Hemicrania continua and Gabaprentin

[LaPainting]

Have any of you heard of hemicrania continua..I have been told that what I thought was migraine is this and been prescribed Gabaprentin..I really don't want to have to keep taking this on a daily basis and I have put on a stone weight in 6 months.. anybody else on this and anyone else losing their hair as mine is falling out fast.

[Gambit62]

sorry to hear that you are suffering. Found this giving some background on hemicrania continua

migrainetrust.org/understan...

I was given gabapentin for something else and really couldn't tolerate it - first dose made me feel so nauseous that I never took another dose and wouldn't use it again. A pharmacist might be able to suggest alternatives.

Soundslike the normal treatment would be an NSAID - indomethacin. Possible that if you have asthma your GP may have avoided it but just curious as to why that hasn't been suggested, unless you have already tried it.

You can self refer to the National Migraine Centre - may be worth talking to someone there as they try to focus on helping you to manage your condition rather than just throwing medication at it. They do a series of podcasts that you may find useful

nationalmigrainecentre.org....

[Cat00]

Oh poor you, I have heard of hemicrania Continua, headaches every day?Yes I was on Gabapentin for a couple of years, put on weight with it but not nearly as much as I did with its younger sister Pregablin. My hair didn't fall out particularly. Wouldn't go back on it because of the weight gain though. A lot a people prefer Pregablin but I found Gabapentin much better and asked to back on it after a trial of Pregablin, sadly they worked really well when I was on both of them at the same time but they wouldn't let me stay on both. I got so hungry I wanted to eat my own hand, I was anorexic at the time so everyone else was really happy about it, not me though.

[PurpleTranmere]

Yes I have hemicrania continua as well as chronic migraine. The treatment for the headache condition though should be indomethacin. I couldn’t tolerate taking it as I just couldn’t stay awake. Have you tried this medication?

Hope you find something that helps you.

[Wrexham16]

Hi I was diagnosed with HC many years ago. As others have said indomethacin is the accepted treatment but I could not tolerate it. My consultant eventually prescribed melatonin which has been brilliant. It took some time to get the right dose which for me turned out to be 8mg daily. The only side effect for me is that, paradoxically, it disrupts my sleep. The real issue is that it is very expensive and my GP kept trying to take me off it but I really recommend asking if you can try it. I'm not sure about suggesting this but I do now buy it myself online because I now also have hypnic headache which is controlled with 16mg of melatonin and they wouldn't pay for the increase on the NHS. You can get the NHS tablet Circadin online but it is expensive and experimentation has proved that a cheap version works just as well for me. Good luck

[troy04]

If taken daily, Indometacin may cause medication overuse headache (rebound) for many people - just as most anti-inflammatory drugs would do.

LaPainting There are alternatives of Gabapentin for HC preventative, such as Topiramate, but I am not sure if Topiramate is a better option than Gabapentin for side effects. Verapamil and Amitriptyline can also be alternatives, you can discuss these with your doctor.

[Blearyeyed]

I have both chronic migraines and hemicrania continua. I also have Pregbalin , and used to take Garbepentin before it for Fibromyalgia.

Neither Pregbalin, Garbepentin or any other medications that were tried touched the continuous right side head pain I can get with HC.

It also got worse with exercise or physical activity so was originally diagnosed as Activity Onset Migraine.

The only drug that worked for it , and the drug commonly given to help prove the diagnosis is Indometacin.

When I took Indometacin that particular HC pain nearly went entirely within a few days.

I was put on three a day in the first days which was reduced to one a day , or one to be taken an hour before exercise or physical activity ( including sexual activity).

You are advised to go down to the lowest dose you can take to reduce the symptoms which for me was far less than any other drug that had been tried.

It keeps the HC under control.

If you can't manage Indometacin they do try Celebrex or tricyclic medication.

I had already tried Tricyclic medications before the diagnosis for the migraines and I didn't respond to them , in fact I am intolerant to them , but in some cases if you can't take Indometacin because you have Asthma and some stomach issues they try it , but I have a feeling it is a poor substitute.

Getting the right medication for HC also helped reduce the amount of Migraine with Aura I was having on either side as well.

I would suggest that if you have a confirmed diagnosis of HC that you contact your Neurologist and ask them to look into the treatment for it. My GP needed to have the Neurologist write a letter to state they wanted me to have this medication to be willing to prescribe it. Not sure if it was just them or if that is standard policy for this drug. If you aren't still signed into Neurology you might need to contact the department and ask to speak to the person whom diagnosed you to sort it out.

Like with any NSAID you need to protect your stomach when you take it , but just having it after breakfast or a small serving of probiotic live yoghurt with a little honey works for that. If the stomach still reacts you can get a PPI for that but it can help to try naturally first.

I actually found drugs like Amitriptyline and Topiramate made my HC symptoms much worse , but that could just be my response , everyone is different.

You might benefit from getting your thyroid panel done and tests for Vitamin B12, Folate and Vitamin D if you are having weight gain above 10lbs on a medication or your hair is falling out. It can be a sign that you are low or deficient in certain nutrients which can happen with chronic conditions and taking medications even if you have a good diet.

[LaPainting in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thank you..I can't take indomethacin hence I am on the Gabaprentin.do all these alternatives cause weight gain.x

[Blearyeyed in reply to LaPainting]

Unfortunately, most options of medication cause some drug induced weight gain .I know it can make you feel like it hits your self confidence a bit.

But , if weight gain is the only side effect , we do need to think about the other gains we achieve , and whether an increase in weight is worth the improvement in pain , our ability to think and work , and our quality of life.

Average weight gain caused by a medication which isn't likely to be lost by dieting should be between 3-7lbs.

Anything above that may be helped or lost by a change in diet and sometimes with supplements.

Medications can change our sugar balance . They can make us crave more sugar and increase our appetite.

One way to reduce weight gain or lose some of the extra pounds is by limiting our intake of processed sugars to occasional treats. Cutting out artificial sweeteners, as this causes more snacking , increases appetite , and causes bloating , and reducing use of ready meals and snacks.

Changing to only having the " white" or simple carbs to occasional treats and substituting them for wholegrain , multiseed, wholewheat, potatoes with skins , brown rice or pasta, and alternative pulses and grains and having smaller portions of these.

Taking a stroll before and after meals even just for five minutes also improves appetite reduction before eating and insulin release afterwards.

Increasing water intake also improves digestion and weight loss.

Drinking water or green tea when you feel peckish or half an hour before dinner reduces snacking and portion size because often our brain sends the wrong signals when it is dehydrated internally , it wants water . We can need water even if we aren't thirsty.

Another thing many medications do is effect how well we absorb vitamins and minerals from food so we can be low or deficient in certain nutrients even if we eat a good diet. Certain vitamins like low Vitamin B 12 and Folates can cause weight gain by making us more insulin resistant and also cause reduced vitamin absorption too. Salt imbalance can also happen which can make us retain water . Each of these cause weight gain which also appears to be in very odd places like the stomach , chest , back , joints and face.

Increasing your intake and variety of fruit and vegetables, especially green leafy veg , oily fish and lean protein and trying a probiotic , or eating probiotic natural yoghurt help improve digestion and increase nutrient absorption.

Taking a daily combined vitamin and mineral supplement after your fattiest meal of the day for better absorption can help improve your health generally. An extra vitamin B 12 supplement taken with water after a meal or snack with no vitamin C can help weight gain but also improves your Fatigue and pain. Extra Vitamin D can also help improve how often you have pain and headaches , healing and increase energy so you can be more active.

Changing to lo salt or potassium salt can also improve salt balance and bloating.

Small changes and creating a Diet for Life , rather than slimming , can help you to avoid putting on too much weight with medications and help you lose the majority of it if you have put on more than you feel you should.