The Quest for Better Pain Relief:

The unusual inspiration behind promising new pain drugs

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324809004578635783597536770.html?mod=WSJ_article_comments#articleTabs%3Darticle

Hmmm. I wonder how effective this would be for migraines. I mean, sure it might reduce or even eliminate the pain, but will it have any effect on the migraine itself?

If pain is the major or only severe symptom of a migraine attack then it no doubt would be useful. For myself, severe pain is only one of a multitude of disabling symptoms. While I would rather not have the pain (and sometimes I don't), it's the one thing other people can comprehend. I notice that when I don't have severe pain, other people are far less sympathetic and understanding as to why I am not able to function normally.

My cognitive skills are often severely reduced during a migrain attack to the point where I pose a risk to myself (and potentially others). However, when there is severe pain, I avoid movement, light and sounds, and this keeps me relatively safe. I don't think I would want to take a medication that reduced pain without it having a similar effect on the other symptoms.

I also wonder about that. I've noticed that the treatments that have been offered to me that seem on the surface to be targeted just for pain, such as Botox and neurostimulation, when I ask the neurologist about that - the neurologist says that they also seem to reduce other non-pain symptoms.

With the exception of Sandomigran, every medication I have tried has had little beneficial effect at all. While a few reduced the pain somewhat, it was always short lived. Most meds had little effect on other symptoms, or made some of them worse.  

Sandomigran really did reduce my migraines significantly, but it made me very aggressive and over confident.

I've never tried that drug. I googled it. Seems it is not used very much in the US. Maybe I should ask my doc about it.

I'm experiencing some reduction in attacks with Cymbalta.

pīwakawaka wrote:With the exception of Sandomigran, every medication I have tried has had little beneficial effect at all. While a few reduced the pain somewhat, it was always short lived. Most meds had little effect on other symptoms, or made some of them worse.  

Sandomigran really did reduce my migraines significantly, but it made me very aggressive and over confident.

Really?   It just made me... fat! I had no reduction of migraines at all.

Interesting study.

Yes, it made me fat too. Went from 65 Kg to over 100 Kg in a little over 12 months. I was unable to get my fingers to touch my palms as the fingers were to fat to curl properly.

Weight increase is a common side effect. I was regularly checked for that. My GP was unaware that it has the potential to cause aggressive behaviour until my wife said I could have her or the medicine, but not both. The doctor did some research and discovered that aggressiveness is a rare but documented side effect. I was taken off it immediately.

It's unfortunate that I seem to have adverse reactions to every medication tried so far. I've been taking clonazepam for the last 6 weeks or so. Originally I was on 50 mg per day, but that affected my cognitive ability so much that I was unable to function. For the first two weeks I had no migraines, and I thought I had found my "wonder cure". Then the migraines have returned to my "normal" level. Since then, I've tried 25 mg daily which did reduce the drowsiness and confusion, but had no effect the migraines. Currently we are experimenting in taking a higher dose, but not daily. Only taking it on days when I appear hyperactive - a symptom I often exhibit about 12 - 24 hours before a major migraine attack. Too early to judge the results.