catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 For the last 3 months I have had 6-8 migraines every month. I have also been suffering from chronic acid reflux. I went to see my doc and she put me back on a migraine prevention med (pizotifen). I have been on proprananol for this before but found that it slowed me down too much. However, I'm suffering the side effect of feeling tired all the time and it has put my sleep pattern out of whack which I had been doing so well with. I'm hoping that it will ease the longer I am on it but if it doesn't, I don't know which is worse having all those migraines every month or feeling washed out and tired all of the time. At least with the migraines, they are clustered and so it only takes one week out of every month but if this side effect continues then I am going to be pretty useless for the whole month and every month. She has said that if I do get this side effect and it doesn't go away then we will have to look at something else but she's looking at off label uses for mood stabilisers and I know how awful they make me feel as well as the weight gain side effect. She has also doubled my prescription for rizatriptan (migraine med) from 6 a month to 12 tablets a month. With the acid reflux, I have gone through bottles and bottles of Gaviscon and put off going to see the doctor about it because I knew there was a possibility of an endoscopy which I know I will not be able to do. Anyway, I gave in and told her about it because it was so bad and she has put me on Lansoprazole for a month and then I have to go back for a review and if it isn't working then she has said that she will refer me for an endoscopy even though I have told her I won't be able to do it because it reminds of back in the day when they used to pump your stomach after an overdose and it will just bring back too many awful memories and know I won't be able to do it without being sick. So, feeling depressed because I have taken a few steps backwards from where I was and I am angry as well - I don't know who at, the world I guess, that I was doing sooooo well and then this has to happen and push me backwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 After reading this back, I realise that there are some thinking errors in there. I am disqualifying the positives - I am still doing some things in the house, hubby and I are going out together once a week still and I am managing to keep up with my online DBT course, although I did post it a bit late this week but at least I did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 I'm sat here fighting to stay awake so that I can try to get my sleep pattern back to normal but I know that if I get myself over tired, it can trigger a migraine - oh what the bloody hell do I do - go to sleep now or stay awake - driving myself nuts here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benway Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Hi (((cats))) sorry you are feeling so rotten. I don't know much about migraines, other than they are debilitating. Having an out of whach sleep pattern must be so annoying too. Its good to hear you are still trying with the important things in your life, like house, hubby, dbt, it shows you are serious about getting well. Love & hugs xx am Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thanks Kitteh - I am very serious about trying to get as well as I can and I am glad that you can see that as well. Hubby is being brilliant and keeps telling me to give myself a break when I start to get depressed or upset about all of this. I am hoping with every little tiny piece of me that it will pass soon. Much love xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imdebbiem Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 ((cats)) Migraines are awful, the sunshine and stress are big triggers for my migraines. Wish I could say I have discovered something really great for relieving the pain caused by migraines but I havent. :-( I hope this side effect of tiredness either reduces or your doctor can find you some other medication to try for your migraines. Try not to let yourself get overtired thou, cos getting over tired can leave you feeling very run down. Glad you and hubby are still going out every week, that's something good to look forward too!. xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thanks Debbie - sorry that you suffer with migraines as well. I know what you mean about sunshine as well, I constantly have sunglasses on when it is out. At the moment, I am getting them the week of my period and then seem to be ok for the rest of the month. I take rizatriptan as soon as I get a migraine (it's not a painkiller but works on the serotonin levels in your brain) and I take one as soon as I get the first signs of one but they make me sleepy so they usually knock me out for about 4 hours but when I wake up the migraine has usually gone and I'm just left with a head full of cotton wool. The proprananol was good at preventing them from happening in the first place but weren't worth the side effects and so yes hopefully the pizotifen side effects will settle down and also work to prevent them from happening in the first place. xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villan Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 hey there ! sorry physical stuff is getting you down - i so understand atm cos i get bad vertigo room spins at the moment the stuff they put me on for this is also for migraines - prochlorperazine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prochlorperazine although it doesnt really help me cos it is for dizzy and nausea and i did tell the gp that i get neither of these, just the room spins, but she gave them me anyway *sigh* i really need to change my surgery - once again it has proved how crap it is! anyhow - dont wanna turn it about me, just wanted to tell you i understand and stuff and maybe ask doc about that med... although it does have the drowsy s/e, so far i didnt get that... just the ubiquitous dry mouth *sigh* anyway... muchos huggles for you as always and also truckloads of love Kath xxxxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelk01 Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Hello cats I really wish you well. I hope that thing go well for you. All the best and hope the migraines and things improve. Much love. xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelyheartemma Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 I had an endoscopy, i didnt want it at all but it was my parents decision. it wasnt helpful because they didnt find anything wrong but it wasnt nearly as bad as I thought. I dont remember anything about it at all, aparently i wasnt properly unconscious but i wasnt aware of it. I remember breathing the gas and thinking it was too strong, then i remember waking up in my hospital bed and being told to go back to sleep. I dont think i was sick, I felt very sick from the car journey but i dont remember being sick and no one mentioned it. I used to be on lansoprazole, it did help for a while but now i'm on omeprazole which is better. I find the gaviscon tablets are better than the bottles and the best kind is double action, have you tried them? I am being refered to a gastroentirologist now, my doctor was going to refer me for an endoscopy too but when i said i'd already had one she said I wouldnt need another one even tho it was years. But maybe you could try a gastroentirologist? My doctor says they will be able to scan me in other ways that arent like an endoscopy Its hard when you feel you need to sleep but you want to get your sleep pattern right. when i have had that problem i either stay awake but I rest and dont do anything too demanding physically or mentally. with sleep pattern i find its better to change it gradually so maybe you could do like a compromise so you stay up maybe an hour or two after writing your post so you are closer to the bedtime you are aiming for but still get an early night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thanks Debbie - sorry that you suffer with migraines as well. I know what you mean about sunshine as well, I constantly have sunglasses on when it is out. At the moment, I am getting them the week of my period and then seem to be ok for the rest of the month. I take rizatriptan as soon as I get a migraine (it's not a painkiller but works on the serotonin levels in your brain) and I take one as soon as I get the first signs of one but they make me sleepy so they usually knock me out for about 4 hours but when I wake up the migraine has usually gone and I'm just left with a head full of cotton wool. The proprananol was good at preventing them from happening in the first place but weren't worth the side effects and so yes hopefully the pizotifen side effects will settle down and also work to prevent them from happening in the first place. xx I've googled and rizatriptan also works on the blood vessels that dilate when we get a migraine to reduce them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnam Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 hugs hun, not feeling great at all, but wanted to send u hugs, and hope u feel better soon hun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 hey there ! sorry physical stuff is getting you down - i so understand atm cos i get bad vertigo room spins at the moment the stuff they put me on for this is also for migraines - prochlorperazine http://en.wikipedia....rochlorperazine although it doesnt really help me cos it is for dizzy and nausea and i did tell the gp that i get neither of these, just the room spins, but she gave them me anyway *sigh* i really need to change my surgery - once again it has proved how crap it is! anyhow - dont wanna turn it about me, just wanted to tell you i understand and stuff and maybe ask doc about that med... although it does have the drowsy s/e, so far i didnt get that... just the ubiquitous dry mouth *sigh* anyway... muchos huggles for you as always and also truckloads of love Kath xxxxxxx Thanks Kath I've just read that link and will mention it when I go back for my review if this pizotifen is still making me so drowsy. Sorry that you are feeling pants at the mo sweets - my sister-in-law suffers with vertigo so know how awful it can be, sometimes she can't even do the slightest movement with her head without awful dizziness and nausea. Sounds like a plan to change your surgery and when you do, I hope they can help you better than your current one. Millions of hugs and love to you xxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Emma - thanks for the advice and support - I didn't realise that you can be sedated for an endoscopy, I thought you had to be awake. If I can be sedated then it doesn't worry me as much. I have an awful gag reflex now and that's why I thought I would be sick. The lansoprazole seem to working, I've still got some symptoms but I've only been on them for a few days - hopefully after a month my oesophagus will have healed and I won't have to take them anymore and the acid will behave itself again - fingers crossed. I have managed to keep myself awake so far and I am going to go to bed at about 10pm to try to get my sleep pattern back in order which is 2 hours earlier than I normally go to bed. I feel sick because I'm so tired but desperately want to get my pattern back to normal. xx Angel - thanks for your support xx Cad - thanks so much for the hugs, I know you're not well sweets and it means a lot that you sent them - really hope that you are feeling better soon xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villan Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 thanks hunni - it's tolerable at the moment - only bad in the mornings in bed when i turn over and occasionally during the day if i move my head too much off it's axis... so far (touch wood) no dizzy or nausea... sorry your s-i-l gets it worse, it's bad enough what i get, can't imagine what she goes through! good job i cycle and don't drive anymore! the drug may be worth a shout, but may not be suitable or you may get the drowsy thing - do you get drowsy from antihistamines, cos it is like one of them... i don't usually so i guess that's why these don't get me drowsy... they are also useful for anxiety too! and actually, in higher doses, an anti-psychotic! maybe my doc was trying to tell me something lol! there is a good site with a forum for dizzy stuff if your s-i-l does forums - some good info there too http://www.dizzytimes.com/ remember, take care of you - you are special xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Bless you - you lovely lady I will email that link to my s-i-l - it seems to come and go with her but this could help her when she is suffering badly. The pizotifen that I am taking is a serotonin antagonist and it also has some antihistamine activity as well and perhaps that is why I am so drowsy. I take normal antihistamines from the chemist for allergies but I always get the non-drowsy ones and so have never had a problem with them. Gosh, why can't they make drugs more simple!! You are special to me too xxxxxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villan Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 you (and her) are welcome hun - sharing cool, useful stuff is all part of why this place is fantastic... if nothing else it will be somewhere where she can see she isn't alone - that's why i posted there... and i guess why we all post here - cos feeling alone in suffering from anything is pants... anyway... back to YOU... hope you get it sorted... meds are great but they take away the thing they are sposed to and add some other complications... it's a bloody balancing act half the time!!! i guess you already wear sunglasses in the sun - preferably wrap round ones, and also maybe a peaked cap and keep your neck covered - you prob already know this stuff, but is easily forgot in the noise of pain and stuff... and you havent cut down on coffee or tea or cut other caffeine based drinks out - cos that can exacerbate migraines too... hope you don't mind me thinking aloud... i don't get migraines, but i used to get wicked sun headaches and caffeine withdrawal... xxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Yep, I do wear sunglasses constantly when the sun is out and even wear them inside if it's bright in the house - my sunglasses are my best friend when it comes to keeping light out. Bright light can also trigger my facial spasms so they are useful for that as well - didn't know about keeping neck covered but will give it a try My coffee intake hasn't changed and I also drink a lot of water. I used to get them at anytime through the month but now it seems to be the week of my period so it seems to be linked to that at the moment, I told the doc this but she didn't say anything about that. So, see what happens next week. I agree about sharing and I have picked up so many useful things from this site. Hope you're having a good weekend xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villan Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 no idea re the neck thing - i just remember my mum always made sure my neck was covered when i went out in the sun as a child! but there is probably something in that cos my mum wasn't one for old wives tales! and the desert caps you see in films quite often have neck covers! if it is period related could some form of contraception help (dunno what you use so forgive me if i am off the mark) like the pill or even the injection... no period, no migraine ??? although the injection does have its own subset of side effects - *sigh* yeah, my weekend is good ta - it's my weekend not to go to mums, so i been shops and tidied kitchen and bathroom, had a lovely bath (ignoring the vertigo that wasnt good) and pamper session and tomorrow i will clean my bike and maybe have a walk! hope yours is ok too (apart from the obvious) xxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine001 Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 ((((((cats)))))) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thanks so much for the hugs Christine Kath - I can't use the contraceptive pill because now that I am over 35, I can only take the progesterone only pill instead of the oestrogen ones and, unfortunately, one of the side effects is depression and it did make me depressed. I tried the coil as well but that caused a lot of pain so had that taken out. Good thoughts though. Can you believe that after feeling tired all day and managing to keep myself out of bed until 9.30pm - I am now wide awake!! I forgot to say before that my sleeping is out of whack because since I've been taking the pizotifen, I've only been getting 4 hours sleep instead of my usual 8 and now it looks like I am going to get even less tonight. So spoke to hubby about it and he said to take it in the morning instead of taking it at night like the doc said and see if that helps things a bit. Glad you're having a nice weekend, I'm planning some pampering for tomorrow When I had a bike when I was a kid, I used to love cleaning it so that it was spotless and all sparkly A walk sounds like a lovely idea as well. Hope you're sleeping well and that the vertigo is better for you tomorrow. Many snuggles to you xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted April 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Oh crikey I only slept for two and a half hours last night! It's getting worse. I will try taking the pizotifen in the morning for a couple of days and see if it makes a difference, if not, I am coming straight off it. I am not prepared to lose my sleep again, after all those years of crap sleep and then being put on the trazodone and it actually working and giving me at least 8 hours a night and this happens. I would rather have migraines than lose my sleep like this. Very sad this morning :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imdebbiem Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 ((cats)) xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*debz* Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 hi cats just thought i would let you know i take piztifen for my migraines, and have done for years. They do make you drowsy at first but within weeks it wears off. they really do help with the migraines they dont stop them but makes the attacks less severe, as soon as i feel one coming i can take a painkiller and it normally stops it in its track. stick with them i think there great. The only other side effect i also found but that has gone now is i got very very hungry on them and put a bit of weight on but at the time i could of done with that so didnt mind. hope you find them as great as i do. migraines are the worst. dxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmother21 Posted April 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Thanks Debbie and Debz - I have decided to stop taking them. I was on them years ago and I was sleeping 16 hours a day but this time I am not only tired during the day but I am not sleeping at night and I went through a lot last year to get my pdoc to change my anti-ds so that I could get my sleep back after years of sleep deprivation. I have decided today that I would rather have migraines for a week every month than not sleep at all from now until forever. I can't go back to that. My GP has increased my rizatriptan prescription from 6 tablets per month to 12 which will mean I will be able to take 2 a day if needed. I am really glad that they work for you Debz . I found when I was on them before that I gained a lot of weight and I am trying to lose some weight at the mo - so they are a no no on that score as well for me. I am looking forward to taking my trazodone tonight and having a good night's sleep. Thanks again to everyone for your support and advice :grouphug[1]: xxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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