Hello all:

I have had migraines since childhood due to a head injury and recently, the migraines have worsened where they have affected my normal everyday functioning. I saught help with a neurologist and was prescribed a preventitave prescription of Topamax (which is an epilepsy med found to help migraine sufferers). The Topamax has worked wonders for the migraines by cutting the severity, length, duration and frequency yet the side effects from the medication has made my anxiety go in FULL SWING!

It started out with numbness/tingling in my hands & feet, confusion or slight memory loss and change of taste then....the diarrhea. I have had non stop diarrhea for two months. The other side effects have dwindled. Although both my Dr and pharmacist say that diarrhea isn't one of the main side effects, IT IS LISTED in the side effects on the RX. I got so dehydrated from being so sick that I wound up having full blown panic attacks again and wound up in the ER for rehydration and to calm down. My Dr has since prescribed me Lexapro and Xanax. I've lost almost 30 lbs in two months. I'm taking it one day at a time and find that the Lexapro is helping along with starting over with session two of the program. I'm finding it difficult to eat much but trying really hard.

Anyone else have any experiences with migraine treatments and anxiety?

Thanks!

Sandee_B.

Hello!

I have suffered with migraines also since childhood, around 8 years old from what I can remember. It's not from any sort of trauma, it is hereditary in my family among the women though. I was getting migraines quite frequently, sometimes daily and sometimes just 3-4 times a week. But any migraine sufferer can tell you that even 1 a week is enough to make you miserable.

I've tried tons of different options and medications -Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, you name it, I've tried it. I'm also allergic to aspirin, so OTC medications like ibuprofen are not an option, but that probably wouldn't faze a full blown migraine anyway.

I kept a log for about two months and learned what triggers my migraines. Too much or too little sleep, extreme heat, sunlight, strong smells and perfumes, certain foods, hormornal changes, but everyone is different of course. I had bought an expensive pair of polarized sunglasses and they have been worth every penny. I don't leave home without them, they really have been a tremendous relief for me.

My doctor put me on Topamax about a year ago. I tapered up in 25mg increments weekly until I starting getting relief, and have stopped at 100mg. I did notice side effects such as changes in taste, especially in soft drinks. I eventually got used to it and don't even notice it anymore. I also lost about 20lbs over a few months, but I certainly wasn't complaining about that! I never had problems with diarrhea or numbness/tingling in my extremeties, though. I do sometimes have a hard time finding the right words for what I'm trying to say, but no real memory loss. It can be very frustrating at times.

For me, the benefits of Topamax definitely outweigh the side effects. I have cut my migraines down to maybe one, sometimes two a month.

I have tried Lexapro and I really didn't like it one bit; it did cause increased anxiety and panic attacks. It gave me a very spacey feeling and made me very nauseated. My doctor told me that the side effects were only temporary and would go away the first week, I didn't take it long enough to find out!

Everyone's different, and their treatments will be as well. It has taken me more than 15 years to figure out what really works to minimize mine.