Has anyone found relief with zonegran; do side effects lessen?
I am 45 and have been considered a "chronic migraine sufferer" for ten years (have had them since I was 6.) I have tried everything - meds, preventive and abortive, chiropractic, kinesiology, acupuncture, nutritionist, food allergist, botox injections, etc, etc. Most recently tried Topomax and had to stop after five weeks sue to nightmares and hallucinations. On day 10 of zonegran, 7 days at 25 and three at 50, and I am lethargic and gloomy, and last night had a horrible nightmare. My nero wants me to back down to 25 for a few more days and then go back to 50 - want me on at least 100 daily. Any input would be appreciated. (The migraines haven't lessened. In last three months, average is 5 per week.)
Hi Lizagamma!
With any new medication, to give it a fair shot at working would be staying on it for 6 weeks or longer.
With that being said, if the side effects are too severe, then maybe that medication is not right for you. You mentioned you've tried Topamax and Zonegran, both in the anti-seizure catagory of drugs. Have you tried any other catagory of drugs for migraine prevention? There are over 100 drugs currently being used and endless combinations.
If the side effects are too severe on the zonegran, don't be shy about speaking up and letting your doctor know you just can't handle them! We are put on these medications because the good they can do for us will hopefully outweight the side effects. Sometimes this does not happen. In this case, it may be best to try something else.
Usually the side effects will/may lessen in time, about 6 weeks or so. But, again, if they are too severe for you to wait, please let your doctor know.
Good luck!
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Hi lizagamma,
I was put on Zonegran about six months ago, and I did find relief from migraine. I take this because I cannot tolerate Topamax, a similar med. I, too, have had some problematic side effects. It has caused numbness and has changed some of my sensory perceptions. The doc played around with when I took it to see if it helped. It hasn't so far. (I have an appointment in two weeks in which I will request changing this med.
If you take this at bedtime, ask your doctor about changing the time of day or splitting the dose. Maybe it will help you. If you haven't tried Topamax, maybe you could try that. My side effects have been totally different on the two meds even though they are very similar.
Most importantly, don't give up. I'm 42, and I found my first headache specialist last year. I went from daily migraine (10 years!) and twice monthly ER trips to half the frequency and two ER trips in a year! I take a handful of pills, but it's worth it. My full list if medications is on my homepage if you're interested.
Good luck!
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