Use of Beta Blockers to treat Migraines

[Morbidia]

Hi I was diagnosed as having Migraines last week and my gp has given me beta blockers to try to prevent them I am just wondering if anyone else here has used them and to what effect. I also have Fibromyalgia and was taking codeine and pararcetamol to keep my pain levels in check but she has advised that I stop taking them as they could be making the problem worse,she has given me high dose Aspirin to take instead along with Domperidone for any nausea plus another pill to protect my stomach from the aspirin , I have now stopped the Codeine/ paracetamol painkillers and I'm hoping it will settle down, I am a bit worried about what I will do of I have a flare up of fibro but will just have to cross that bridge when I get to it,the dose of Aspirin she has given me is 300 twice a day and I am not sure if I am supposed to take this all the time or just if I get symptoms. I am going to check with her on Monday,does anyone else take high dose Aspirin for Migraines

[LindaPhoenix]

You only take the aspirin when you're having a migraine attack. I take 300mg at a time, preferably soluble as it starts working quicker. I've tried lots of preventative meds - Propranolol, Amitriptyline, Topiramate and Pizotifen. None of them reduced the frequency of my migraines and I had bad side-effects with all of them. I am quite sensitive to meds, so you may not have the results that I did, but just keep an eye on any changes to how you feel. When I was on Betablockers, I felt like a spaced out zombie literally the whole time, I didn't feel like I should even be driving, I felt unconnected to people when I was trying to have a conversation, it was horrible. Plus I still got migraines, so I came off them.

I've had a lot of success with reducing the severity and frequency of my migraines by looking at the food I eat and taking supplements, after researching on the internet. I avoid all sweeteners (mainly Aspartame) as this is proven to cause headaches, this helped a lot. I also avoid MSG (monosodium glutamate). Regarding supplements, I take a combination of 400mg Vitamin B2, 600mg Magnesium and 300mg CoEnzyme Q10 a day. I found this on the Migraine Trust website.. migrainetrust.org/assets/x/.... and I have to say that this was the biggest help to me of everything I've tried. Magnesium is also likely to help your fibromyalgia. I've looked into Magnesium by downloading a book about it on my Kindle and it's fascinating - I recommend looking into this yourself. Something else that has helped me is Soya Isoflavones, which are a natural hormone leveller, as I think most of my migraines are triggered by my hormones. I can't tell from your post if you're a man or woman, but if you're a woman and over 40 years old, I'd recommend trying these too. I'm 46 and my migraines suddenly hit badly when I reached 40, I only used to get one every few years before that, but once I hit 40, I would get a horrendous throwing up all day migraine once every two weeks with really bad head days inbetween those, it was so debilitating. Oh and in the last two weeks, I've just started taking Evening Primrose oil and had reflexology! I'm not totally against traditional meds when they are desperately needed, but I do think that you need to look at what your body is lacking before hitting it with pain killers. I still need to take aspirin and triptans occasionally but I'd rather not take them at all if I can avoid it. I probably rattle with the supplements I'm taking, but I'd rather do that than take lots of traditional meds all the time.

There is a really good Facebook support group for migraines, called Chronic Migraine Awareness, it's mainly people in the USA, but there are a few people on from the UK too.

[Morbidia in reply to LindaPhoenix]

Hi, thanks for your reply, I am a woman and I was 50 back in June, I used to get migraines as a teenager but they stopped when I had my first baby at 21. I think I have probably had about 10 ish bad headaches in the interveening years, I am thinking that they might be hormone related so will look into the ideas you have suggested, So far I have had no noticeacble side effects from the Beta Blockers I also take Prozac and Amitriptiline for the Fibromyalgia symptoms, they seem to keep things on an even keel, I have had a couple of headaches trying to start but took the Aspirin and it worked. I would however prefer not to rely on them if possible.The GP I saw told me not to take my normal pain killers that I use for the Fibro because they ae Codiene based and it is known to cause migraines, I am currently tryng not to take any painkillers for the Fibro and only take the Aspirin if I need to for the Migraines, I'm not sure how this is going to pan out though because I sometimes can't manage the Fibro without Codiene. At the moment I am increasing my exercise to try to keep the Fibro under control as this works quite well for me, thanks again for your advice

[scarrott1971]

I'm a man of 42 and i've had severe chronic migrane for 15 years, it's permanent. I've never used aspirin.........long use of aspirin I've heard is dangerous.

I use Paroxatine, which is also used as a anti-depressant. What ive learnt every Body (litterly) is different. I avoid pure orange juice and dark chocolate. Also I avoid smells, ie deoderants, aftershafe etc. I also have bad sleep-apnea, which I'm starting to think triggered my bad heads. Apparently most migrane sufferers are over weight, which I am. There are so many types of migranes/headaches and so many triggers. I did buy a juicing machine and I drank just juice for 5 days. I felt good but couldn't hack staying with it.........hope any of this helps.

[Morbidia in reply to scarrott1971]

Hi thanks for the reply, I am only going to take the Aspirin if needed, my gp also gave me some meds to protect my stomach so hopefully it will be ok. I am going to be looking at my diet as I know I had a bad headache after eating Super Noodles which contain MSG so I think that might have an effect. I am about half a stone over my healthy weight so I have also started to work on losing that, thanks for your help

[KaliC10]

Iv tried two diff beta blockers. Didnt have any side effects. I did have reduced migraines for a while on one, however neurologist said that most people dont see much of a reduction in migraines with beta blockers.

[Morbidia in reply to KaliC10]

I've only been on them for a few days so will have to wait and see, My gp wants to send me to the local headache clinic so I have to back and see her in a months time to let her know how Iam getting on, she wanted to try the drugs out first before sending me because she said they will only ask if we have tried then and won't see me if we haven't, My head does feel clearer and the massive headache I had has gone but I have had some breakthrough pain which I used the aspiring for,Thanks for your reply

[patandjohn]

I was given beta blockers some years ago and they did seem to help. Unfortunately, I had to come off them because I suffer from Reynauds and they made it worse.

[Morbidia in reply to patandjohn]

I read in the info leaflet that you have to be careful if you have Reynauds,what a shame that you had to come off them, I hope you have found a good alternative

[patandjohn in reply to Morbidia]

Am on a small dose of amitriptyline - think it helps, but not a cure - and they do make me sleepy!

[KaliC10]

Head clinic will be good! I was also on amitripyline but have stopped taking it as specialist said that doses normal docs can prescribe arent high enough to actually help.

Pat did you take yours at night?i took mine in morning as i never noticed that it made me tired.

[Murphy123]

I am on beta blockers. I take 900 mg of aspirin as soon as I get the feeling as though migeaine is on its way along with domperidone ( consultant told me to take asoirin as soon I can before head pain starts to try to catch attack before it takes hold). If I don't catch it early enough I then take zomig spray or sumatriptan injection when its a bad attack

[Bea66]

I take propranolol, 80mg slow release beta blocker. I found it difficult to start with but pushed through the side effects and really feel it was worth it for me. I'm very sensitive to medication, pain killers and antidepressants and anti epilepsy meds so had no luck with anything really, but the propranolol has helped the severity of the headache part of the migraine, reducing the pain, although not done much for frequency, or the other symptoms such as numbness, tingling, sensitivity, nausea. But they've certainly helped keep the pain levels down, and anxiety symptoms reduced.

[Moomins]

My neurologist put me on candestartan she said it works well at a high does to treat migraines . Unfortunately my asthma didn't like it so have come off. However even on 4mg I saw some improvement which at the time was really promising