Medications Work Differently * Please Read - Headaches & Migraines Message Board

JDD-JAG · 11-23-2003, 08:45 AM

Hello I am new to this board,

I just read many different postings or posting threads and see that a lot of people have pros and cons about taking the drugs Neurontin, Gabapentin, Topamax, Topiramate, Tegretal and other similar drugs for their medical problems?
These drugs are all within the same medicine family. A lot of people taking these drugs will end up with the same results over a certain amount of time.
These medications will work or not for a while for some people but over time it will build a tolerance level in your body. Then it may cause either bad side effects and/or in time you need to take a higher dosage for it to work and/or it can just stop working. Then you’re back to your original medical problem. That is where I am at again with the above drugs.
So this is why I asking if anyone reading these postings has taken the medication called Zonegran (Zonisanide is the generic name) it is in a different drug family. How did it work for you? Many medical reports I read on this drug say it helps with neuropathic pain, headaches, weight loss, seizures and etc
Many different Doctors have told me the drug works this way or that. But all the Doctors are doing is repeating what they read in these same medical reports and have never tried the drug personally. That is why I will listen to different people who have taken the drug first hand because you have the best report.
So I am all ears and willing to listening to anyone who wants tell me their experiences and options about Zonegran or its generic name Zonisanide and help me decide whether to try this new drug. I am in so much pain along with serious migraines I do not want to take ten different drugs to help with my medical problems if one medication may do the trick.

Thanks to all who have listen and replied

hereforyou · 12-16-2003, 04:16 PM

Zonegran did not work for me. My physician ordered initially 100mg and I did get up to the 400 mg dose within one month. Then the symptoms started. Memory problems, forgetfulness, other cognition problems. Not only did I have these symptoms, I continued with my usual migraines.

Now the doc has me on inderal and a trial bid dose of amerge for one month.

good luck

imatestwentbad · 01-02-2004, 02:51 PM

Hi
I did a search with the word zonegran and found your post. I wanted to see who else was taking it for other reasons besides seizures and bi-polar on the boards. Your doctor wants to take it for migraine headaches? My Rhmy doctor gave it to me for sleep after ruling out lupus. I don't sleep deeply enough and he said that the Zonegran blocks the GABA brain waves in your head. So it is good to slow down the seizures in E and certain types of pain like migraine. I don't have seizures so it was strange taking anticonvasnt (sp).
I started taking 100mg only twice a week at dinner for a week in Oct. Then three times a week for a week. Then everyday for a week. After that I had to raise the dose to 200mg a day a dinner. That is still what I am doing now. When I first started the side effects were very very bad. My belly hurt if i didn't eat enough food with them. It does make me sleeply still. I don't drive after I take them. That is why I take them though. Sometimes I think it works alittle too well and I am airheaded and forgetful too. If you are all ready a thin person it might still make you lose weight. I lost some weight that I can't seem to get back on. Sulfa is in the drug and it makes you thristy and go to the rest room a lot. Plus some people have allergy to sulfa. However, you must decide if the side effect out weight the beifits. I don't wake up every hour anymore. I am still a light sleeper. I would seek other meds

eliteagrus · 01-21-2004, 11:36 AM

I experienced the same thing as original poster. Started on Topamax and it was GREAT for 3 months then BOOM, didn't work at all! Went to Zonegran. It took my sex drive from every other day to once a month, made me cranky as all get out, very irritable, and did NOTHING for my headaches

If the anti-seizure drugs don't help you, then they probably WON'T help you - is what they told me. The dr also told me just about EVERY new drug you try may have a "honeymoon" effect and help you for a little while.

I cut out all animal products and that has seemed to help the most, but I don't want to live with this diet... I'd like to pinpoint what is causing these dag gone headaches. (was getting 25 a month!!)

ajack · 01-22-2004, 07:36 PM

I'm a little confused, because from what I'ver read and from talking to my neuro, zonegran is an nueral stablizing med just like all the other meds you listed. Each anticonvulsant works on different receptors though, so in that case, the explanation about tolerances still makes sense. Here is the list of what each one does

Felbamate -- sodium channel blocker, calcium channel blockade, glutamate receptor antagonism, GABA potentiation

Levetiracetam/Keppra -- calcium channel blockade only

Gabapentin/Neurontin -- calcium channel blockade, GABA potentiation

Lamotrigine/Lamictal & oxcarbazepine/trileptal -- sodium channel blocker, calcium channel blockade

Tiagabine/Gabitril - GABA potentiation only

Topiramate/Topamax -- sodium channel blocker, calcium channel blockade, glutamate receptor antagonism, GABA potentiation, carbonic anhydrase inhibition

Zonisamide/Zonegran -- sodium channel blocker, calcium channel blockade, GABA potentiation, carbonic anhydrase inhibition

Topamax is the most broad based, but probably the reason zonegran is being used is it is also more broad based, and has less side effects than topamax. My neuro calls it topamax-lite.

Now what your really wanted to know :-), I did take zonegran, and it did help for me more than topamax did, not as much as depakote did. For me I really did have less side effects than topamax. I became potassium defecient on topamax, got tolerant very fast to it(had to bump up my dosage almost weekly) and it took over 6 months for me to even notice any brain fog. I started at 100 mg, and did end up at 300 mg before I started noticing brain fog and switched again. I think 400 is the max recommended dosage, but one of my neuros uses it higher than that. My neuro said that now that its being used for headache patients more the manufacturer is considering making smaller sized tablets(they only come in 100s now) so that migraineurs can taper slower and that might have helped, so maybe something to look for in the future?

I guess if we could figure out which receptor helped us the most, we could figure out which med to take, now if there was some sort of test for that, I would pay money rather than guess and check!

I'm trying Gabitril now which doesn't have as much data behind it but my neuro has some people responding really well to it. And it suppose to have less side effects too, no miracles but so far so good, improvement at least!

Sorry I babbled on so much, I hope this helps a bit,
AJ