Posted on 01/05/2011 9:28:01 PM PST by MacMattico
A bit off topic, although Obama does tend to give me severe headaches.
I have a 12 year old daughter that has been suffering from pretty severe migraines for about two years, 2-3 a week, about 3 bad ones a month, w/out aura. I had migraines as a kid, into adulthood, and in my early forties still get one or two severe migraines, w/ aura per year. I use Maxalt for these, the only thing that even sort-of works, and I still need to lay down and ride it out for several hours.
The neurologist wants to put my daughter on a daily preventative. We agree with this, and she has tried a preventative before. The migraines had gotten better for a while so he had stopped daily meds, but she needs them, unfortunately, even at this young age. It effects her daily life so much.
We have tried Topamax (wasn't to bad, thought she was having some concentration problems and moodiness, now think this may have just been preteen daughter normal behavior, as it's still pretty much the same), Periactin (she gained 10 pounds in one month, which she lost as soon as this drug was stopped), and Lamictal (did nothing). The only two other drugs the neurologist will try is Elavil ( an old school antidepressant that is associated with large weight gain) and Inderol, a high blood pressured med associated with weigh gain and one that he said because she has low blood pressure to start with, may cause her to pass out! What kind of choices are these? We are looking for a new doctor/second opinion, but because a lot of people on this sight seem to know a lot about different subjects, I thought I'd ask for any advise/opinions. My daughter is an excellent athlete and student and these headaches are debilitating. Any ideas? Does anyone know if there's a way to combat the cognition problems caused by Topamax?
Have you ever heard of this medication?
I’d talk to a doc about it. Says for adults but maybe under a doc’s care she could take it.
I had an MRI for auras a while back, no headaches although the neurologist said I can expect them eventually. He suggested a magnesium supplement to ward them off. Might be worth a try, I doubt it would do any harm anyway.
So sorry your young daughter has to go through this! :(
They want to give her something that helps to avoid the migraines from occurring, I think that med is for after you’ve already got a migraine. I’ll look into it for when she has a headache, but by the time she reaches that point much of her day is ruined. :( Thanks, though!
It's what I use but my migraines may not be as painful as your daughter's.
Thanks, she’s taking magnesium but it doesn’t seemed to be doing much. Or maybe it is, she might be having even more headaches without it, who knows? For a while I just had the aura and that got me nervous but the doctor said even just the aura is considered a migraine. I did eventually get the pain part back with aura, but the pain isn’t as bad as it used to be. I hope you never get the pain and the other symptoms go away!
I have major migraines and my new miracle drug is Zomig. It’s changed my life because I now know I can kill my migraine with a zomig and if need be a second one after 2 hours. I don’t know how Zomig relates to someone as young as your daughter though. My only regret is that I didn’t know about it before, I could have saved myself a lot of anguish. That and it’s also pretty expensive. 6 pills cost about 90 bucks.
I’m no doctor but I don’t like the idea of a daily preventative. If Zomig is age-appropriate and approved for someone like your daughter I’d say go with that and have her carry around a couple in her pocket at all times. I know I sound like I work for Zomig but it’s given me the confidence know I can zap the migraine. Before I tried immitrex and sometimes it didn’t work.
A couple of other things...chocolate and coffee are MAJOR migraine triggers and have to be avoided whenever possible.
Unfortunately doesn’t work. At first seemed to take the edge off but not to much anymore. :(
Migraines are the worst especially when accompanied with aura and nausea.
Ask your doctor about Naprosyn.
Sorry about the typos.
You might also ask around for a good acupuncturist. Not as a cure but as a way to lessen the severity of the migraines.
I have had some nasty migraines w/o aura for the past 15 years. My doctor prescribed two different drugs during those years that I refused to take because of their side effects. I usually suffered through the attacks until recently when I decided to take over-the-counter Excedrin for Migraine. THIS IS A MIRACLE DRUG! My pain is COMPLETELY gone within 1/2 hour of taking this stuff. It’s worth a try.
My husband took Fiorinal at the onset. Within a year of treating his original 2-3 times weekly migraines he stopped having them. No idea if he outgrew them (he was in his 30’s) or if the medication “cured” him.
Check into Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Pristiq.
A neighbor mentioned that. I’ll look into it. Thanks.
Is Cymbalta the med closely related to Lexapro? I did meet someone that said that worked for them.
That’s nice it works but the product is merely aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine in one tablet or caplet.
Yes and no. Cymbalta is an antidepressant as is Lexapro. However, Cymbalta treats pain. Many diabetics suffering from neuropathy take it as do Fibromyalgia patients.
Cymbalta will make her lose weight. Lexapro will make her gain it.
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