Ativan for migraine?
Hi,
I live with almost 24/7 migraines. I have tried several medications for it: Amitryptiline, Topamax, Propranolol, etc. but none of them seem to work properly. The other day my migraine was so bad I started overbreathing and got anxious. My mother decided to give me 0.5 of lorazepam (Ativan) to calm me down. Suprisingly, my depressed, anxious feelings, as well as my migraines, were completely gone. So far, this has been the only pill that could relieve me from my migraines. I talked my doctor about it and said it was possible due to its anticonvulsant effects and the possibily that my depression/anxiety could trigger migraines. However, my doctor struggles to prescribe them for me, as they can be habit forming and addictive. Has anyone else experience with Ativan for migraines and/or what do you think about it?
Thanks!
Hi Jones123,
Thank you for your question. I've not had any personal experience with Ativan and don't think it's commonly used for migraine prevention due to its addictive qualities and that it won't stop the migraine process. But can be used for acute migraine treatment.
The thing about depression/anxiety and migraine are they can be co morbid meaning, they can occur at the same time but are not caused by one another. Also depression and anxiety can be symptoms of a migraine attack. I know my anxiety shows up as irritability before a migraine attack and my mood is depressed afterward.
Try not to lose hope, there are over 100 medications that can be used to treat migraine and it's important to keep in mind that it can take up to 90 days before we see a reduction in our migraine frequency and severity when we start new medications. Also during this time potential side effects may lessen. When you get a chance take a look at this article about migraine prevention; https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/prevention-medications/.
I've found meditation and yoga to be helpful for anxiety and stress reduction!
Let me know how you are doing,
Nancyi was just perscribed ativan for migraines today. i have terrible migraines where nothing works to get rid of them. i have not tried it yet, however my doctor used to get migraines when he was a teenager and his mother used to give him half an ativan and it would instantly go away. i have heard of other people using it, however if you do, be careful because it can be very addictive.
My headache specialist prescribes it for me (1mg) as a rescue med. It is a controlled substance, so I get 20 pills per prescription and usually only every 3 months (per visit). I rarely use all 20 during that time period and often forget to refill. But it's the only thing that actually knocks out the pain.
Hi klgm,
Thank you for sharing that with us. Good to hear you've found something to help relieve the pain.
Nancy
