Newbie considering Topamax, any other suggestions/ advice?

Hi,
I am a 30 year old dentist who has suffered from migraine and headaches on and off for most of my life.
My job doesn't help, as neck and upper back tension is definitely one of my triggers.

Over the last few months I have been having bad headaches daily for a week at a time, around the time of my period, culminating in bad migraines (vomiting etc) at the end of the week (usually at the weekend or after work so they ruin myu "free time")
I have never noticed headaches in relation to my periods before, but I have got a very stressful busy job right now and have alot going on at home too so maybe the combination of things isn't helping. I have tried osteopathy, acupuncture, beta blockers etc, but I can have periods of time where I have no pain, however right now isn't one of them!

I was getting dependent on codeine based meds, and think they were giving me rebounds so I went to see a migraine specialist who recommended voltarol and making sure I kept my blood sugar levels up by eating regularly. She also advised getting enough sleep and massage for my tension. I was a little disappointed because most of this advice is common sense to me and I try to do it as much as possible anyway, however my headaches are starting to take over my life. I worry if I don't have access to meds, and today is a beautiful day and I have spent most of it throwing up while my poor fiance is waiting for me to feel better so we can go do something. I think they might get better once all the stressors are gone (am leaving this job in July) but I have to get through this and there will be another job eventually.

I went to my GP yesterday who said that the advice from the migraine clinic wasn't very helpful and he suggested
I try topamax.

I have read some of the other forums on here, and think it could help, although I am worried about potential sleeping problems as I have trouble sleeping anyway, concentration, as my job requires a high level of concentration, and I want to get pregnant next year, so I worry that my migraines will come back if i have to stop taking anything, and also worry about not being able to take anything while I am pregnant.

I am desperate for some support and advice please!

Hi. Sorry to hear of your struggles.

Many people have tried topamax, but read up on it very well-please. And don't read info only from the pharmaceutical company selling it but read about reports of side effects.

There are many variable side effects that people attribute to this med, some minor and some awful .A lot of these type of meds indeed do aggrevate people with depression so be very careful.

My experience with this med was awful and couldn't tolerate even the small doses. But others have had success with it.

Best of luck.

Thanks for your replies.

I have read about amytriptyline being good for migraine prevention, and thats an antidepressant, however my GP discouraged me from considering that as he said it too has nasty side effects.

Come to think of it, while I was on prozac for my depression, I didn't have a single migraine.

I have been doing some further reading, and some papers suggest that there is a link between serotonin levels and migraine, so it would make sense that SSRI antidepressants could contribute to reducing migraine.

In light of all the reading, I am going to self medicate with 5 HTP and to boost my serotonin levels (and help me get that sleep which eludes me, which will also boost my serotonin. I have also read melatonin is good for migraine for similar reasons.
I am also going to try a preventative regimen of vitamin B2/magnesium/feverfew/butterbur at the levels recommended by a UK migraine website to see if this helps.


I am not quite desperate enough to reach for the topamax just yet- if this self researched method fails, then perhaps I will reconsider it.

Thanks again. :)

Hey, thats reassuring! Thanks, glad to hear you have found something that is working for you.

I am going to check out today to see if you can get B2 and Mg on prescription here in the UK, because alot of these supplements are expensive. (800mg of Mg is alot, but I read that you need to take at least 400mg for it to be effective against migraines).
Not that I mind paying for stuff, I would rather do that than be in pain, but I do pay my national health insurance, so I should try to utilise that as much as possible!

Thanks again, and all the best to you too.

I took topamax a few times for my migraines.  I just came off it again after using it for about 8 months.  It def. worked for me by giving me 2week long intervals w/no migraines followed by 5 days of migraines.  It was a predictable pattern which I liked.  Anyway, I had to stop taking it because of the side effects.  I did start taking it at a very low dose and worked my way up but it was still too much.  I was extrememly exhausted all the time.  Even if I slept for 10 hrs at night it felt like I only slept 3.  I couldn't concentrate and felt drugged up all the time.  And I had no libido whatsoever.  It had caused so much problems w/my romantic relationship that I had to stop or the relationship would come to an end.  Only of it's virtues was that it kept my weight under control.  But, now that I'm off of it I have gained all the weight back. 

OMG!!!  Run away from the Topamax has fast a you can.  The side effects are horrible and permanent.  Durning the time I was taking Topamax (also know as Dopamax), it totally destroyed all

sorts of brain function.  My shotterm memory is fried, I can't come up the the vocabular that I want to use normally.  I can't spell any more.  I can't concentrate on important situations, I can't even carry on a decent conversation, and my writing skills are rotten.  I can't spell jack anymore.  This is making me nuts, but I'd rather be this way that too be back on Topamax.  By the way, the Topamax damage never goes away.  I don't mean to be a downer, but I just don't want to have other people suffer the same problems I did.  In the end, it's your decision.

Best of Luck!!!

Cranky1

I was on Topamax at 100 mg a day and sometimes it worked and other times it didn't. My advice is to at least try it.
Good luck!

Hi, I'm a long time migraneur; been diagnosed with 5 different types of migraines. I was on Topamax when they first tried it; it was a wonder drug for me at first; unfortunately I have respiratory issues which made it a med that I couldn't use.

Migraines meds, both preventatives and abortives work differently for different people and the responses you receive will reflect those differences. I happen to be one of those that has all kinds of reactions and I'm difficult to treat, getting to a GREAT Dr. is your first step. It sounds like the "migraine" specialist you went to was a specialist in name only and that is of no value at all. Your GP sounds as if they have a better handle on it and I would start there.

MHNI in Ann Arbor, MI, is a great place to go; they do tons of research and can treat the most difficult of people...me included; they see people from all over the world. They have a web site (just add the .com) to see it. I've known many with hormonal migraines who have been very successfully treated..the key is finding the cause, not just treating the symptoms. Good luck!!