On my last option.
hi, I have been a migraine sufferer all my life, its genetic for me. I have chronic migraines. I have been on every medication with no result, from the smallest to naproxen, to imitrex, maxsalt, midrin, verapamil, beta blockers lepressor, I mean literally everything. The one medication I did have Topamax worked incredible. When I was on it I didn't have a migraine and literally was my life saver. Then, I started developing kidney stones and that was the only medication that worked for me. Now Im back to square one. Nothing is working, and literally my migraines are so bad that I am unable to get out of bed. Has anyone else had this problem, or have you had any other medications that worked? My doctor is always talking about wellness besides medication, and I do take good care o myself, but I don't know what else will help. I definetly wish I could go back on Topamax, kidney stones were a breeze compared to my migraines. Any suggestions would be wonderful! Thank you!!
#25 year old that just wants her life back.
I am so sorry you have struggled so much with so few positive results. Did you know that there are hundreds of medications that can be tried to prevent migraine? Did you also know that there are co-morbid conditions that can exacerbate migraine and make it difficult, if not impossible to treat? If Topamax worked so well for you, then perhaps you can talk to your doctor about trying other medications in the same class (anti-seizure). They don't all cause kidney stones so there might just be one that you can tolerate. Here is a summary of this class of medications: https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/anticonvulsants-and-antiepileptic-drugs. Also, have you considered Botox?
In your post you list several medications you have tried. Some of them are acute "abortive" medications designed to stop an attack once it has started (naproxen, imitrex, maxalt, midrin) while others are "preventives" designed to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks (verapamil, lepressor, topamax). Good migraine management typically includes abortives, preventives, and rescue meds for when all else fails (this happens to all of us on occasion). You mention seeing a doctor, but did not specify what his/her specialty is. To truly get good migraine care, you need to find a board certified headache specialist. This can make a huge difference in the success of your treatment. For more information on headache specialists, visit https://migraine.com/blog/how-are-migraine-specialists-different. There is a link at the bottom of that page to information on how to find a headache specialists near you.
I wish you "good luck" and would like to hear back from you to let me know how you are doing. It is possible to get better results. You deserve it!
Tammy
