Mags,

Finding effective preventives can be rough. Doctors aren't taught a lot about Migraines in medical school, even if they're neurologists. Plus, unless they're Migraine specialists, they can't possibly stay current on all the medications being used for prevention. Only four medications are actually approved by the FDA for Migraine prevention, and, until very recently, pharmaceutical representatives weren't allowed to talk to doctors about off-label uses of medications. That just changed, and pharmaceutical reps can give doctors copies of journal articles about off-label uses of medications. You can read more about that in Drug Companies May Discuss Off-Label Uses.

Being the last of the four meds approved by the FDA for Migraine prevention, Topamax has received a lot of press, and pharmaceutical companies have been talking to doctors about it. I really think that's a big part of why it's being prescribed so frequently.

You are quite right to question the dosage of your Topamax prescription. If you haven't already, you can find loads of information about Topamax here, on our Topamax Info Page. There's an article there about dosage and tapering up.

There are over 100 medications in use for Migraine prevention. Some people prefer to try beta blockers or calcium channel blockers first because they seem to have fewer potential side effects. You can find a list of all of these medications, sorted by the type of medication, in Migraine preventive medications: too many options to give up! 

Hope this gives you the info you want!
Teri