Can't live without triptans?

Hey there , I think we've all had rebound headache at somepoint in our migraine journey. The max triptan i take is 8 in a month, no more than 2 a week.

I was the same way back but i had to bite the bullet and get them down, to do that i removed them completely for 4wks. I have daily migraines so it wasn't easy, wrapped my head/neck in ice all day everyday.

It's definitely worth doing.

I took b12, b complex, zinc, 1500 vit c, 400 magnesium citrate ( all adviced by a herbal doc ).

I now take very little triptans and still take the suppliments.

Now i don't have so many migraines but live in a world of fog, which i hope gets better.

You'll get lots of help here, hang in there.

😣

We sound very similar, I have tried all the preventatives too , Darth piercing, acupuncture and Tens machine etc etc. This is all so frustrating as you always start very positive and I kept stuffing the pills never wanting to give up just in case this was going to be my cure.

So I will definitely get the supplements tomorrow no harm in trying. 👍

Join Migraine Sufferers Who Want To Be Cured 😊 Angela Stanton

Hi. When I came off triptans, I was advised to take Naproxen 375mg 3 x a day for about 4-6 weeks. I found this really helped reduce both the frequency and severity of my headaches and migraines. I also took some time off work so that I didn't have the pressure of needing to be ok all the time. This combined with ice packs and support from my family got me through it.

I now find that I am so sensitive to triptans that if I take more than about 1 per month I start running into trouble. It's almost like an addiction. They are so effective in making you feel better that you reach for them every time you feel the start of anything. In my experience, the more you take them the worse and more frequent your migraines get.

If you can find a way to manage without them I promise you will feel better in the long run. It will be hard for a couple of weeks but just get yourself prepared for it and you can do it.

I'm in a similar position to you. I've tried most of the drug preventatives and have been getting botox for the last year (only a small improvement), the GON block was fantastic but only lasted a few weeks for me. I'm totally totally reliant on Triptans.

I recently took 3 months off work on sick leave to complete detox from Triptans, and have done similar a few times in the past . I was prescribed Naproxen to take three times a day to get through it - and actually after the first week of hell, it was surprisingly easy and I was able to work a bit from home and do a lot of my usual activities. I had an immediate noticeable improvement in my headaches, but it's been difficult not to slide back into taking too many. I try my best to limit my intake to 10/month, but I have the kind of job that isn't easy to take random sick days, so I often take more than I'm supposed to. I buy them online to supplement the number the GP gives me! I saw a private neurologist a few years ago who said that he has the odd patient that just doesn't respond to any of the preventative but gets an excellent result from Triptans, and in these cases he recommends taking them daily. As far as I know there aren't any long term negative effects other than perpetuating your migraines.

I have been told to come off all Tristan's, and painkillers including paracetamol. I went to hell and back for about three weeks. You have to ride through it. I'm waiting for the multiple nerve block, 2nd march. Still get daily headaches but not as severe as they were. It cruel, I know but rebounds are terrible and you do need to break through them

Hi,

I had to come off everything too , I'm only allowed 6 pain killer days a Month. I can't have triptans or any other kind of painkillers. This meant I couldn't have anything when I broke my ankle or when I had both of my miscarriages. This is just the reality for people like us im afraid, so many of us were in a similar position, a downward spiral with triptans and the migraines becoming daily or almost daily. It will get worse and then hopefully start to improve. To be honest with overuse ever things stops working anyway you just become resistant. Good luck and hang in there xx

Hi there. I feel for u it feels like an impossible cycle to get out of. I was absolutely the same! Rebounds most every day. Trying to crawl through family life feeling v unwell. Desperation creates determination though. U will need it because it's hard for a few weeks coming off triptans but stick in there, it'll be worth it. U will be sick. I had 2 severe migraines coming off. Each lasting 3 days with much committing but hey once u r through u r through! I can not recommend highly enough giving up sugar & following a ketogenic diet for 3 months. I hav had no migraines for a whole month so far. Eating mainly healthy fats, stacks if veggies & some protein. No hunger but it's tough at first again needs-must so big incentive to stock with it. Plus before starting I started taking supplement Migrelief, high magnesium, high B2 & feverfew...really helps lessen severity & cut them back to a few a month. But I found going keto cracked it for me...loads of stuff online, check out Leanne Vogal's Healthful Pursuit website, sound keto advise, loads of helpful tips! Don't despair, you can do this, take magnesium citrate & vit B2 tho it will help coming off triptans. Get as much family support to help with child care etc over the detox 3 weeks coming off triptans, but then u will start to feel better than ever! Good luck with it all, u r not alone, many are taking this path & are out the other side feeling well again! Hold this focus. X

I understand how you feel. I have had severe chronic migraine for 30 years. I was on daily triptans ( nasal spray or injection) for around 10 years. Now I am down to about 10 times per month which is a big improvement. Luckily my GP never restricted my prescription so I always knew I could take a triptans if needed. I know that if I didn't have them to fall back on I would be a lot worse. The pain is unbearable and triptans are the only things that help. I have managed to reduce by having daith piercing , candesartan and GON block. By the way you can have Botox and GON done privately at national migraine centre with no wait. Worth trying if u can afford it !

Good luck x

sozzy42 I have migraines for over 20 years ! I have tried all medicines - nothing worked. I have tried Amitriptyline , Nortriptyline , Naproxen , Topiramate , Beta blockers - nothing will stop my headache. I am not sure why Naproxen would work better than any other NSAID but it is often advised - but at the end of the day - it is just a pain killer, so no permanent solution.

To answer your question - I would try to take 400mg Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) every day and after 50 to 60 days, you should see headache is eased - although there is no guarantee. Please remember, the daily dose has to be 400mg and you usually cannot purchase this from pharmacy. If your GP does not prescribe, you may purchase it from Amazon (Bio-tech, 1 capsule) or you may purchase from Holland & Barrett but they only have 100mg tablet, so you need to swallow 4 each day.

Some people advise to take random muti-vitamin and minerals but there is no evidence that it would work, however for Riboflavin - there was a clinical research in 1998 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/948...

I started to take Riboflavin recently and after 60 days, I can say the headache's intensity has been reduced. I occasionally take Rizatriptan but not as much as I used to.

I am also taking homeopathic treatment at the same time - this may have reduced headache as well - not sure. You may consult an experienced homeopathic practitioner - it may work.