6 years of no definate answers- now taking Topamax

[Vickie]

Tanya9, I sure hope the doctor can find something for you to take that will be safe while you are trying to have a baby and while you are pregnant. I will keep good thoughts for you.
Glad you have been mostly headache free.

Yes the weight gain would be better than having the awful migraines, at least that is what my husband told me. There is always something isn't there?!

Good luck to you and please stay in touch.

[marleneG]

Hi everyone. I have been a headache sufferer for as long as I can remember, but for the last couple of years they have really gotten worse. I have been on topamax for the last six months and am now at 200 mg. I have experienced the numbness and the weightloss, the dizzyness, and the confusion. I don't like the way I feel when I am on the drug. I still have the headaches. I don't have the same level of pain, and the migraines are less frequent, but I fell very disassociated with my life. I recently started experiencing pain in my jaw and when to the dentist. She told me I had TMJ, which is a disorder of the joins of the jaw that can be brought on by stress and clenching of the teeth. This can cause any number of headaches and migraines. I talked to my doctor but he just gave me a muscle relaxer and some other medications. I am really sick of medications. Has anyone else heard of this disorder?

[Vickie]

Hi marleneG, Welcome.
I had TMJ a long time ago. Took care of it with stretching exercises and a mouth guard.
The Topamax gave me headaches but Neurontin seems to work pretty well, maybe you can try that. Good luck to you.

An update: Last month I had a terrible migraine. Lasted about 12 days with 3-4 days in the middle that were extremely painful. Had a Demerol (50mg) shot but it only lasted 1 1/2hrs. Also tried Ultracet and that didn't work either. It finally went away on it's own.

Went to the neurologist. He put me on Zoloft.
Then went to my regular dr. and he decided I should take the neurontin with it but at a higher dose. Just started all this so will have to wait and see how it goes. He said if I get a really bad one again I will get a much higher dose of the Demerol. I hope that won't be for a long time!

Have a great day everyone. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/cool.gif

[Lee G.]

Tanya9, I came across your post while researching Topramax. I wanted to offer a possibility for the cause of your Headaches. I'm 40 years old. My headaches started about the same time yours did. It took me several years to figure out that they are hormone related. When I started tracking them with my period, I found that I would get a bad HA about 3-4 days before my period starts, around the 3rd day of my period and when I'm ovulating. I do have another trigger which is heat. I live in the South and when it is really hot and humid and I'm out in it all day, I'll get a HA. My ha's sound similar to yours...feels like a knife in the eye and wraps around to the base of my skull on my right side only. They've gotten worse through the years. I've taken Phrenalin, Midrin, Amerge and recently was put on Topramax and Zomig nasal spray. The Topramax make me feel like a slug and I want to sleep all the time. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to stay on it. There is one thing that has helped me. I go to a massage therapist that does accupressure massage. He can hold his thumb on the "hot spot" at the base of my skull and my ha will be gone in just a few minutes. Unfortunately, I can't go see him everytime I get a HA. Thought this might be helpful.