Migraine and More Zonegran?

It's awful when something we take to feel better makes us feel "different" or "off" somehow- especially when feeling that way leads to negative or self-destructive thoughts/behavior! I'm really glad you caught it now, before it became another thing to deal with!

Big Hugs,

Jamie

I too have been on ZOnegran and also on Topamax, which is in the same family (anti seizures)- It's amazing that "migraine" specialists have also felt the "need" to compliment both with anti-depressants! I have always felt that they want to over prescribe/over diagnose us as "DEPRESSED" when in fact we are just in pain! Often, the preventative meds are making us sicker than the migraines!!! It is frustrating to me as it seems they seem to have an agenda they want us to fit into and often have never themselves experienced the chronic pain we go through, but are willing to put us on the rollercoaster of wait and see and meds that cause havoc in the rest of our lives!!! That said..... hang tough... I FEEL your pain.... on a DAILY basis.... I try to stay positive and look for the positive with my "condition" -> it's not terminal... Enjoy your family....

Hi, Nancy! Wow, do I identify with your posts about each new preventive medication you try. I tried Zonegran, too, and now don't even remember what side effects made me discontinue it. (Most of the preventives just didn't touch my migraines.) I did have decent results with Neurontin for a while, but I didn't like the zombie-like effects, and after a while with each dose level, the migraines attacks "broke through" again anyway. So after a year with some relief after each increase, I had to give it up.

I agree how horribly frustrating and hard it is to be patient, and you feel like such a lab experiment trying to find something that will give you good results. But hang in there and keep trying. My migraines transformed into chronic status after menopause, and I'm now struggling to find something that will help me break the cycle of chronic migraine/medication overuse of Imitrex and pain meds. Currently I'm trying Namenda (an Alzheimer's drug) and so far have some improvement, down to two-three migraine days a week. But I almost gave it up the first two or three weeks because of the side effects. They lessened, though, and I'm doing okay; however, I feel the Namenda might be making my moods more extreme, both good and bad -- I just remember it's the medication, and hopefully in a couple more months I can taper off of it and be out of the rebound cycle! I'm cautiously optimistic...

Stay strong and keep trying -- it's not easy but if you find something that works for you, it will be worth the efforts and frustrations.

~Betsy

Dear Nancy:

I am so sorry your life has been such a roller coaster this year (mostly downward).  I am also so very sorry you lost your best friend.  It can be a downward spiral that seems to have no depths.  My best friend died three years ago (age 49) from breast cancer and I sunk into a deep hole.  Not because I felt I lost a close friend, but I felt the world lost one of the best role models ever to walk the earth, and that after her death the world was going to "you know where" in a handbasket. 

The chronicity of your headaches that are unpredicatable and difficult to control only makes matters worse.  I think you are courageous because you seem to recognize your feelings rather quickly, and communicate them and analyze them better than many of us are able to.

I am wondering if your specialist has given you a "timeline" in which to test the Zonegran, and a "contengency plan" if you feel it simply isn't doing enough.  Sometimes just having some closure regarding a "trial" gives me the hope that there may be a different light at the end of the tunnel, especially when the current light isn't cutting it.

Also, regarding the depression.  Yes, these antiseizure drugs can make it worse and cause the thoughts you were having.  Also, for me, chronic daily severe headaches gave me those thoughts last year, when Iwas not taking the anti-seizure category.  I think that chronic or severe pain--as well as certain meds--can cause those thoughts.

And finally, has your MD checked your thyroid function lately?  I have hashimotos autoimmune hypothyroidism, and when I am in hypothyroid status (despite the meds), my headaches worsen and a depression sets in (plus other symptoms such as menstrul abnormalities, very dry skin, slower metabolism/easy weight gain, constipation, muscle cramps, etc).   Many people with hypothyroidism don't know they have it and the acceptable levels of TSH have come way down in the past few years.   Used to be a TSH of 6 was considered normal (and old fashioned MD's may still not treat at this level).  However, many Endo's will treat a person with a TSH of 2 if they are symptomatic now, or have evidence of hashimotos as the cause.

I hope for you the suicidal thoughts go away for good and your meds either start helping or that you and your specialist can find an alternative SOON that brings you hope and relief.  It is frustrating trying many different meds and combos, and again I'm sorry that so far the Zonegran hasn't been the perfect fit. 

Hugs,

Clemmie

Nancy,

I'm sorry the Zonegran hasn't worked out for you; as we know, they can't work for everyone.   Just so you know, I've been on Zonegran since May of '06 and it took a year to get the results I finally appreciated; you know - relief.  I still have the migraines, of course, this past week has been horrible, but as for anti -seizure meds go, this one seems to work the best for me.

I hope you find something that works for you. (oh, yeah, I currently take 400mg of the stuff)