hello, I have been on topomax 100 mg now for one month. it works on my vertiginous migranes, but i cant stand all the terrible side affects,.so we dropped it down to .50 and tried that for one week, im still all doped up for 12 to 14 hrs. we went down to .25,I feal great for two days, staring geting dizzy,then my headaches come back, I have not tried any other migraine prevention before this one.I told my Neurologist this and see him on tuesday. any recommedations on other meds? side affects on .50 are its like im an vicodin, no appetite, no balance, cant remember, thank- you for any comments...
Migraine - topomax side affects?
- Posted:
- 1 Jun 2010 by bk49
- Topics:
- migraine, migraine prevention
Answers (1)
1 Jun 2010
Bk49,
You have a lot of options, but as you have experienced, most meds have some sort of side effect. You just have to find the one medication that helps the most and has the fewest side effects for you or at least side effects that you can tolerate. Some suggestions I would offer are: Imitrex (generic: sumatriptan), which is an antimigraine agent, but it can cause dizziness, sedation, and cold sensations; and Maxalt (generic:rizatriptan), which is also an antimigraine agent but it causes some of the same side effects as Imitrex. What you have to realize is that most of the medications available won't PREVENT migraines; they (including the ones above) are mainly ABORTIVE medications, meaning that they will stop a migraine once it starts or at least reduce the severity of your migraine. Hope this helps.
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thank you for your help, today i only took .25 topomax and i feal great!, i just hope i can find the right med. for me..
Bk49,
You will. Like I said, it does take time. I'm glad you're feeling better. I hate trying to comment on someone's pain becuase pain is such a subjective feeling... no two people can tolerate pain at the same level. Migraines are such a nasty affliction because most people want a cure for them and like I said above, medicine has only been able to create an abortive solution. Well, post back if you need anything else. This is a great site and there are numerous people here giving educated answers and advice. Have a good day.
Hi, I too had problems with topiramate so the neurologist told me to drop the dose right down and I did that for 2 weeks then up for the next two weeks and so on until I got to the dosage that works which is now 50mg twice a day but I have found if taken irregularly I get side effects but if taken at regular 12hour intevals ie 6am then 6pm I feel no side effects... It does not however totally free me from migraine but they are fewer and less severe when I do get an attack. I also have rizatriptan when an attack starts so my life is no longer days in a darkened room it is more like an hour or so which I would never have believed in a million years... Hope you can find an answer soon... Gill
be careful with taking imitrex for vertiginous migraines. (Basilar migraine) It can cause more problems than preventatives - esp stroke. Have been dealing with vertiginous migraines for 2.5 years now and have tried many combinations of drugs to get this under control. I feel your pain BK! Be sure to pick a neurologist that listens and remember to be patient in finding 'your' treatment. good luck! (p.s. the vertigo is NOT 'all in your head' - I understand your unbalanced world - too bad no one can see like we do!) :-)