Caffeine
After 3 and a bit years a neurologist finally diagnosed me with acephalgic migraine. I have head pressure and a bouncing and rising sensation 24/7, the only break I get is in sleep. He prescribed nortriptyline and said I need to stop drinking caffeine in order for the medicine to work and it takes 1 - 3 months to work.
The thing I'm unclear about is whether chocolate counts as caffeine as I know it contains a small amount, but it's the hardest thing to avoid as many sweets have a small amount of chocolate in them like chocolate chips. My GP wasn't sure either... Another thing I'm not sure about is whether migraine sufferers can go back to drinking coffee if the symptoms are cured?
I hate this disease and I want my life back!
I'm sorry to hear that you are suffering from migraine. I hope you start seeing some improvement with Nortriptyline. Caffeine can be tough to limit especially if you are accustomed to having it as part of your daily diet. I know many of us rely on coffee and tea to get us going! As far as chocolate goes with regards to caffeine, dark chocolate has the highest amount of caffeine, milk chocolate has the next highest amount, and white chocolate generally has no caffeine. A common caffeine-free substitute for chocolate is carob. Living with migraine disease is a challenge, but we can do it quite successfully as we find ways that work with our bodies to manage it. Nortriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant and it has a long list of potential side effects. Make sure to take note of how your body reacts to it, as with any drug, and relay that information to your doctor. The tannins in coffee are what can have an effect on the efficacy of nortriptyline. As always keep your doctor in the loop as to what you are experiencing. Warmly, Cheryl migraine.com team Thank you for your reply. I still have white chocolate and a tiny bit of milk chocolate now and again.
I was told that if you just take the medicine it won't work, you need to abstain from caffeine for months too. Has anyone else found that Nortriptyline starts to kick in after a while?
Good question. We have a few resources on that medication here: https://migraine.com/forums/notriptyline. https://migraine.com/forums/anyone-have-experience-or-currently-taking-nortriptyline. https://migraine.com/blog/the-time-withdrawal. Be sure to look at the comment section following each piece as that's where our community shares their feedback and input. Also, here's some information on caffeine: https://migraine.com/search?s=caffeine. And chocolate:https://migraine.com/search?s=chocolate. I hope these resources might prove helpful as you continue gathering information. Please let us know if you have more questions. We are here for you. Warmly, Holly (migraine.com team).
Thank you, I'm on 30mg going up to 40 soon and have been on it nearly 6 weeks but no improvement, though no side effects.
Your doctor is probably titrating you up to higher doses slowly to find the strength that will be most effective to treat your symptoms. Everybody reacts differently so it may take a while for you to find an effective dosage for you. I'm glad you are not experiencing any side effects of consequence. As I said before just be aware of how your body is tolerating this therapy and stay in communication with your doctor. Holly has given you some great links to look over! I hope you have a great day! Warmly, Cheryl migraine.com team
