Yah, hun.....they are called....Just don't giveadam tabs.

Seriously, my doc said the same thing. I get cycles of migraines. I'm on my cycle again. I wake up, and go down with migraines. I believe it's called Topamax. You may want to double check that with your doc....but research it...see if the med will help you in the long run.

I've never been on it, so I can't give you a first hand as to how it can help.

I hope your migraine goes away soon.

I Don't Think I have ever had a Migraine...even tho I was diagnosed with them, when I talked to Migraine sufferers, they just don't Sound the same as My headaches...My Worst ones actually Feel like they are coming from my back/neck...and when I had the Severe Eye pain, I found out much later that was Actually part of my Trigeminal Nerve...I get those Attacks from time to time, usually located in my Jaw and Sinus area...

I Hope you Find some serious Relief from these Headaches...without to Many Bad Side Effects...I have some Friends who Suffer them...I wish I had an ounce of Info for you...Research, Research, RESEARCH...is my Only advise...Hugs !!

If I can catch them before they turn into full blown migraines, I can usually avoid them. I get visual disturbances that signal one coming on and when that hits, I shut myself in a dark quiet room and just sleep. When I wake up, it is usually under control....or just a regular headache.

When I was younger I had bad migraines and the docs gave me Cafergot. You have to take it when you get the first sign of a migraine. Once the migraine hits, these won't do any good. But I liked them since it wasn't something I had to take ALL the time.

I have had horrible migraines my whole life. A couple of years ago I was in and out of the hospital with them, having them for weeks at a time.

I started Cymbalta, 60 mg a day, for fibro a year ago. Since then my migraines have really decreased. Most preventative meds are antidepressants, or they may want to try Depakote. Depakote has some serious side effects so question that one. Preventative meds, most of them, don't make you loopy or anything.

If your doc can determine if you have occipital nerve damage, there is the injections they can apply.

I got one injection and was headache/migraine free for 9 days.

There is supposed to be a series of these injections over a 2 week period, but I have been too araid to bother my neuro about it. I will request it again at my next appt. I would like to do the full occipital nerve blocks appropriately.

It does hurt the neck for a few days tho. So a trade off.

This by far has been the best remedy for me. I have tried other pill forms, but they didnt touch it.

hope this helps.

After Dakota's post showing that the tight neck muscles cause the migraines, I now take 1/2 skelaxin (a muscle relaxer) whenever my neck gets really tight and it is working. I was getting the migraines at least half the time.

I didn;t know there were preventative drugs for this. Good luck, hope you find what works for you - migrains suck!

I have suffered from migraines for years and have tried various meds. Everyone is different and has different triggers. Tension, stiffness in neck, stress are all contributing factors. You have to figure out what works for you. Som migraines are related to hormonal issues. Just keep researching.....

I've been given so many migraine preventatives I can't even remember half of them, but I do remember the topamax. Didn't help, made me dopey. Not taking it anymore! BTW, it's an antiseizure drug and my daughter was on it for a couple of years after she experienced a gran mal seizure and they couldn't figure out why :/

There are a number of preventatives out there. After suffering with migraines almost daily (by which I mean I "might" go two days MAX three without on) for over 8 months...my neuro suggested topomax.

It sounded great! You might even lose weight, he said. YAY, I thought. I started taking it, and noticed that while I still got the migraines, they were certainly milder. Slowly, I noticed that I couldn't remember anything. I'd watch my son walk by, and then wonder where he was two minutes later. I couldn't do anything at work because when copying something from one book to the other, I couldn't remember it.

I then started to realize I was slurring my words. It was like I was drunk. I also couldn't express myself anymore. And then the loss of coordination.

When I mentioned this to my neuro he said "oh, well, there are side-effects, and that's normal." Uh huh. I stopped taking it.

My GP then recommended I take Amitryptilene. An anti-depressant that works on nerve-blocking (or something)...I thought, hey, it can't be worse than staggering around and talking like I was drunk.

And it worked for me. I get a migraine only once every three months or so, and then I take Maxalt. If I get them more frequently, they are minor...and I can deal with them. It's been wonderful!!!

So, what I'm saying is...you have to try different ones so that you can see what works for you. I've heard from some people that Ami does nothing for them, and others who swear by Topomax.

Go ahead and try....it may improve your quality of life. I know it did mine.

Thanks, everyone, for the info and support!! I'm better tonight....it took two Imitrex and three Lortab to get on top of the pain, but much better tonight. The last three I had to go in for pain shots, so easier today.

Gonna talk to the PCP next time I go in about Topomax or others, and possible side effects....may not be worth it.

Thanks, everyone, and HUGS to all for a great evening!!

I use Verapamil and its working for me.

I was surprised to figure out that my horrible, horrible migraines were connected to constipation.

Constipation is what my OLD aunties had. They drank Metamucil. One Aunty ran out and was freaking out like I'd never seen until she got some more. I thought it quite silly. She was acting like she'd run out of her heroin, or something serious.

Oh my! I got old and forgot to notice.

I drink Plumsmart's plum juice with fiber every evening and eat oatmeal or buckwheat for breakfast. It works ok. I keep Ducolax on hand and use it without hesitation. And if I run out, just watch me freak.

I will not endure another migraine if I can at all manage it.

Some drugs will cause constipation.

For some it's chocolate, others might avoid caffeine. We're all different. I hope you find your trigger, soon.

Hugs.

.

I will NEVER take Topamax again. I went through a dreadful 10 days of hell. Sleeping for 10 hours, more pain than anything I experienced before, including massive headaches, dizziness, pacing and crying spells, anger and more!

Now, I do the scarf exercise (in my photo section), drinking filtered water, doing trigger point massages, along with taking CoQ10. Seems to work good. Ativan or a double dose of demerol works pretty good too.

Sorry about your headaches. I have a SIL and she had terrible migraines, she went to a clinic where they tested her for allergies to see if something was causing her migraines.

Turned out she was allergic to wheat, once she eliminated wheat from her diet she eliminated her headaches.

Then it could be from stress or neck muscles.

Hope you get feeling better soon