[katetaylor]

I won't bore you with my health history but basically I have had headaches for 3 year or so now and they have become increasingly more painful and irritating to the point where they interfere with my studying - not good in A Level year but I've managed, A Levels over, yay me!

I've been to the doctors about it and he prescribed some betablockers (Propranalol) in the hope that they would block the receptors (I think?) and hopefully stop the headaches from occurring but we increased the dosage and they didn't work so we stopped that. We tried some stronger painkillers also Sumatriptan? but those didn't get rid of the pain either so now I'm taking Topiramate. For the first week I took one a night, then we increased this each week to the point where I am now taking 4 tablets a night - these don't seem to be working as I'm still experiencing headaches but obviously with exams I am more likely to be stressy and generally p*ssed off. He also scheduled me an appointment with a neurologist.

The headaches are around my temple, top of the head and forehead and feel pressurised with splitting daggers of pain. It's rare that I experience dizziness but I have been tired lately but have attributed this to stress. Recently however I have experienced tingling sensations in my fingertips, face and legs with a pain developing in my calves similar to that of cramp, but without the seizure type effect that a cramp brings about.

I'm not asking you to diagnose me as that would be ridiculous, I see a doctor at least once a month so don't berate me. I'm just asking if anyone else has a similar experience of headaches, tingly-ness and general head discomfort and whether they had any contribution to make to this. I've had this problem for a long time and I'd love to get it sorted out - the neurologists is obviously a step in the right direction but until then (5th July) I'm knocking back tablets just for the sake of it.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/help/advice.

[moya]

the tingling sensations could be due to the medication, it's unlikely that you wouldn't get any side effects from that

have you tried any NSAIDs? (so aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, indomethacin)

I just looked up topiramte, tingling sensations are very common

[Kathy89]

Are you on birthcontroll? If so, for how long?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Sean3000]

(Original post by katetaylor)
I won't bore you with my health history but basically I have had headaches for 3 year or so now and they have become increasingly more painful and irritating to the point where they interfere with my studying - not good in A Level year but I've managed, A Levels over, yay me!

I've been to the doctors about it and he prescribed some betablockers (Propranalol) in the hope that they would block the receptors (I think?) and hopefully stop the headaches from occurring but we increased the dosage and they didn't work so we stopped that. We tried some stronger painkillers also Sumatriptan? but those didn't get rid of the pain either so now I'm taking Topiramate. For the first week I took one a night, then we increased this each week to the point where I am now taking 4 tablets a night - these don't seem to be working as I'm still experiencing headaches but obviously with exams I am more likely to be stressy and generally p*ssed off. He also scheduled me an appointment with a neurologist.

The headaches are around my temple, top of the head and forehead and feel pressurised with splitting daggers of pain. It's rare that I experience dizziness but I have been tired lately but have attributed this to stress. Recently however I have experienced tingling sensations in my fingertips, face and legs with a pain developing in my calves similar to that of cramp, but without the seizure type effect that a cramp brings about.

I'm not asking you to diagnose me as that would be ridiculous, I see a doctor at least once a month so don't berate me. I'm just asking if anyone else has a similar experience of headaches, tingly-ness and general head discomfort and whether they had any contribution to make to this. I've had this problem for a long time and I'd love to get it sorted out - the neurologists is obviously a step in the right direction but until then (5th July) I'm knocking back tablets just for the sake of it.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/help/advice.

When you take

With the sumitriptan, how do you take it? The reason I ask, is that it not really a pain killer per se in that its a very specific migraine treatment, and should be taken as soon as you feel the migraine coming on. Did you take it in this way?

Also propranalol is first line maintenance treatment, and topiramate is second line- so your GP has definitely prescribed as per the NICE guidelines. Have you tried any non pharmacological treatments? CBT etc? might be worth attacking this from both a medical and psychological angle.

The only other therapy for maintenance I can think of is amytryptiline, i'm not sure its licensed, but I have certainly seen it used in patients not responding to first line therapy- this might be something the neurologist discusses with you (unfortuanately, as i suspect you are experiencing with topirmate, the further away from first line therapy one ventures, the more side effects there are to be experiences).

Hope you get this sorted.

[katetaylor]

(Original post by moya)
the tingling sensations could be due to the medication, it's unlikely that you wouldn't get any side effects from that

have you tried any NSAIDs? (so aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, indomethacin)

I just looked up topiramte, tingling sensations are very common

Ahh that makes sense. I've tried ibuprofen but it doesn't reduce the pain. Thanks for the help!

(Original post by Kathy89)
Are you on birthcontroll? If so, for how long?

No I don't use Birth control.

(Original post by Sean3000)
When you take

With the sumitriptan, how do you take it? The reason I ask, is that it not really a pain killer per se in that its a very specific migraine treatment, and should be taken as soon as you feel the migraine coming on. Did you take it in this way?

Also propranalol is first line maintenance treatment, and topiramate is second line- so your GP has definitely prescribed as per the NICE guidelines. Have you tried any non pharmacological treatments? CBT etc? might be worth attacking this from both a medical and psychological angle.

The only other therapy for maintenance I can think of is amytryptiline, i'm not sure its licensed, but I have certainly seen it used in patients not responding to first line therapy- this might be something the neurologist discusses with you (unfortuanately, as i suspect you are experiencing with topirmate, the further away from first line therapy one ventures, the more side effects there are to be experiences).

Hope you get this sorted.

I used it as and when the headaches emerged and such a level that they became unbearable. On the three occasions that I did so the pain did not subside and I became dizzy which proved to be a problem when I was at college. We haven't tried any other types of therapy but perhaps this is something that we will look into. Thanks for your help!

[jimbo139]

Migraine treatment evidently hasn't been working that well so far. Alternative possibilities include tension headaches, or sinus pain. How long have you been using painkillers regularly?

[katetaylor]

(Original post by jimbo139)
Migraine treatment evidently hasn't been working that well so far. Alternative possibilities include tension headaches, or sinus pain. How long have you been using painkillers regularly?

Since they started three years ago.

[Kathy89]

(Original post by katetaylor)
Since they started three years ago.

Maybe you should stop the painkealers and start searching for the reason you get the headaches in the first place?!
Nutrition, stress, hormones, eyesight, weather, blood preasure and many other things can cause headaches...

[moya]

(Original post by katetaylor)
Ahh that makes sense. I've tried ibuprofen but it doesn't reduce the pain. Thanks for the help!

how often are they?

[katetaylor]

(Original post by Kathy89)
Maybe you should stop the painkealers and start searching for the reason you get the headaches in the first place?!
Nutrition, stress, hormones, eyesight, weather, blood preasure and many other things can cause headaches...

I've tried. I've had numerous eye tests, cut caffeine completely out of my diet as I thought it could be that, wrote down when they occured so that I could mark what happened before but there are no correlations.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my HTC Desire C

[katetaylor]

(Original post by moya)
how often are they?

They used to be fleeting and only a few times a week but now I've had one consistently for about 6 months. I wake up with it and the pain fluctuates.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my HTC Desire C

[moya]

(Original post by katetaylor)
They used to be fleeting and only a few times a week but now I've had one consistently for about 6 months. I wake up with it and the pain fluctuates.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my HTC Desire C

so is the pain dull and achy or stabbing, or both?

[katetaylor]

(Original post by moya)
so is the pain dull and achy or stabbing, or both?

Primarily dull but with moments of stabbing pain. It ebbs throughout the day.

[gl71994]

I get headaches every day, often evenings and I go to sleep with them. Often just a dull ache but frequently they increase into pretty much unbearable stabbing pain or sometimes even a migrane complete with funny eyes and dizzyness. Mine don't seem as bad as yours though!

I went to the doctors and she pretty much told me that everyone gets headaches and that I should stop being such a hypochondriac. very helpful Had my eyes tested and they're perfect so no idea whats causing them, so i've battled through it sadly. Paracetamol/ibuprofen doesn't touch mine, but I find a cold flannel or those 4head patches help (but not exactly suitable if you're not at home!).

I'm no help I'm afraid other than empathy, hope you get it sorted soon.

[katetaylor]

(Original post by gl71994)
I get headaches every day, often evenings and I go to sleep with them. Often just a dull ache but frequently they increase into pretty much unbearable stabbing pain or sometimes even a migrane complete with funny eyes and dizzyness. Mine don't seem as bad as yours though!

I went to the doctors and she pretty much told me that everyone gets headaches and that I should stop being such a hypochondriac. very helpful Had my eyes tested and they're perfect so no idea whats causing them, so i've battled through it sadly. Paracetamol/ibuprofen doesn't touch mine, but I find a cold flannel or those 4head patches help (but not exactly suitable if you're not at home!).

I'm no help I'm afraid other than empathy, hope you get it sorted soon.

Hope you get it sorted too boo +1 for suffering with me.

[Kathy89]

(Original post by katetaylor)
I've tried. I've had numerous eye tests, cut caffeine completely out of my diet as I thought it could be that, wrote down when they occured so that I could mark what happened before but there are no correlations.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my HTC Desire C

It could be chease, or red fruits or sugger... I think you should consult a naturopath.

[AbuAK]

Not to scare you or anything, but my dad's uncle had some what long lasting headaches and his ended up being tumours, when he went in to the doctors for the second time they ordered up an MRI and thats when they found out.
Sort of surprised that after three years you are being referred to a neurologist and haven't had any tests ordered, I would have thought it would have happened sooner.

[katetaylor]

Well I'm visiting the Neurologist on July 5th and hopefully after than I should have some answers, or at least close off some wrong ones.

Thanks for your input!

[HeatherHatter]

(Original post by katetaylor)
I'm taking Topiramate. For the first week I took one a night, then we increased this each week to the point where I am now taking 4 tablets a night - these don't seem to be working as I'm still experiencing headaches but obviously with exams I am more likely to be stressy and generally p*ssed off. He also scheduled me an appointment with a neurologist.

The headaches are around my temple, top of the head and forehead and feel pressurised with splitting daggers of pain. It's rare that I experience dizziness but I have been tired lately but have attributed this to stress. Recently however I have experienced tingling sensations in my fingertips, face and legs with a pain developing in my calves similar to that of cramp, but without the seizure type effect that a cramp brings about.

I'm not asking you to diagnose me as that would be ridiculous, I see a doctor at least once a month so don't berate me. I'm just asking if anyone else has a similar experience of headaches, tingly-ness and general head discomfort and whether they had any contribution to make to this. I've had this problem for a long time and I'd love to get it sorted out - the neurologists is obviously a step in the right direction but until then (5th July) I'm knocking back tablets just for the sake of it.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/help/advice.

I'm on Topiramate too I'm on 2 50mg tablets a day - 1 in the morning and 1 at night. When I first started taking it, it was horrible. I experienced tingling in my fingers, hands, feet, legs, and face, dizziness, extreme tiredness, and various other side effects listed on the packet. I considered stopping the pills altogether, the numbness in my body would reduce me to tears because I'd keep dropping things, or I'd not be able to walk, or stand up, I hated it. After a few weeks though, most of the side effects disappeared. I was left with a few irregular and painful periods, so I had to start on the pill, but it's a small price to pay for being almost migraine free after years of being crippled by them!

I think you need to give your body time to adjust Topiramate is quite a strong medication from what I can gather, so it takes a while to get used to I think.

[HeatherHatter]

(Original post by Sean3000)
The only other therapy for maintenance I can think of is amytryptiline, i'm not sure its licensed, but I have certainly seen it used in patients not responding to first line therapy- this might be something the neurologist discusses with you (unfortuanately, as i suspect you are experiencing with topirmate, the further away from first line therapy one ventures, the more side effects there are to be experiences).

Amitriptyline is a licensed treatment for migraines - I was on it for about 2 weeks before I started on Topiramate, but I don't know if it's used often because of the high risk of suicide? It took about 2 days for my mood to go through the floor and I could hardly get out of bed.

Topiramate is a 'last resort' drug - that's what I was told anyway, it's given to patients who haven't responded to anything else. Apparently it's only recently that GPs have been allowed to prescribe it, it used to be only neurologists who could do so.