Not severe enough for Topomax?
Greetings.
I've been having migraines since I was 18 - 31 years now. Imitrex has worked well for me for many years, and often I can manage with 800mg of ibuprofen. However, within the past 6 months, my migraines have become more frequent. The majority of my migraines are hormonal, with a few being stress or weather-related. I believe that I am (finally) moving into perimenopause, and that may be the reason for the increase of the frequency of my migraines. However, I am a breast cancer survivor and ER/PR+, so I have to avoid HRT or any homeopathic remedy that is estrogenic.
I have considered talking to my doctor about starting on something to prevent migraines, but don't know if I would be a good candidate as my migraines are not debilitating. I don't get auras or nausea. I do get the sensitivity to light and sound, but rarely is it so bad that I need to leave work. I'm just wondering if (1) I would be an appropriate candidate for a preventative like Topomax, and (2) if it would be worth dealing with the other potential side effects.
I appreciate your input.
Kat
HI Kat99.
Thank you for your question - it's a great one!
If your migraine attacks are centered around your cycle, you may want to discuss trying Frova, a medication that stops the migraine process, with your doctor. Let me share more information with you here; https://migraine.com/blog/short-term-option-for-migraine-prevention-frova/.
I wish I could give you an answer, but only a qualified doctor can do that. Typically when we have three to four severe migraine attacks a month, it's time to discuss prevention with the doctor. There are many other medications (over 100 in fact) that can be used for migraine prevention other than Topamax. When you get a chance take a look at this information; https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-preventives-start/.
Let me know what you think,
Nancy
