Topamax Troubles and Migraines

fax-1889030_1280I’ve had a horrible week of migraine trouble and the worst part is that I kind of brought it on myself 😦 I have been on Topamax for migraine prevention for a few months at least and while it was helping the migraines, it was causing water weight gain and constant noticeable bloating which I wasn’t thrilled with.

So, I asked my doctor to try something else and was tapered off Topamax and switched to Propranolol (a beta blocker). Big mistake. As soon as I went off the Topamax entirely, the migraines came back with a vengeance. The Propranolol didn’t seem to help at all. In fact, all the beta blocker managed to do was lower my already low blood pressure to the point that I often felt dizzy and faint.

Now I’m starting to switch back to the Topamax, but still suffering the lingering effects of this migraine flare up. I hate that the Topamax actually makes me look puffy and fatter and makes my clothes too tight, but right now, I guess that is preferable to these migraines since I can’t function at all when they strike. WHY DO ALL PRESCRIPTIONS THAT WORK FOR ME HAVE TO HAVE SUCH SUCKY SIDE EFFECTS???

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marandarussell

Hi! I am an artist, author, and blogger who also happens to have Asperger’s Syndrome. I have won several awards and honors for my writings and artwork. I suffer from a few severe mental illness and chronic pain conditions (Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Fibromyalgia, CFS/ME, Ehlers Danlos, Degenerative Disc Disease, etc.), which greatly affects my life and makes me want to advocate for others going through similar things. Other interests of mine include reading, writing, drawing, watching cartoons and movies, collecting toys, hanging out with my family, and annoying my 3 cats.

23 thoughts on “Topamax Troubles and Migraines”

  1. Noooooo, I hate that too with meds – a med for one problem that causes another, such a pain in the ass! I’m so sorry you’ve had such a rough time with the migraines and so unnecessarily too. I use Sumatriptan as I tried a daily med for prevention that was awful with side effects, so I didn’t even manage 4 full days on it. Can they suggest an alternative to Topomax that does the same job of migraine prevention but that may have different side effects (you know, so you can swap the water & bloating for nausea & constipation instead?)
    Wish I had something useful to add but I don’t.. I just hope you can get some respite from the lingering effects soon  ♥
    Caz xx

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      1. The neuro I saw the other year mentioned Botox (and acupuncture but I said no thanks – can’t afford it & don’t want needles all over my head!) I’m curious with botox as to how much you’d need, and I’ve seen others write about reasonable results so it may be worth looking in to… Desperate times, eh? xx

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  6. I suffer from migraines and tension headaches which is a fun added bonus. I am on Topamax which helps, but not much and I am not willing to take a higher dose because of the side effects. I have confusion and trouble finding words. I was able to get Botox injections after trying a few different preventive medications that did not work and that has helped tremendously. I would ask your doctor about Botox.

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  7. For the love of humanity, do the acupuncture. 🙂 Botulinum toxin is BAD news, even watered down for medical and cosmetic uses.

    I’ve been doing it since August (migraines, spinal bone spurs, multiple herniated discs, and one ruptured disc) and it’s made me feel human again. The needles are thin, rarely hurt at all and are very likely not going to go in your head. I did a post in my blog about it. The title was “My Life as a Voodoo Doll”, lol. Got to have a sense of humor about things. 🙂 🙂 🙂

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    1. What are the major dangers of doing the botox? I’ve heard a lot of people praising it the last few days, but do you know some nightmare stories or something I should be aware of too? Acupuncture wouldn’t be bad, but my insurance won’t cover it.

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