Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Migraine Headache Medication

Question:
I was medically retired from the service in 1988, with migraine headaches. I have had a whole gamma of tests, all of which turned up nothing in the way of a tumor, etc. I live with these on a daily basis, usually in a room darkened from the sun. In addition, the sound level in the house is VERY low and the the house is usually kept at a relatively cool temperature. I am sure that I am not telling you other migraine sufferers anything new, but it has become so very real to me in the last few years. I awake in the morning with the headache (fairly tolerable), but as the day progresses, so does the headache, until it completely overtakes me and forces me to the bed. At present, I am using a complement of 1. Lorazepam; 2. Metoclopramide; 3. Meclizine; 4. Hydroxyzine; 5. Cimetidine; and 6. Atenolol (for blood pressure). In addition to the gamma of tests that have been taken along with them comes a new set of medications, of which none has yet worked. I have read that some of you are using other medications such as Stadol ( which I know nothing about). Can someone please shed some light on this tale of horror! Thank you in advance for your time and effort!

Answer:
I'll just say I'm somewhat suspicious of this combo. I've been involved in the NG for a year and have been fighting daily HA's for 15 years. I've only heard of two of these med's. Atenolol is indeed used as a HA preventive. Lorazepam is a tranquillizer and I've never heard of its being prescribed for HA. I hope a person more knowledgeable than I comments further. For HA prevention, most people take a combination of antidepressants, SSRI's (Prozac and its cousins), calcium channel blockers (verapamil, etc.), beta-blockers (Inderal and Atenolol), seizure meds (Depakote, Neurontin), and a few others. Each person seems to need something different.