Anyone Here Know If An Ssri Is Good For Mav

crazylabyrinth

Bit confused...did the doc actually say it was MAV?

xx

studyin

Hi jb,

Dealing with your anxiety is definitley a great move for recovery, however I was under the impression that MAV was treated with a different medication to relieve the headaches and thus the dizziness and anxiety. Maybe someone else who understands MAV well can chime in here.

Best...Scott

jbbrocky

THE DR 6 MONTHS AGO SAID IT WAS BPV, AND ANOTHER SAID IT WAS LABS, AND THE RECENT ONE RULED BOTH THESE OUT AND SAID MAV AURA. WHO KNOWS.

hbep

Sometimes the newer SSRI anti depressants are used to treat migraine, but as far as I know there is little evidence that they are an effective migraine treatment. I think doctors try them when other migraine preventatives have failed. The anti depressant and anti anxiety drugs that are known to be an effective migraine treatment for some - (everyone responds differently to the different therapies so it's v. hit and miss) are the older style anti d's called trycyclics - two of the best known ones are amitriptyline and nortiptyline. They are also effective against anxiety. That said the older drugs can sometimes (not always - depends on the individual) have more side effects.

In short, it could help, but it's not one of the more proven migraine treatments. Obviously you are taking it for anxiety - so it's also important to get that under control in the treatment of any vestibular illness. You could ask to switch to amitriptyline (elavil) in which case you'd stand more of a chance of treating both conditions. The other MAV drugs are beta blockers (propananol) they also help with anxiety. There is a drug called sandomigran (pizotifen) altthough I tried this and had the unfortunate rare side effect of extreme anxiety - so don't know about that one for you. The there are the calcium channel blockers - like verapramil. There's also the anti seizure meds - not sure of all of the names of these - I think topamax is one.

If you're still seeing the doc who diagnosed MAV, you could mention the anxiety and see if they can put u on a drug that might treat both,

best,


best,

__________________
hbep

jbbrocky

thanks very much that is a big help. one dr actually did prescribe nortriptalyne for me and another paxil, i decided on the paxil because i thought it had more anxiety help. i will try out paxil for a couple more weeks and if nothing helps then switch over to nortriptalyne. thanks a lot for all your guys input

jbbrocky

One Question: If I Am Already On Paxil And Wish To Switch To Nortriptalyne How Long Do I Have To Wait To Make The Switch Or Can I Just Switch Whenever. Do I Have To Ween Off The Paxil Then Start The Nortriptalyne?

studyin

Hi jb,

I think you should ask your doc about this. Also it can take up to 6 weeks before you notice any positive changes from an SSRI like Paxil. Not sure how long you've been on it but don't expect any results quickly.

Scott

jbbrocky

thanks scott, i plan on sticking with the paxil for at least a couple months, its only been 10 days for me.

your comments are much appreciated

thanks

JB