Question: Migraines since 5. Preventives make Migraines worse?
Answer:
Full Question:
I've had migraines all my life, basically since I was 5 years old. I've been on Imitrex, Zomig, and finally Maxalt which works better than anything I've tried to stop an attack when it begins. I've learned to eat right, sleep right, and avoid environmental triggers. My headaches have lessened considerably over the past 4 years. Without fail, though, once a month I go through a cycle of 4-6 days of recurring headaches. My wife times it according to her menstrual cycle so she knows when I should get them. She can tell when they're coming because I start to get overly irritable and I get "the migraine face". Anyway, I've been to a neurologist specializing in migraines. He's put me at least 6 different preventative medications from anti-depressants to beta blockers (Inderal, Cardizem, Imipramine, to name a few). I've since stopped going to doctors because after 2-3 weeks of being on a medication, I would begin to get migraines every day. When I went off the medication the migraines would stop. It has happened with EVERY preventative medicine I've tried. Is there a reason for this? The doctors just want to try something else and I'm tired of having my migraines increase when they're supposed to decrease. Please help. Jim .
Answer:
Dear Jim;
I don't know what to say. The meds were supposed to help but did not. That leaves plenty of other things to try, besides the 5 that you mention, but I agree that it gets harder and harder to do so. Again, that is what makes helping headache sufferers fun (for me). It gets tiring for the practitioner as well, slogging through one medication after another. But it beats not having anything left to try!! See:
Medications for Headache and Migraine Prevention
For those of us with frequent headaches or Migraine attacks, preventive
medications, dietary supplements, and even medical devices are often a good
option. There are over 100 medications that can be used and nearly endless
combinations of them. The list is ever-evolving, and will this one will be
updated regularly.
Good luck,
Teri Robert and John Claude Krusz
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Published April 24, 2006
