Head doctors & Shrinks
Mar. 25th, 2010 01:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sherron0Well, not any worse.
The allergist helped a little, I think. The two nose sprays have improved breathing and cut out the strictly sinus headaches. But I'm still getting 3-4 migraines a week.
I saw a neurologist this week and he insisted that Topamax would be fine on top of the other psycho-active drugs I take, including Lamictal, which is a similar drug. But that I could discuss it with my psychiatrist first before I fill the script.
I was not real impressed with the numbers on Topamax. I quizzed the poor man unmercifully about other options, and there are no other "preventative" options, except drugs. And they start with Topamax because it is the best drug. Define best: It works in 60% of patients, and of those 60%, they see a 50% - 75% reduction in the frequency and severity of the migraines.
So, using the best case scenario with those numbers, I can go from 13-15 headaches a month to 4 - 5 headaches a month that the Maxalt alone will be able to handle. I can live with that. So I just have to hope that for once, I'm just typical and I'm in the 60%!
So I left him thinking that he just didn't appreciate the delicacy of brain chemistry, and I'm sure he thought I just didn't appreciate the robust flexibility of brains.
I actually saw Sophia (my psych) the very next day, and she said, "First, why don't we stop the Lamictal? While it does help most people with migraines, there is a certain small percentage of people that it actually gives migraines, and this wouldn't be the first time you've been in a 'small percentage' of people where a drug or side affect is concerned." (For instance, I'm one of those VERY rare adults that gets the atypical reaction to benedryl that some kids get --It makes me hyper instead of drowsy.) And it turns out, when we go back on the records, I've only been on Lamictal since about November, so the timing is right for it to be that too. You have to step down, of course, although not as slowly as some drugs, so tonight will be my first no Lamictal night. So then in about three weeks, if that's the cause, I should see reduction of the headaches.
Fingers crossed.
The allergist helped a little, I think. The two nose sprays have improved breathing and cut out the strictly sinus headaches. But I'm still getting 3-4 migraines a week.
I saw a neurologist this week and he insisted that Topamax would be fine on top of the other psycho-active drugs I take, including Lamictal, which is a similar drug. But that I could discuss it with my psychiatrist first before I fill the script.
I was not real impressed with the numbers on Topamax. I quizzed the poor man unmercifully about other options, and there are no other "preventative" options, except drugs. And they start with Topamax because it is the best drug. Define best: It works in 60% of patients, and of those 60%, they see a 50% - 75% reduction in the frequency and severity of the migraines.
So, using the best case scenario with those numbers, I can go from 13-15 headaches a month to 4 - 5 headaches a month that the Maxalt alone will be able to handle. I can live with that. So I just have to hope that for once, I'm just typical and I'm in the 60%!
So I left him thinking that he just didn't appreciate the delicacy of brain chemistry, and I'm sure he thought I just didn't appreciate the robust flexibility of brains.
I actually saw Sophia (my psych) the very next day, and she said, "First, why don't we stop the Lamictal? While it does help most people with migraines, there is a certain small percentage of people that it actually gives migraines, and this wouldn't be the first time you've been in a 'small percentage' of people where a drug or side affect is concerned." (For instance, I'm one of those VERY rare adults that gets the atypical reaction to benedryl that some kids get --It makes me hyper instead of drowsy.) And it turns out, when we go back on the records, I've only been on Lamictal since about November, so the timing is right for it to be that too. You have to step down, of course, although not as slowly as some drugs, so tonight will be my first no Lamictal night. So then in about three weeks, if that's the cause, I should see reduction of the headaches.
Fingers crossed.