General discussion - Anti Depressants (TCAs)

Oh Katie I am so sorry to read that - but you have given it a good go:(

Have you worked through all the stuff as outlined by BASH?

And have you asked about Botox, I know its not easy to get at the moment, but when you get to the end of the list, its worth pushing for the new stuff?

Hi Katie I have a love hate relationship with NRRI's but I can now sleep and grudgingly accept that they do make a difference..even if I am hopeless at getting up..I can do it but I am pretty 'dull' till about 10 am.

I periodically come off or cut down but after a few weeks of no sleep I relent..I expect my relationship with them is classed as 'complicated' but I feel there is not much option at present.

The side effects weren't as bad after a few months and as long as I go straight to be after taking the mirtazipine I don't have to endure the horrid muscle spasms and restless twitching in my limbs.

Jane

i was started on amiltriptaline 10mg and worked to 50gm over 5 weeks , the 5th week was in hospital with another dose. i keep getting hm and went to 75mg and no joy so im on 100mg at night, and gp wont alter tablets until i see a nurologist

I started Amitryptiline in February after suffering a constant migraine for 7mths - they had to rule out other stuff first. It was, in my eyes, a miracle drug. I immediately went from a migraine every 6 days to one every 6 weeks. It also cured my insomnia and, bizarrely, the tendonitis in my shoulder!
I started on 10mg, then upped to 20mg but this seemed to stop working after about 5mths so requested it be upped again but the GP I saw refused (not my usual GP). I have taken matters into my own hands and started taking Magnesium, Riboflavin, Butterbur and Feverfew alongside the Amitryptiline and have now gone back down to 10mg.
Luckily I do not seem to suffer the side effects (a bit groggy first thing in the morning but otherwise ok) but I am very sensitive to the benefits hence the low dose - both my usual GP and occupational health have been suprised that I have not needed to take more over time.

That is a great post - it is soooooooo nice to read that something works Long may it last for you x

Can I ask - how much of the supplements do you take?? I have found magnesium of great help and plan to start with the others once my Botox trail is over

I tried Nortriptyline but I didn't get very far with it. I only got up to 2 tablets and my I turned into a zombie. My colleagues started asking me if I was ok because I was acting like I wasn't with it then it made me physically sick so I had to stop it.

There are different types of this drug and most cause nausea at first but after a few weeks max it goes. Just cause one NRRI doesn't suit it doesn't mean you will feel like that on them all.
I take duloxotine and mirtazapine .... The mirtazapine helps me sleep when NOTHING and I mean nothing else did. I had had enough sedatives to knock a drey horse out until mirtazapine..and I still woke in pain for 4 years solid every night. SO I love it.
I take the duloxetine in the morning and my pain is receeding ..I felt sick with this for about 2 weeks (always a for a few hours after taking it) BUT it's fine now.
It takes about a month for your brain to adjust to any of these meds and as I said everyone reacts differently to the different strains..so persevere and give it at least a month if you decided to try something else. Maybe mirtazapine would be better as you take it at night?
Hope this helps
Jane
x

Tee wrote: That is a great post - it is soooooooo nice to read that something works Long may it last for you x

Can I ask - how much of the supplements do you take?? I have found magnesium of great help and plan to start with the others once my Botox trail is over

I'm taking 2 x75mg Butterbur and was taking 380mg Feverfew but I have stopped this temporarily as I think it's giving me a touch of IBS. Not had a good week though as had 3 migraines and now just feeling like a ragdoll - nevermind back to work tomorrow

Thanks for the reply.

I am seeing my consultant tomorrow,so may add these in from next week.... had one on Sunday and in that ragdoll stage too

Tee wrote:Angela do you take any other preventative with it?

Sorry for not replying earlier
I take the following :
Amitriptyline 20-25 mg in the evening.
I take a pill every night for restless legs. (prescribed)
I use Omepresol x 2 per day for Reflux.

I read with interest the article on todays "latest topics" about
the cost of Botox in Sunderland. I'm thankful I am not a migraine "sufferer"
in my home town Sunderland ! I have tried Botox on two different occasions here in Sweden but it did not help in anyway. The best thing was the treatment was very cheap

Happy New Year

Was prescribed Nortriptyline for a very short while, but they made my vision very blurry and got major heart palpitations so I was quickly taken off them.

Just been prescribed 10mg of Amitriptyline, does anyone know what the average dosage for this drug is when treating migraines because 10mg seems very low.

I have also been taken 160mg of Propanolol for over two years and it had been working and I had managed to get down to about 1 migraine a month but then I got diagnosed with an under active thyroid 3 weeks ago and the levothyroxine I now have to take has made my migraines worse and in the last 7 days I have had 6. It is so frustrating when you manage to get your migraines under control then one tiny tablet causes so much pain, but I hoping the amitriptyline will work because I cannot come of the levothyroxine.

Amitriptyline seems to effect different people - so the level ha to be tried - I for example could feel the effects at just 5mg.... I got up to 25 but that would knock me out and I had trouble waking up..... They tend to start you off low and build you up - then you can go back down again - the side effects of this one are not too bad - sleepy was worse for me - but it was at a time when I had lost the ability to stay asleep - so it helped me loads to learn how to sleep again...............

The thyroid is an interesting one and maybe a blessing in disguise - as this could be the cause of the migs - I know of a few people who have had this and once the get it working at the correct level the migs went down - so fingers crossed that is the case with you......... do let us know how you get on xx

Just thought I'd update you all, I am now 95% migraine free, after 18 months of being borderline chronic.

My wonder drug is: Mirtazipine! I am now down to 1 migraine a month rather than 4 a week! If I get a headache I can now take nurofen or drink a glass of water and it doesn't develop or goes away.

I am amazed and delighted.

Has anyone tried Duloxetine/Cymbalta?
I started taking it yesterday and I feel dreadful today - hot and cold, stomach cramps, neck's gone into spasm.
I had trigger point injections in my shoulders and back on Thursday and they have certainly helped the pain in those areas. I've also got lidocaine patches which I've been putting on the back of my neck at night.
I'm hoping the side effects of the Duloxetine will wear off as I'm only on 2 a day and I have to build up to 6 a day.

Hi, I take duloxetine too. Been on it for over a week. It has had some weird side effects like tremors and sensations of waves over my brain, weird, but apart from that I'm just trying to give it some time to get into my system. Back at Neuro in December. Take care

Hi Lesley Anne,
Thanks for the reply. I'm really struggling with the side effects. I'm only on my 3rd day of taking it though so I'll persevere.
I'm back at neuro next month so I guess I can discuss it with him if I'm still not coping.

Hi, I'm new to the forum so hope I'm posting in the right place. I just started on 10mg amitriptyline a couple of days ago and have had terrible pressure pain in my head and face. I wondered if anyone else had experienced this and if it passes? Have spoken to dr who isn't concerned and suggests I persevere.

I persevered with the duloxetine and managed to build it up to 60mg a day. My pain specialist wanted me to take 120mg a day but. I felt that was too much. I've had three lots of trigger point injections too.

I'm not pain free but the migraines have reduced in both frequency and severity. I now go to bed with the confidence that I won't wake up in the early hours screaming in pain. When I do get a migraine, a single dose of Oramorph or diazepam is usually enough to sort it out.

I have two more lots of trigger point injections next month and the month after. Then, I guess I will just have to wait and see how things go.

To Jenh: welcome to the forum. If possible, try to continue with the amitriptyline for a bit longer. I haven't found any medication which doesn't have some side effects. The duloxetine is the only one I've found so far which helps me and which has side effects I can tolerate. Initially, the side effects were horrendous but they eased over the first couple of weeks and are now hardly noticeable.

Hi I'm new to the forum really looking for some advice & support. I have had migraines since the age of 15 I'm now 34. My migraines have gone through various phases but this year have been hard to cope with.
I've tried all the triptans, previously been on beta-blockers and take Topamax preventative.
I now have a new neuro who has started me on Amitriptyline first week on 10mg and have been on 25mg for 1 week. I still take the Topamax 50mg in the morning & the Amitriptyline in the eve.
I've been feeling dizzy and some numbness in my hands. I had one migraine after only taking one 10mg tablet so I thought obviously its not in my system yet give it a chance and then yesterday another migraine felt awful and still today so do I continue? Any one else tried this mix? Thanks