Neurontin helped me as much any other med, but only for a few months. Minimal side effects (esp compared to depakote and dopamax), but I think I gained some weight. I found depakote even worse than...
I haven't visited this forum in months, or I would have answered you earlier. I don't know if my response will be encouraging, as I've suffered from daily headaches for 23 years. However, I've been...
Hi Firled, I'm a professor, too. I have more tension-type headaches, so I don't get the visual auras you do. Fortunately for me, adrenaline usually kicks in and I can push the headache into the...
Hi Kitkat, I generally have tried to give preventives at least a month, if not 2-3 months. Some, like Topamax, take over 3 months to reach full effectiveness. Talk to your doctor about what, if...
there's a thread on this found here: http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=31&m=1560345...
If you'd like to bypass this ridiculous censorship of discussion of a treatment legal in nearly 1/3 of the states, you might try googling medical marijuana mdjunction. I'm not allowed to post a...
I had the psych evaluation for an occipital stimulator. It was a really long questionnaire, but nothing difficult. My doc said it's pretty standard. I think Ben is right about pain doctors doing such...
I've had chronic tension headaches (diagnosed now as New Daily Persistent Headache) for 21 years now. Although I don't know of any "cures", you may find it helpful to talk to a therapist about the...
100 mg of Topamax is a very high dose to start at. I think I started at 25 mg and worked up over several months to 200, ending up tapering down to 150 mg. A slow buildup is essential to minimize...
I didn't switch directly from Epilum (actually, Depakote, which has the same active ingredient) to Topomax (maybe a couple years between using the two), but I do remember getting more relief from...
Two years of daily headaches and your doctor has only tried one, so far ineffective, medication? I'd say it's time to find a neurologist who specializes in headaches. There are lots of possible...
look here http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=31&m=1412906...
jhmom, That sounds like a good plan. Neurontin had fewer side effects for me -- as you'll see if you look at past posts here, Topomax has many side effects for most people, but many folks have great...
Ashley, Another forum I belong to is focused on NDPH, and several members have gone to Dr. Rozen's clinic. There are regular discussions there about what goes on, what to expect, etc. Good place for...
Yeah, the weight gain is a drag. I'd weighed the same, downright skinny until I went on amitryptaline. Then my weight shot up over the course of just a few months -- my appetite just increased...
amitryptaline is the one medication that's been most effective for my chronic daily headaches (not migraine). Haven't tried it with citalopram, but I've kept taking amitryptaline (currently 25mg) no...
It seems to me you have several issues here. 1. Should you switch neurologists? If you tell your current doctor you're satisfied with where you are headache-wise and he insists on adding meds, there...
LeahMaria, Sounds like Chronic Daily Headache. Do a web search and/or a search of this forum and you'll find lots of info. One thing to watch out for, especially with daily headaches, is overusing...
Kissfan, If I could tell you what would cure every migraines, I'd be a rich man! I myself have had chronic daily headaches (not classic migraines) for almost 20 years. Some things have helped for...
They're kind of touchy around here about posting links, but if you do a google search for the American Council on Headache Education and/or the National Headache Foundation, both organizations offer...
Hi Behindtheseeyes, Congratulations -- I'm happy for you that you're getting results so quickly. Here's hoping that you continue on such a good track. As long as the low dosage is working for you, I...
The weight gain came from the eating. The increased appetite, I think, came from the pills. If I recall correctly (and this was quite a while ago), I was on a higher dose when the weight gain...
While everyone's experience is different, amitriptyline did lead to significant weight gain for me. I'd been very skinny (OK, scrawny), the same weight my entire adult life when I started on it in my...
Topomax gave me worse headaches for awhile (a month or two) before I got up to a dose high enough to help. I think people respond very differently to it in terms of side effects; I was able to...
My neurologist has talked about some success with PFO surgery. Patent Foramen Ovale is a congenital hole between two heart chambers and MAY be associated with some migraines. What little I know about...
My mother has had migraines for as long as I've been alive (I'm 47). My older sister developed migraines about the time my New Daily Persistent Headaches started (around 20 years ago), and one of her...
Both of you exhibit all the signs of rebound headache, caused by too frequent use of pain relievers. My headache doctor limits me to using any painkiller (over the counter or prescription) to two...
The idea behind slowly increasing your dosage is to become acclimated to the side effects. If you're still feeling brain-dead after a week at the 25 mg. dose, I'd suggest staying there for a second...
Sorry to hear your headaches have returned. While it may be the lighting at your new workplace, it may also just be that your body has gotten used to Topamax. That happened to me -- Topamax (and a...
Do a search on this forum for "rebound headaches". Taking tylenol or other pain killers more than a couple times a week can actually cause worse headaches over the long term. That sounds exactly like...
The neck/head connection is a tough one to figure out. I initially thought my headaches were caused by something in my neck, and maybe they were at first, but the tension in my neck and shoulders now...
Waynet, I'd suggest pushing your doctor for aggressive treatment. Given the stiff neck and shoulders, physical therapy may be a good idea. Possibly nerve blocks or some other meds to disrupt the pain...
I have to second Ann's comments. I, too, have suffered daily headaches for over 15 years. But they got worse when I was taking pain killers on a daily or near daily basis. Once I stopped overuse of...
When I started on Topamax, I had the same side effect. After several weeks, the chronic headaches diminished. After about 4 months, the Topamax started really helping my headaches. That help lasted...
Matt, The problem you're running into is that medical science doesn't really know why most headaches happen. Doctors and researchers tinker around with dietary and other triggers, but there's not...
If you've "only" had 12 headaches in the past month, you probably aren't suffering from rebound headache yet. Rebound tends to be more chronic than that. But what you want to do is avoid it, by not...
Hi Matt, Boy, you've really been through the doctor mill. At times, I think chasing doctors is almost as bad as having headaches! Having said that, what I'd recommend is finding a headache...
Yes, that's the generic for Fioricet. There are a couple of threads on this med in recent weeks (although one involves a version which includes codeine, which your prescription apparently doesn't)....
Why not call and ask them what they do at a typical initial appointment? I know many doctors' offices are hard to get info out of, but you're paying them, and you have very reasonable questions. I...
Hi Janix500, Sorry to report that I have tried botox -- back in January -- but got no relief at all. However, the scientific literature suggests it is helpful for many chronic headache sufferers, so...
I just found this great article in the NYTimes that describes our headaches perfectly, in a comic manner. Nice to know the larger world (at least those who read the Times) can get a glimpse at what...
Kassidy, I sometimes hesitate to mention how long I"ve had these headaches since that might discourage new sufferers -- sorry! Regarding the Fioricet, I don't find it helps much once a headache is...
nbd, You're welcome to email me -- just click on the email icon under my name. Kassidy, Wow -- sounds like we have the same headache! Are you on all those drugs you mentioned (Lyrica, depakote,...
nbd, I nearly always feel pressure in my head, even if it isn't full-blown pain. The muscles at the base of my skull are generally tight. That's one reason I've tried lots of chiropractic, massage,...
ndb, Caffeine definitely helps my headaches -- they even put it in Fioricet, a pain reliever lots of headache sufferers use (it's my sole abortive med). I don't know about the physical activity -- I...
NDB, I should have said my headaches USUALLY aren't debilitating, but I get incapacitating pain for a two day stretch or so every couple of weeks. The daily pain is usually such that I can get...
Yes, I think the latest name for my headache type is "new daily persistent headache" -- I laughed when my doctor used that phrase -- something about 18 year long headaches being "new" struck me as...
Sailmonii34, I've been suffering from chronic daily headaches for 18 years (I can remember the exact day they started). I want to reiterate what others have said about rebound headache caused by...
Baseball mom, There's been a lot of discussion of Topamax on this board -- a search will turn up lots of people's experiences. Many people get good results -- I wouldn't be surprised if it's the...
Nicky, So glad to hear you've gotten some relief with Neurontin. It was the most effective med I've tried for my chronic daily tension headaches, but like everything else I've tried, it only helped...