Please help me...so discouraged

Hi, K. We seem to have a lot in common. I too am a full-time college student, only 20 years old, who has a constant migraine. Mine have sent me to the hospital before and have put me in my bed for days on end, unable to eat anything without throwing it up from the nausea they bring. No medicine or treatment I have tried have been able to get rid of my seemingly constant pain. I have Maxalt and Imitrex nose spray to get rid of the migraines, but they hardly ever help. I've tried Topamax and Gabapentin and several other preventative drugs with few results. Currently I am on Amitriptyline (which is also used as an antidepressant), which helps some, but still doesn't even come close to getting rid of all of them. Of all of the preventative drugs I've tried, Topamax is the only one that did not cause me to gain any weight. However, Topamax DIDcause me to lose 25 lbs within one semester of college, a very unhealthy rate of weightloss. It also increased my the depression that had emerged from dealing with the constant pain I was experiencing. Most medications your neurologist could prescribe you do hold the possibility of causing you to gain weight, but you need to remember that your waistline isn't the only thing you need to be concerned about. Remember that your quality of life could dramatically change just by getting rid of this pain you've been experiencing for so long. Honestly, the 10 lbs I gained after going on the Gabapentin and then Amitriptyline are completely ok with me. I'd much rather get one size larger in the jeans I buy than be unhappy all the time.
-Megan

Wishing you the best K! I too have chronic migraines. I have dealt with migraines for over 20 years, as time has gone by the migraines have gotten worse. I have a terrible one today, but tried to put on my happy face because today is my youngest daughter's 10th b-day and I want her to enjoy every minute of it. She had a sleepover last night, then a bowling party, and now getting ready to go pick up her new Great Dane puppy. ;) While doing all of this I have a migraine! It's hard to keep going when your in pain but what else can you do? Thank the good Lord He has given me a high pain level tolerance. I should hear something by this Monday morning about having botox injections for my migraines. It's been a battle dealing with the insurance company, but they finally approved it for my migraines and now am waiting to get in to the office to have the treatments. I pray you find something that works for you.

Blessings,

Mercyme

I am 49 and started having migraines at 18. At first they were infrequent, maybe once yearly but would last 2 or 3 days. As I got older and into my 30's they became more hormonal and did not last as long but were more frequent. In my early 40's I became desperate and tried triptans which were a miracle for me and allowed me to be able to function with 2 small children when I had frequent migraines. In the past 2 years I began to use them more frequently and recently I began having daily migraines. I finally gave in to using a preventative and was put on Topamax. It has taken me from daily headache to once a week or less in a month. I have few side affects and am taking 50 mg. a night which was just increased from 25 mg. nightly this week. I don't know why I waited so long to at least try it. It is way more affordable than the triptans which my insurance now only allows 4 per month of. If it doesn't work for you, you can try something else. I noticed the difference I would say, after the first 2 weeks. It is hard to function and work with daily pain. The longer you wait the longer it takes to find something that works. I hope you will be as lucky as I have been. I have actually lost about 6 lbs. I did feel strange at first, but that tapers of in a couple if weeks for me and I felt better than I have in a long time.