Hello all,

I have been having horrific headaches... cannot function and lasting sometimes 8 days. i went to the neurologist and had an MRI and also had the test where they put the electrodes on your head as well. She prescribed me Topomex (sp?). I just started last week. 1/2 tablet at bed for 7 days and tonight I start a whole tablet at bed for 14 days. Does anyone know what to expect? I've read some strange symptoms, etc..... the only thing i'm seeing so far is i've been getting up at 7am but going back to sleep until 11am. Not like me at all. And my left had gets a little numb/asleep. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Tina

HI Tina:

I am sorry you are getting these awful migraines. I know how bad they can be as I get them too. I never took Topomex but my doctor wanted me to take that one shot (sorry I forget the name) It was a birth control shot and it got rid of the migraines alright but I had some nasty side effects. So, I went off them and now I just take Progest cream and that seems to help with my migraines. When I do get them, they are not as severe and I can take an excedrin and it calms them down a little.

have you talked to your doctor about side effects? It sounds like it is really making you sleepy. I would call and talk to your doctor about your side effects if they keep up.

Take care of yourself.

Mopsy

I have been having horrific headaches... cannot function and lasting sometimes 8 days. i went to the neurologist and had an MRI and also had the test where they put the electrodes on your head as well. She prescribed me Topomex (sp?). I just started last week. 1/2 tablet at bed for 7 days and tonight I start a whole tablet at bed for 14 days. Does anyone know what to expect? I've read some strange symptoms, etc..... the only thing i'm seeing so far is i've been getting up at 7am but going back to sleep until 11am. Not like me at all. And my left had gets a little numb/asleep. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
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Hi there...



I have been having horrific headaches... cannot function and lasting sometimes 8 days. i went to the neurologist and had an MRI and also had the test where they put the electrodes on your head as well. She prescribed me Topomex (sp?). I just started last week. 1/2 tablet at bed for 7 days and tonight I start a whole tablet at bed for 14 days. Does anyone know what to expect? I've read some strange symptoms, etc..... the only thing i'm seeing so far is i've been getting up at 7am but going back to sleep until 11am. Not like me at all. And my left had gets a little numb/asleep. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

I was having migraines, too. My reg doc, a D.O., put me on midrin, which is a very old tried & true medicine...and gave me script for a tranquiller. If I felt one coming on, I could take a tranq. Most of the time, I would take 1/4 or just 1/2 because I hate being downed out. If I actually was in a migraine, I took the midrin. This helped a lot.

I went to see a neurologist, because the migraines were coming 4-5 times a month & of course, he wanted to do the MRI thing...knowing that I have a family history of migraines and I know exactly what foods triggers them. I was so disgusted. I told him that I thought I was peri, and my hormones were off. He said he agreed. Do you think he checked my HORMONE levels? NO, but he did want to do other blood work...routine stuff. and schedule me for an expensive MRI. When I told him that I thought the MRI was totally unwarranted, he said, "Well, I am a Neurologist, that’s what I do."

I refused to be put on the newer meds because they seem to have serious sides...far worse than a migraine. ...and daily meds? I said no way. It seemed more prudent to me, to just treat them when they came.

I now know that these migraines are from hormone imbalance. My great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, & sisters, and my own daughter are going through the same thing. They all were estrogens dominate. Our family women have been suffering for at least a century.


I'm not telling you to not take the meds, but read the label.

Migraines have triggers...whether food allergies (I kept a log) or hormonal. You just have to figure it out yourself. I am convinced that if you find the cause, you can eliminate your migraines. You will have to be your own doctor.


I never went back to the neurologist. For somebody that is so smart, I found him to be stupid. In this day and age, many doctors do not want to look at the whole person. Only little parts...if you need something else outside their expertise, they are happy to refer to someone else. Why you could end up with 8 doctors who never, ever look at the whole picture. You need real answers. You might have to insist that you get other blood work.

Instead I found a top 10 doc, who has been working with bio-hormones for 10+years. He has seen it all and is good at what he does. I have been seeing him for almost 2 months and have not had a migraine since starting bios. I use to be in a constant "flashy" state. Now my thoughts and vision are clear as a bell. I am still amazed.

best wishes...
Shebee

I would suggest get the book "Heal Your Headache: and read it and see if the approach he uses would be helpful to you. My doctor wanted me to take the Topomax and I said no since it is a anti convulsion and seems to have a lot of weird side effects, but I am very med sensitive so I want to go another route and the book will help you do just that if you are interested.

Did your MRI show anything to make her prescribe that medications ...

You cannot just stop the drug because it can be dangerous according to what I have read and it takes about three months to get into your system.

I would look into the book which gives you ways to address the headache isssue with diet and lifestyle changes ..

Best of luck to you I know how awful the headache issue can be even without the menopause issue going on...

I was placed on topamax for migraines last year only tried it a week.It was a terrible med for me no appetite increased my irritability and memory loss is amajor side effect.I have taken imitrex and zomig for about 4 years as an abortive but for me they had terrible side effects too but I still used them when ever I got a bad one,recently as of february I stopped using them too.I would talk to ur Doc ABOUT MIDRIN and maybe a tranquillizer to help you sleep it off.Also an ice pack and heating pad placed on the head but not at the same time works really well and if all else fails I go to the urgent care center for a migraine cocktail..a injection of toradol and phenegran. does the trick every time..Iv only had 3 though.
Hope this helps