Chronic Migraine update, Lamotrigine & Mirtazapine

[AMG26]

It has been a while since I’ve posted on here!

I have just finished weaning off Duloxetine due to the side effects I was experiencing. This was used to treat my depression. Last night (15/05) I started a new medication called Mirtazapine. The starting dose is 15mg and this will eventually be increased to a maintenance dose. All day I have experienced a metallic taste in my mouth, so I went to the pharmacist to ask for some advice. He said this is quite common with Mirtazapine and is linked to dry mouth. He recommended giving it a few days, and if there is no change, then to contact my GP. Has anyone else experienced this and did it eventually subside?

I am also due to start Lamotrigine in the coming weeks. My neurologist said this may be helpful for my chronic migraine. I have a good feeling about starting this medication as my Mum has used it in a different circumstance and she found it very succcesful. Looking for those who have tried Lamotrigine to treat migraine!!

Since the last time I posted, I have had 3 lots of Botox. The first two treatments I noticed a big difference in intensity and frequency of my migraines, however the 3rd was not so helpful. I have a 4th appointment for Botox coming up in June, so fingers crossed this time we will achieve a more positive result!

[Josie53]

I've been on Botox for chronic migraines for five years with amazing results. There was only one round I got that was ineffective and the headaches didn't let up for three months. However, the next round was wonderful and worked! Hang in there and don't give up on the injections too soon. Best of luck to you.

[AMG26 in reply to Josie53]

Thank you your reply, I’m so glad the Botox is helpful for you! I will definitely persevere 😊

[Cb1963]

Never had an after taste with mirtrazapine, I'm on 45mg tablets, I was reading that sometimes people can get a tablet that needs to dissolve under the tongue, but that was someone in the USA, as for headaches/ migraine I suffered with chronic cluster headaches 😩 and was originally on topiramate, but these stopped working even on the highest dose, I was put onto verapamil and used sumaptrapin injections to stop a full blown attack, and I'm relatively free from these awful headaches, best of luck!

[AMG26 in reply to Cb1963]

Thanks for your response!! The metallic taste lasted a day or two thankfully, and have been on 15mg for 4 weeks now. About to start 30mg, so hoping I don’t get the same feeling again.

I said to my doctor that I don’t find it makes me sleepy or groggy etc - does that happen with you? Some people have reached out to me and said Mirtazapine made them feel like a zombie the next day!! So bizarre how medication can affect people so differently.

Where are you living if you don’t mind me asking? I don’t think I have access to the sumatriptan injections in the UK 😭 Is verapamil similar to propanolol do you know?

[Cb1963 in reply to AMG26]

I'm in the UK 🇬🇧, yes strange how certain tablets work on people in different ways, I know zoplicone tablets ( sleeping tablets) leave a bitter taste and still leave the mouth tasting peculiar the following day, verapamil are a different tablet compared with propananol, obviously each country might have a different name for them, but they were a god send for me, the headaches I was getting also use oxygen therapy, but because I have an open gas fire it's a highly combustible product to have lying around, and the injections were a miracle, within a couple of minutes of self injecting it would stop a full blown cluster headache going into the extremely painful attack, but like I've said before there's numerous types of headaches/migraine that need a careful diagnosis, hope this helps!!!

[Cb1963 in reply to AMG26]

You could only inject yourself twice in a 24 hour period on the highest dose of injection, or 4 times a day on the lower strength injection, I was having 4/5 headaches per day and thing's were getting desperate for me that's why I had a change of medication and put on the verapamil, the attacks an start up suddenly, and that's where the injection helps 😬

[Cb1963 in reply to AMG26]

Oh I also had nerve block injections in the base of my head/neck area, these sometimes work on patients who suffered with headaches, I tried 3 times but these didn't work for me 🙄