What would be in this IV? I've never heard of anyone using "IV therapy" to treat migraines. What type of doctor are you seeing for this? Is it a neurologist, or is it a headache specialist? There is a HUGE difference between the two. Neurologists only have a few tools in their toolbox, and generally are NOT up on all of the latest research and treatment options. Headache specialists know so much more and give you way more treatment options. You wouldn't be left with just topamax as your only treatment plan.
Botox is not scary. All it does is paralyze the muscles in your forehead and neck. A few needles that takes about 5 minutes and your done. It's every 3 months, and if after the 3rd treatment you don't feel any relief, you can stop. That was the deal with me. I have chronic daily migraines, and I tried botox. It didn't work for me, but for the majority it does.

I also really question your doctor, if they are giving you enough frova to take everyday. You should not take any triptans/painkills more than 2x per week. So yes, you are right, you are in a rebound cycle. The fact that your doctor hasn't cut you off is a big red flag. The only way to get out of that cycle is to stop your triptans completely. The headache you are going to feel is going to be god awful, but it's the only way. The rub is, you can't take anything during that time. Not even OTC painkillers. On the subject of painkillers, people with migraines can be sensitive to narcotics, so I don't know what your norco is doing to your head. I know if I tried to take a narcotic, my head would just explode. And again, ANY painkiller taken more than 2x per week can send you into a rebound, which can feel like a chronic stage. So that's something you need to think about. I know you have to take something for your fibro, but it could be affecting your headaches.

As for the topamax, I wouldn't be so scared of it. Unless your weightless is really extreme, or you start having severe cognitive issues, you could be ok on it for a while. As for the tingling in your extremities, you can reverse that by taking potassium. Easy fix. You might need to be on a combination therapy. Common meds for migraines are blood pressure meds. It's worth discussing.

Again, I do urge you, if you are not seeing a headache specialist....consider finding one.

Good luck.

Ok, I just looked this up. I thought you were talking about an all the time thing for the prevention of migraines. So what this is, is when you have a migraine that can't be touched by any med, and it just won't go away, and you are at like a level 10, you would go into an infusion center where they would administer some drugs through an IV to break up that migraine.
This is common at my headache center. If a headache gets to this point, they may want to hospitalize you or set you up for infusion for 3 days. I did the infusion for 3 days. The point is to take your headache down from a 9-10 to a 0, and the theory is that your headache should be gone for a long time. I don't remember those 3 days because the meds knocked me out and I slept the whole time. Anyway, it didn't take the headache away for me. It lessened it for a while, but it eventually came roaring back.

But some of the drugs they put in the IV, you can get at the pharmacy. One of them is decadron. It's a steroid. A really strong steroid. When I have a migraine that goes into the 3rd day, that even triptans won't touch, I go for the steroid. It's 3 days of them, and it always breaks it up for me. The only thing is, you can't take that steroid more than 4 times a year. But you wouldn't be going for IV therapy every few weeks. Only as a last resort.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Thank you for your reply. I am taking Topamax now, so I am OK to stay on 50mg for a while. I really have not had side effects from it. I know taking Frova everyday is not good, but I it is the only think that touches it. I will have weeks without a Migraine and not have to take Frova, so this is just a bad cycle. I have been on Norco for my other pain for many years and I know some people are against that, but I work with a pain clinic and have never used more than needed. I do not think the Norco has much effect on the headaches because like I said before I have gone weeks, even months without a migraine and I was taking Norco everyday. I do have a neurologist who suggested the Botox, but I was going to talk to my pain management about the IV therapy. I am interested about the steroid you were talking about. Have you had much success with it? Is it a pill you take for 3 days to stop the cycle? Are there any side effects? I heard steroids can have some bad side effects.

The proper therapeutic dose for topomax as a migraine preventative is 100mg. I have Cluster Migraines as well as Grand Mal Seizures if the migraines stay too long and are too bad, and I've taken topomax for 7 years now. I use Imitrex 100mg with 1000mg Ibuprofen at onset.

One thing about Migraines are they don't react to Narcotics. I'm on LA Morphine all day every day for 5 years now as well as Oxycodone for BT pain and none of that touches my migraines.

I'd talk to your Neurologist about upping the Topomax to 100mg/day.

The proper therapeutic dose for topomax as a migraine preventative is 100mg. I have Cluster Migraines as well as Grand Mal Seizures if the migraines stay too long and are too bad, and I've taken topomax for 7 years now. I use Imitrex 100mg with 1000mg Ibuprofen at onset.

One thing about Migraines are they don't react to Narcotics. I'm on LA Morphine all day every day for 5 years now as well as Oxycodone for BT pain and none of that touches my migraines.

I'd talk to your Neurologist about upping the Topomax to 100mg/day.

Some people are affected by narcotics, and it sounds like you are one of them, which is good.

So about the steroid decadron. You can have your doc write a script for it. It's a 4mg pill, and you usually get 6 of them. You take 3 (at the same time) on day 1, 2 on day 2, and 1 on day 3. And yes, this steroid DOES break up that level 10, unrelenting migraine. Now again, you can't use it all the time. About 4 times a year is about the max dose you can take it (because it is so potent). But when you have a migraine that is lasting longer than 3 days, and it's at about a 10, and even triptans won't touch it, it really, really is a life saver. (Generic name is DEXAMETHASOME).

Thank you for the info. I will definitely talk to my doctor about the decadron and possibly upping my Topamax. I am trying to plan some vacations this summer and I am not able to with this going on.

I have fibromyalgia too and I am getting Botox for the first time this Wednesday. I am on Topamax and I have been for quite some time, my Neurologist moved my dose up, and now I am on 100mg a day twice a day,my chronic migraines. I have complex or complicated migraines. It has unfortunately started to stop working for my migraines though, but for along time worked great. Once he upped the dose. I had weird side effects being on it though, like I can't drink pop now, it taste funny. Just really weird stuff. I, also take Norco for my pain for my fibromyalgia, so I feel your pain when your trying to deal with multiple things and I used to see one pain management doctor who had me on a bunch of medications, which didn't help with my migraines. It's hard when your trying to cope, in pain, and trying to figure out what works for your different chronic conditions.

Just wondering, are you taking anything for your nausea when you get your migraines?

Thank you MomofBoys for your reply. Do you mind me asking how long you were on Topamax and the does of Norco you take? Do you ever think the Norco is a problem with your migraines? I have gone days and weeks without migraines and still taken Norco daily, so I do not think Norco is my rebound medication problem. I think the Frova is. Do you take a Triptan for your migraines? I am interested to hear how the Botox goes.

YvetteK - No I usually throw pills back up, so I never take anything for nausea. I have had meds on hand for it, but it seems after I take it, I become more nauseated.

Also, do you take the Frova because the main cause of your migraines is hormonal? That's what frova works best on, so normally doctors give that triptan for that reason. If you main cause is not hormonal, maybe something like Relpax or Zomig might work better.

Yes, they are hormonal, that is why I have been on Frova for so long. I have tried all the Triptans including Relpax and Frova works the best.

I don't think the Norco effects my migraines, my dose is 5-325. I've been on Topamax for about three years now. I am, also on Imatrix 50 mg. Now my appointment for my Botox is Thursday the 8th, they called and changed it on me so now I get to wait another day. I'm really anxious about it. I want to try it because everything thing else is starting to stop working so I have to try the next thing, but it's still nerve racking at the same time.

MomOfBoys - I wouldn't be anxious about getting botox. It's not the greatest thing to have needles in your forehead, but the needles are small. The advice I would give you is this: When you get home from getting botox, ice your neck and forehead for as long as you can that day. Also, if you need to, take a little advil.

I will tell you what happened to me when I got botox. I got it a total of 3 times. The first 2 times, I woke up the day after with a splitting migraine. It lasted a few hours, then it went away. My headache specialist told me most of his patients do NOT have that reaction. The third time I didn't get any type of headache at all. So overall, the process was barely anything.

I wish you much success on botox!

I have had migraine for 25 years and have tried everything out there and seen every doctor anyone even thought I should see and nothing really helped. Botox is always worth a try. It does seem to really help some people. Topamax was just terrible for me. My doctor had me increase the dose slowly like you are supposed to and the side effects were just horrible for me. Tremors, memory loss, and just not feeling well. Never could get to a therapeutic dose. Had the IV's many times which usually consist of DHE, mag sulfate, or ketamine and maybe a steroid or anti emetic such as Zofran. Never worked for me because they make my heart race and my bp go stroke high.

For the last 6 years I have been in pain management and get three scripts a month. One long acting narcotic, one short acting narcotic and another short acting narcotic for when nothing else works. It works well and keeps me out of the ER and able to do everyday activities. That is where I am for now until something new comes along that will work for me. Not sure what I think about the concept of Rebound headaches. All I can say is I don't have them personally (taken many a drug holiday) and I personally think that it happens far less than doctors seem to think it does. And to say that migraines don't react to narcotics is wrong. I know just in my PM practice there are many just like me and I come across people all the time online. There are many of us that do quite well on them when absolutely nothing else worked.

Hopefully the botox will be what works for you. It didn't help me but then I wasn't able to do many of them because insurance does not pay for them and they are quite expensive.

Let us know how you do.

Cindy