Nortriptyline for Migraine Prevention User Reviews (Page 4)

• TrueB...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 27, 2015

"I'm not an effusive person, but for me this is a miracle drug. I have had migraines for 40 years and have tried just about every preventive and palliative med out there. I've been taking this for 6 weeks and have only had 2 migraines (both times I had multiple triggers going) that were relatively mild. I only needed to go up to 20 mg. to get relief. Had a non-migraine headache the first few mornings I started on 10 mg and then 20 mg. but it went away with tylenol. This is the first review I've felt compelled to write for any product."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 3, 2015

"Started suffering with severe migraines 2 years ago, presented with sensitivity of light, extreme sickness and impaired cognitive function. Started off on 10mg nortriptyline, increased to 25mg and now 50mg and now I only get migraines once a month, been on it for a year and seen an incredible improvement."

• Nikki
• July 28, 2019

"It definitely helps with the migraine, but I can’t stay on it because it makes me dizzy, low blood pressure, fatigue, and foggy-headed. I might take it occasionally. Oh yeah! And it made me feel depressed"

• Karl...
• August 25, 2017

"33 yr old male suffering from headaches since I can remember. They've gotten worse as I've gotten older. I use Imitrex and Relpax at onset, and this usually takes care of the headache. I would go through several "stints" where I would wake up with a headache every day . I am on Propranolol for HBP and migraine maint.). I tried several other maint. meds like topamax and amitriptyline. Topamax made my hands tingle. Amitriptyline didn't work. I've been on Nortriptyline for 2 months and WOW, what a difference. The first night I took it, I woke up without a headache. I probably only get 1 a week now, if that. Try this med if you haven't already, maybe it will help you too!"

• Roni
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2016

"The first few months being on this drug, it did not work at all. Before taking the drug I would get approximately a headache every other day and a migraine once a week. This continued a couple months after starting the drug at 10 mg. Now, after being on it for 6 months, it is working wonders. I have only gotten 10 headaches in the past 90 days and 1 migraine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2017

"I was given this medicine to take daily to prevent migraines, and I don't know if it worked because it threw me into the WORST depression I've ever dealt with in my life. At the peak of this I had a panic attack so bad I was considering dropping out of college! Luckily I realized that the pill was making me feel this way and as SOON as I stopped it the depressive episodes and anxiety went away. I was on a small dose too. TERRIBLE. BE CAREFUL WITH IT IF YOU HAVE A HISTORY/PREDISPOSITION TO DEPRESSION/ANXIETY"

• janga...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 9, 2015

"A neurologist prescribed this for me several years ago because of the terrible debilitating headaches I was having. The kind that puts you in the bed because you can't function. It really did help. I tried awhile back to go off of it and the headaches returned so I started back and they subsided again. I won't try stopping taking it again as long as I stay headache-free."

• Svano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 8, 2020

"I was only able to try this drug for 3 days because I couldn’t handle the side effects. The dry mouth I could handle, but not the hot flash- I'd feel pressure and tightness around my body then start sweating from hands and my feet. I also had insomnia from this! Could not sleep at all. Felt so awake throughout the night. Only reason why I'd end up falling asleep is because I’m so so tired. But would still wake up in the middle of the night and feel awake. On one of the days, I woke up with a headache from this med. I wish I would’ve worked for me for my headaches, because I tried so many drugs already but they never worked for me! (Tizanidine, baclofen, cyclobenzaprine). My doctor wants me to try venlafaxine next but from reading the reviews I’m discouraged.. This drug also wasn’t too pricy."

• MrsMCS
• November 23, 2017

"I’ve been getting migraines since I was a teenager. I’ve always used Imitrex (sumatriptan) which worked really well, but the side effects kept worsening throughout the years. So much so that it got to the point where the clothes that touched my skin hurt. Not normal, but better than a migraine, right? That was my thought. I told my doctor and she immediately had me switch over to nortriptyline 10mg before bed. I have sleep issues and PTSD as well and starting this medication helped me with all of it. I’ve had two migraines since starting a month ago. This is a huge improvement over the 8+ migraines I would normally have. The only downside is that it can back you up a bit. Easy fix with a little Miralax. Overall, I would highly recommend!"

• Looki...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 29, 2015

"I was prescribed Pamelor by my neurologist and began taking it 29 days ago. He suggested trying either an anti-depressant or anti-seizure medication because both are known to help alleviate migraine suffering in some people. I wanted to go the anti-depressant route since I am also chronically depressed, and since counseling and other medications I have tried did not help. After the first week on Pamelor the migraines were drastically reduced in both frequency and severity, and I went the next three weeks without any pain in my head. My mood is stabilized, I have a clarity that I have never had, and getting out of bed in the morning is no longer excruciating. I am on 10 mg to start and will go higher if it is an option at next appointment."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 31, 2016

"This medication has been very effective by almost eliminating my daily pain. When I do experience headache, jaw and neck pain, it's now usually milder than before and easily treated with a pain reliever. Additional benefits include helping me fall asleep easier and reducing the symptoms of a serious sleep disorder. The only negative side effect directly related to this med has been severe thirst requiring me to drink water and urinate very frequently. However this annoying and inconvenient side effect is well worth it. I'm also at high risk for angle closure, but am unsure if it's related. I lived with chronic pain from my mid 20s through my late 30s before starting this medication. I only wish I started taking it earlier in life."

• TDD
• November 10, 2013

"I have been on Nortriptyline for 4 weeks now. At first I was so lethargic. That has improved greatly. My mouth dryness is also improving. Up until yesterday I felt this med was "the one". I am new to migraines, had 2 that lasted greater than 7 days a piece. The second was so bad I was directly admitted from my first neurology appointment to the hospital for 14 DHE treatments (yuck). I have had at least 4 mild-moderate headaches a week, that too is improving. Yesterday I started to have tingling from mid calf to my 4 small toes. Has anyone else have that issue?"

• Nancy
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 5, 2024

"I was referred by my family doctor to see a neurologist for vertigo symptoms. My symptoms included loss of balance and nausea almost every day. Then one day I experienced double vision and slurred speech as well. The neurologist diagnosed it as vestibular migraine and started me on nortriptyline 10mg at bedtime for one week, increasing to 20 mg thereafter. I slept great! Daytime sedation was a problem initially, but went away after a while. My quality of life has improved tremendously. It’s been 4 years and my only complaint is dry mouth. Drastic weather change occasionally triggers an attack but I will continue taking the medication as long as it works. Very grateful to the neurologist for his accurate diagnosis and excellent treatment plan."

• Nick...
• April 20, 2011

"Started taking nortriptyline for migraine prevention after 10 years of going to 6 different neurologists and taking countless medications. The first 3 weeks were great because I had gone from 2-3 days a week of migraines to not a single episode. It was very hard to deal with the daytime fatigue and this was only on a 25 mg dose, but two cups of coffee took care of that. I stopped taking it suddenly after 1.5 months due to a change in mood/angry/depressed feelings which I've never experienced, and sure enough I was in bed for 3 days with a migraine. So, I'm back on the medicine, have been almost migraine free for 3 months, the fatigue has gone away, and as long as I remember to read my "positive thoughts/positive things in my life" when I feel a little depressed (this medicine or at least 25mg a day hasn't helped depression) I'm fine. I'm 31 yrs old, healthy and now finally can live my life not worrying about migraines! Thank you to my neurologist for finally finding an answer to my pain and thank you nortriptyline."

• Cravoo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 5, 2017

"Well I'm currently taking four 25mg nortriptyline a night for the past few months this is the only tablet that seems to keep my migraines at bay as I was diagnosed with classical migraines after my MRI scan if I miss one night I will get a migraine the day after every time I cannot miss a night taking them otherwise I pay for it the next day I can have up to 3 major migraines a day but this dosage and these tablets seem to be working for me ."

• Coopd...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 7, 2016

"I apparently have tension headaches rather than migraines, I had headaches about twice a week for maybe 9 years. They last up to 16 hours and usual medications usually did very little. Started 10mg Nortriptyline, worked immediately, but faded. Took it up to 20mg, same thing. Went to 30mg., and it lasted a while, but then faded. For about 7 months I only had about 2 headaches a month. So I stopped taking it. After a few months, started getting 4 or 5 headaches a week for the past 2 months. Got back on Nortrip about 10 days ago at only 10mg. No headaches until yesterday. So as of last night I took it up to 20mg. I didn't want to go past 30mg but may have to. Vivid dreams that sometimes wake me, dry mouth are my side effects."

• Wifeo...
• April 14, 2017

"I've suffered from migraines since my daughter was born in 1967. I was prescribed Cafergot to take at start of headache. It worked well for each attack, but had a lot of side effects. I would get migraine episodes from once a week to 3 or 4 times a week. While employed, I would have to go to the ladies lounge and rest for the period it too to alleviate the pain. Then my blood pressure got out of control, thereby creating another problem. I was having a lot of nausea and vomiting also. After retiring at 50, a new doctor prescribed Amytriptilyne. Recently a new doc took me off it and migraine returned with a vengeance. I'm now taking Nortriptyline and it has worked wonders! No more migraine at all."

• Shell
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 16, 2018

"Headaches started after enduring head trauma from an auto accident and have progressed over the last few years. The headaches were a mixed bag of tension, temporal muscle spasm, pressurization and migraine. I was prescribed Valium 2 mg prn for the temporal muscle spasms which helped until the headaches worsened to 4-7 days/week, and Advil was not working (not a fan of taking pain meds). I scheduled in with a new Neurologist who prescribed Pamelor 10 mg HS and it has helped tremendously. Only a few breakthrough headaches have occurred, however, they seemed to possibly be triggered by lack of sleep or increased stress. Bottom line is: be aware of your triggers and manage the triggers in order to avoid headaches. The only side effect I have noticed is a little dry mouth, so I try to stay hydrated. Since it is a low dose, I have not experienced dizziness or sluggish feelings. It's so great to be able to have headache-free weeks!"

• Anonymous
• September 24, 2012

"I've been taking nortriptyline for almost two years. It has proven extremely effective in reducing my migraines. I now get a migraine perhaps five or six times a year compared with one a week previously. It did cause dry mouth at first, though that has abated. And my mood is much improved, possibly because I have fewer headaches and possibly because of the drug's antidepressive effects. The main problem is weight gain. I feel hungry almost all the time. That said, I'm not ready to return to pre-nortriptyline days and, instead, will work on diet and exercise."

• Nomor...
• October 5, 2016

"Being treated for vestibular migraines. I was very worried about taking this (side affects) so I waited a week before deciding to try it. Only took 10mg at night. I could not get to sleep and in the morning I experienced sadness, anxiety, increased heart rate, irritability, dizziness, brain fog. One time was enough I have a family and can't ride these symptoms out ( if they ever actually would decrease). The negative effects out weighed any benefits."

• 1NC318
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2017

"I have been taking Nortriptyline 25mg for two months. I previously had daily migraines for over a year. No other treatment options worked. The Nortriptyline works! It prevents the migraine from even starting. You have to be good at remembering to take it. If you miss a dose pain can return. I take it one time in the evening. I have only experienced one side effect and that is that it makes me sleep harder. Doesn't make me sleepy though. I would definitely recommend this med to anyone who suffers with migraines that don't have a deeper cause."

• Summe...
• July 29, 2009

"I was going to the emergency room 3 times a week. They would give me a shot of Compazine and send me home. I would fall asleep, but when I woke up the headache would come back. These were the worst headaches I've ever had and nothing, even Imitrex wouldn't help. After I was on Nortriptyline for 3 days, my headaches became manageable with Excedrin. I now rarely have headaches. My Doctor has increased my dosage once."

• Anonymous
• May 8, 2011

"I have suffered for years with migraines. I calculated that I lost 1 year completely to migraines every 6 years. I started Nortriptyline in Dec 2010 and have not had one migraine since then. Even with my job stress (nursing) no headaches. Finally at 49 I have a life. The dry mouth can be difficult at times but dry mouth or migraines, I pick dry mouth."

• Heather
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2018

"I was put on 10mg initially for migraine and insomnia. After two weeks my doc upped it to 25mg which I've been on for four weeks. I've had a number of side effects: blurry vision, dizziness, dry mouth, froggy voice, continuous migraine. After six weeks, I've started to taper off of nortriptyline and it isn't going well. I still have my migraine, but add in chills, anxiousness, burning/tinglings arms and fingers. It was definitely not worth starting this medication."

• super...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 7, 2017

"I thought I'd share my experience as I was madly reading all the reviews on this website before starting this drug. I get it on the NHS in the UK and I take 20mg a day. Taking this drug and combining it with the plan in Dr David Buccholz' book Heal Your Headache has been the closest I've got to a total cure for my chronic severe migraines. There are almost no side effects. It's amazing. A word of caution. At one point when I tried increasing to higher doses above 20mg I had very bad mood swings for a few days. Even when I started from 0 to 10mg I had very bad mood swings for a few days but then it evens out and becomes unnoticeable."