English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

1.Has anyone used this for the prevention of migraines?
2.Was it a good choice for you? Why? Why not?

3.If you end up have terrible side effects do you still have to WEAN yourself off of it while enduring the bad effects?
4.What would happen if you quit cold turkey?
5.If it works and you don't have problems do you have to take it indefinately to keep the migraines away?
6.Is there anything else out there that is better but will prevent migraines?

2007-08-29 16:40:57 · 2 answers · asked by Juniper84 3 in Health General Health Care Pain & Pain Management

2 answers

To answer your questions as asked

1. Yes I have tried Topiramate for migraine prevention personally.

2. I was unable to continue the medication due to memory/concentration problems with the Topamax (often called Dope-a-max by health care providers) I worked with pain and headache patients and could not remember what the patients and I discussed minutes after I saw them.

3. I was on a minimal dose and was able to stop the medication without weaning. If you have built up to a higher dose weaning off is recommended.

4. If you quit the medication "cold turkey" there is a chance there would be no problem. But as Topamax is a neuromodulating medication used for the control of seizures as well as migraine prevention; it is possible for you to have a seizure coming off a significant dose without weaning, also it would possibly cause an increase in the incidence of migraines. The migraine issue is minimal but if you had a seizure, in addition to the medical issues associated with seizures, you would be (depending on your state law) be prohibited from driving for 6-12 months. This can be a significant issue for working adults in most cities.

5. If the medication works, it will probably cause a decrease in the incidence of migraines, not a complete cessation. If you have 4 migraines a month it might decrease the incidence to 2 migraines a month. It is possible to have a greater than 50% decrease but most people don't have complete cessation. If you did have complete cessation of the migraines, after 3-6 months your dose would be weaned. If the miigraines returned you would be increased slowly until the incidence decreased again. This would be followed using your migraine diary. If possible the goal would be for you to have few if any migraines with no required medications or minimal medication. Migraines have a tendency to come in cycles, so you would be decreased on the medication on occasion to see if you had decreased in the migraine cycle.

6. There are other medications used to prevent migraines. Each health care provider has their own experiences with these medications and their own preferences based on their experiences. Having gone to several conferences on migraine management, I will tell you that the concensus is that neuromodulators (seizure medications) have the greatest effect on migraine prevention. Each of the medications used has it's own side effects and problems, most people feel Topamax has a strong effect on migraine prevention and it is the most frquently used medication. Keppra and Zonegran also have been used as well as Depakote which is the oldest of the seizure meds used for migraine patients. There are also blood pressure medications used to prevent migraines and antidepressants. In my opinion these are less effective, but other providers may have a different opinion based on their experiences. I am again giving you what I find is the general consensus from conferences. There are also some other medications with which I have had little or no success.

There are also naturopathic preparations used to prevent migraines, and I have had mixed success with these so I try them if patients are reluctant to use medications, but usually use the above meds first.

Migraine management is a very individual issue as the precipitating and aggravating factors are individual. Management of the "triggers" and the hormonal issues takes precedence over prevention.

I would say try the Topamax at a low starting dose and increase the dose slowly if you are concerned. Keep a careful watch and have a friend or significant other help you look for changes which might indicate problems with the medication. Most people do fine.

Please also forgive my typos, my keyboard is messing up.

2007-08-29 18:04:04 · answer #1 · answered by US_DR_JD 7 · 1 0

4. yes there is. Find the root cause of why you are giving yourself migraines. The book, "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise L. Hay

Here is an excerpt, see if it fits!

Cause: Dislike of being driven. Resisting the flow of life. Sexual fears. (Can usually be relieved by masturbation)

New thought pattern:
I relax into the flow of life and let people provide all that I need easily and comfortably. Life is for me.

I know you are thinking new age crap....but what do you have to lose? A headache.....so go buy the book and see if you aren't perhaps, just perhaps causing your own dis-ease.

2007-08-29 16:50:10 · answer #2 · answered by WitchTwo 6 · 0 2

fedest.com, questions and answers