I have been taking Imitrix for migraine relief for the last 5 years, but as I am aging, my migraines seem to be increasing in freguency (5-9 attacks monthly). Only rarely do I need some additional pain medications or treatment (roughly twice a year). I am already taking 300 mg Wellbrutrin, 100 mg Lamictal, and 50 mg Seroguel to treat bipolar disorder and insomnia, which seem to be working very well in handling my bipolar symptoms.
My doctor has been working with me to find the right type of prevention medication, but my concern is adding another medication to what I am already taking. I have normally low blood pressure, so beta blockers are not the first choice. Do you know if increasing the dosages of the bipolar medications I am already taking might be a possible solution?
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Q: Can an increase of bipolar medications be used as an effective migraine prevention treatment?
Hi Sharon,
You are right, the medications you are taking can be used for Migraine prevention. An adjustment or change in medication may be in order now, but that is a discussion for you and your doctor, because we are not medical professionals here. Having said that, there are plenty of medications other than beta blockers to try for Migraine prevention - in fact over 100. Migraine PreventiveMedications - Too Many Options To Give Up!
Migraine disease and Bipolar, for some, tend to be comorbid conditions - meaning they occur together but are not caused by one another. Continue reading more here: Migraine Disease and Bipolar Disorder, a Link.
We may unknowingly create another type of headache called medication overuse headache (MOH) if we take certain over the counter (OTC) and/or prescription medications like Imitrex or tylenol for example, more than two to three days a week. The way to stop MOH is to cease the offending medication. For more information, read this article: Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires. Transformed Migraine is another type of Migraine that becomes a problem if we have MOH and you can read about that in this link: Transformed Migraine - Risk Increased by Some Medications.
I hope this information helps,
Nancy
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