Migraine + sickness + zolmitriptan

[Pao_De]

I had a migraine with sickness. severe sickness. during worst attacks l can be puking every 15-20min for whole day. My GP gave me zolmitriptan. It seems to work BUT ONLY if l will take it in right moment. Any experience with similar migraines?

[Pattipan]

Yes, that's exactly the same type of migraines I had several times a month between the ages of 20 and about 50. Then they eased a bit - "transformed migraine" my neurologist called them, possibly due to the menopause, though I'd never really noticed a hormonal pattern to them before.

After that I'm sure the main problem I had was due to overuse of Zomig which I would take at the first sign of a headache. Often 20 or more a month. It almost always worked within an hour or so, but rarely gave relief for very long, so I was well and truly getting rebounds. The most effective preventative treatment I've had (and I've tried them all) was Botox. I've had three treatments with varying intervals between them since 2013, but was still taking between 5 and 10 Zomig a month.

This year (2015) I had a recurrence of Ovarian Cancer which had been successfully (I thought) treated with an op and chemo in 2007-8. Because I was also approaching my 65th birthday, after which Zomig isn't officially sanctioned, I decided to try and give up my dependence on Zomig and so far I have managed four consecutive months without a single Zomig or migraine. I still get headaches - often waking up with them, but they tend to respond usually to paracetamol, sitting up in bed and having a hot shower. A coincidental benefit of losing my hair has been that it's been a lot easier to massage my scalp which also helps. So far, cross fingers, I haven't had a headache which I "know" will be a migraine and so I've managed to resist Zomig.

I'm not recommending chemotherapy as a migraine treatment (and I had my last dose in September and am now just on watch), but I also noticed that I had completely headache free days for the three days after each cycle while I was taking a steroid (Dexamethasone). I felt horribly nauseous, but that's another story!

My neurologist isn't convinced I have defeated the migraine curse (neither am I to be honest) but there has been light at the end of my tunnel and he has suggested Botox again if they start to return.

I'm not sure I've said anything helpful except maybe the old cliche of "you'll grow out of it" and maybe to try not taking triptans unless you feel you cannot tolerate the pain and problems any longer. They weren't available in 1970 when I had my first one and I just used to have to wait for time as a cure - and I had less frequent migraines back then when there was no "magic cure".

Anyway, all the best to all migraineurs.

Patti

[timj]

Hi ask your GP for Domperidone, made a significant impact for me - reccommended by the migraine clinic it's an anti-sickness drug so when the migraine starts take one, then the zolmitriptan - not only do they stop you feeling sick, they help the triptan get into your system. Reduced my migraines from an all day affair to a couple of hours - 90% of the time anyway. Interestingly I was at the clinic yesterday and they suggested taking naproxen as well as I find that about eight hours later I feel the pain coming back, they say the naproxen could stop that happening.