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Q: How many migraine sugffers have used or tried Fiorinal 3 for relief from their pian and has it helpe
Hi julesmarie,
ANY use of opioids or barbiturates and frequent use of triptans and NSIADs are associated with increased risk of transformed Migraine. See Transformed Migraine - Risk Increased by Some Medications for more information on this.
See here's the thing - pain specialists generally aren't a good solution to Migraine disease. Their primary goal is to manage pain, but that's not the best goal of Migraine management. As you know, it's just as important to prevent Migraines as to treat the pain and other symptoms. Pain management specialists seldom know much about Migraine prevention, Migraine abortives, and total disease management. Fiorinal will mask the pain, and possible lead to other, bigger problems down the road.
It may be time for a Migraine specialist. You may want to think of it like this: if a pipe under your kitchen sink breaks, you call an expert to fix it - the plumber. You could call a handyman to do the job who could also fix the sink, paint the room, and hang a door. A Migraine specialist dedicates his/her entire practice to treating patients with one disease - ours - Migraines and headache disorders. A neurologist treats so many different conditions like stroke, MS, epilepsy and Parkinsons it is hard for them to be experts in any one area. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.
Good luck
Nancy
Hi Julesmarie,
I used Fioricet 3, essentially the same except tylenol replaces aspirin. I was prescribed it 14 years ago when my migraines became consistant and interferred with my life. I also took amitryptiline as a preventative. They also gave me Fioricet without the codeine to try. I used this combination of medications successfully until two years ago. Now since research shows that fioricet and fiorinal may cause rebound headaches my doctors thought I was addicted to it. I think if you use it wisely and already are on a preventative it can be helpful with the pain. Only you can tell. Just make sure you are honest with yourself and honest with the doctors on the type of pain and how often you are needing the pain relief. Good luck to you!
Lisa
I had to reply to you bc we are in such a similar sitiuation. My migranes have increased dramatically too this year when i got remarried at 44 and now I am almost on "bedrest " with daily blinding migraines. I had to go on sickleave and barely can take care of my family. I feel like the lab rat of my neurologist. He has me now on 150mg on Topomax and I cannot remember anything and recall people' names. I only see very slight improvements. I just drove 3rs away to consult with another neurologist who gave me an infusion to try to break the cycle but it only works for a day or two. I wonder if hormones have something to do with it all...it really seems to me that women in their 40s suffer the most and I feel that perimenopause is the culprit but drs are not listening....15min allotments is all we gets and another scripts....my pharmacist knows me by name! Then they want to give us anti-depressants:of course we get depressed and cranky: try living with constant pain and no one really helping!!! I refuse to take the SSRIs they are tying to give me since I feel it will mask more of my symptoms and they can interact with the triptans I take to fight my migraines.
Good luck and Know that I so understand your pain....
anna
Anna,
Bless your heart. Let's see if I can give you some information that might help.
On the SSRI's -- Are they being prescribed for you for depression or for Migraine prevention? SSRIs can be very effective for Migraine prevention for some people. Yes, they have the POSSIBILITY of interacting with your triptans, but that interaction is very, very rare. You can find information to help put that into perspective in Antidepressants, Triptans, and Serotonin Syndrome.
You mention neurologists, but were any of them actual Migraine specialists? It's important to note that neurologists aren't necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.
Hope this helps a bit,
Teri
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