dose of Aleve (naproxen). That worked, but long-term it can damage your stomach. Now I take Topamax - 100mg a day. It works great - or should I say the brand name did. They just came out with a generic, and it doesn't work nearly as well. I've been getting about one breakthrough migraine a week. Never had that with the brand-name, but insurance will only cover the generic now.

 

[MeggerasMa]

I started getting migraines after my second child was born by c-section. Read - I'm a long time sufferer! I was put on a beta blocker by my family doctor many years ago and it helped. No cure, but they did lessen in frequency. Over the years (and it is many) I've stayed on those as a maintainance medication, as well as tried several others. Imitrex, the original injection form, made me throw up without headache relief. The beta blocker dose is very small and has never been increased because it does cause bradycardia and may lower one's blood pressure, so when the frequency of my migraine attacks increased (after a hysterectomy, oophorectomy)I was put on a very small dose of Elavil. This evened out my sleeping pattern and in combination with the B Blocker has worked pretty well. My dear family practitioner wanted to try Topamax and finally convinced me. Unfortunately, we discovered it contains a small component in the Sulfa family and the side effects (mouth burning, itchy, itchy skin, and more) were intolerable after awhile. Did I mention I'm allergic to Sulfa!!! I feel for you. Migraines are horribly debilitating. It's like loosing days of your life. Here is a tip you might want to try when you think one is approaching - eat something or suck on a hard candy that contains real peppermint oil. For some reason that seems to occassionally put a stop to that bad boy migraine if I catch it in time. It can't hurt and if it gives you some relief...You have my sympathy and my support in your pregnancy efforts! Wishing you and all the other migraine sufferers only the best!

 

[crz4mm2]

I did Topamax for awhile. The nickname "Dopamax" is quite appropriate. I lost lots of memory. Couldn't remember names, simple things. Terrible. Supposedly it would get better with time, didn't for me.
I went off a couple of years ago. I have been "pretty good" without.
I still get migraines, but not daily like it the old days.
I use rescue treatments now, imitrex, relpax, maxalt.

 

[DisCopper]

I've taken Depakote for a while and it works very well for the migraines. I also have a friend on it. Problems: It can cause weight gain (I'm ALWAYS hungry). I put on 20 pounds last year. It can also cause a tremor in your hands.

Beacause of that, the doc put me on Topamax, which did absolutely nothing for me. I had a migraine within a week. That one lasted four weeks. I switched back to Depakote and the migraine went away. Regarding Topamax: the doctor did warn me that 1 in 5 patients have cognitive problems that are pretty severe: forgetting how to tie your shoes, or forgetting your way home. The nurses here call it "Stup-a-max." On the plus side, it can cause weight LOSS. Doctor told me that women patients are always very happy.