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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Topamax took me to 1 headache/day
        
(Message started by: bRathbone on Jan 29^th, 2003, 7:57pm)

Title: Topamax took me to 1 headache/day
Post by bRathbone on Jan 29^th, 2003, 7:57pm

Several people have posted about all the terrible problems with topamax, etc, etc, etc. If anyone says they've had those problems I believe and feel sorry for them.

However I'm in the middle of one of my worst clusters, 6-9 #10's a day, day after day. Five days ago I started on topamax and within 12 hours after that I've got to a single Imitrix headache a day. In fact one headache was none at all.

So I think the old rule is a good one, "Everyone is different and every cluster is different". I'd hate to see anyone give up on a medicine just because it didn't work for someone else, or because someone else had side-effects. Most preventatives have failed for me in the past at some time, and in this very cluster depakote was useless. In fact this is this first preventative that worked excellent for me in my entire cluster life (20 years).

But now I've got a preventative and it is sweet. Instead of wearing Imitrix out there's harmony. Topamax takes care of 80 or 90% of the headaches and trix the rest. My imitrix will last a lot longer that way.

The side-effects seem to be exaggerated, at least in my experience. Or to be more accurate, they're dose related. At 50 mg I feel pretty normal, but the 100 mg I took the first night pretty much knocked me on my ass. But part of that was because I was exhausted from weeks of nightly headaches. And that's the true comparison the mental function of the preventative & a good night's sleep vs. cluster headaches all night long.

Good luck to everyone. Maybe it will stop working tomorrow but at least I'll always have the memory of the one time a preventative medicine worked for me.

Title: Re: Topamax took me to 1 headache/day
Post by hornedone on Jan 31^st, 2003, 5:34pm

I too am having some success with Topamax. I was very hesitant at first, but have been pleasantly surprised.
At first I though that maybe I was just nearing the end of my cycle. However, this may sound strange, I feel like I "should still be having a CH" at certain times of the day. My eye still waters and I do have "shadows" though out the day, but nothing has gone beyond a level 7 for more then 10 minutes. Of course I am still relying on Zomig right before bed as my preventive, but I feel good.
Don't get me wrong, I have had a few of the side effects (my wife thought I was turning into a blithering idiot the :P). But...so far so good. I'll keep everyone posted.

PFDAN to all!

Hornedone