Does anyone know what kind of migraine headache medicine bandsters can take that's over the counter and works?

Excedrin ...but now I use Goody's powders.

Hey, angelface, are you a migraine suffer? There is this drug I found a few years back that a side effect is weightloss. It's an anti-sesiure medication but trials resulted in less frequent migraines in their patients.

Knock out 2 birds w/ 1 stone! Topirimate. The only CURE for migraines, is now FDA approved in the treatment of migraines.

Good luck.

Thanks Grace Utah. I'll talke to my doctor about it. Do you know if there's any "over the counter" medicine available for bandsters that works?

I don't think any of them work for a real migraine..... Excedrin if taken at the onset of the migraine, can halt it in it's tracks. Goody's/BC can often take the edge off...but not the pressure.

All the others, didn't work for me.

Others will post what has worked for them.

I don't think any of them work for a real migraine..... Excedrin if taken at the onset of the migraine, can halt it in it's tracks. Goody's/Birth control can often take the edge off...but not the pressure.

All the others, didn't work for me.

Others will post what has worked for them.

I typed in B C for B C Powders and the site changed it to birthcontrol...B C.

hahahahah:laugh:

Excederine Migraine usually helps me but are we allowed to take it with our bands?

Hi! I suffer from severe migraines. I have a long family history and have had them since I was 5. If you have true migraines I would recommend that you talk to your doctor about medications that are in the triptan family (i.e., imitrex, maxalt). These are prescription medications but are extremely effective for migraine treatment. They also come in other forms such as injection and dissolving tablet. I have taken the aforementioned seizure medication and it did not help my migraines, but it did help me lose some weight.:thumbup: However, if you do not suffer from frequent migraines I would not recommend it because there are side effects and you have to take it daily. The triptan medications are not daily. They are for acute migraine treatment. As far as taking pills so far I have not had any trouble and I have the AP Standard band that holds 10 ccs. It is currently filled at 6.5 ccs, but that is going to change tomorrow so who knows after that. Good luck!:biggrin2:

My migraines are probably not as severe as some other peoples. "Exederine Migraine" has always worked for me before the band. I'm just wondering if we could take "Exederine Migraine" medicine after the band.

Yes.

But when you get restriction, you may have to crush them.

But talk to your doctor...they will help you.

My migraines are probably not as severe as some other peoples. "Exederine Migraine" has always worked for me before the band. I'm just wondering if we could take "Exederine Migraine" medicine after the band.

This is just a helpful tip that my doctor told me. The only difference in Excedrin Migraine and regular Excedrin is that Excedrin Migraine contains caffeine. My doctor told me that a cup or two of coffee can really help a migraine because the caffeine in the coffee constricts the dilated blood vessels that are causing the migraine. Even with some of my more mild migraines coffee can help. I know that everyone has their own opinions about coffee, but this is a relatively simple thing to try if you have trouble taking pills. Good luck.

Excedrin ...but now I use Goody's powders.

Hey, angelface, are you a migraine suffer? There is this drug I found a few years back that a side effect is weightloss. It's an anti-sesiure medication but trials resulted in less frequent migraines in their patients.

Knock out 2 birds w/ 1 stone! Topirimate. The only CURE for migraines, is now FDA approved in the treatment of migraines.

Good luck.

Topamax (brandname for Topirimate - it's still patented and can't be bought in the US under generic yet) is a prescription med that's used for migraines.

Definitely not the end all, be all 'cure' for migraines for everybody, but one that works for a lot of people. It does tend to have quite a few side effects. Some of them may include curbed hunger (which may cause subsequent weight loss), but it also can slow cognitive abilities, have neurological impacts (pins/needles), balance issues, make you wicked tired, etc. It can also cause altered tastes in some foods - esp. diet sodas.

You absolutely need to tritate up to a standard dose of the meds (take it over a period of weeks to get to the therapeutic amount needed) and CAN NOT suddenly stop taking the stuff cold turkey.

I've had great luck with it (e.g., have gone from completely couch-ridden 4-5 day long headaches several times a month to maybe 3 simple headaches/month), but I've also definitely come to realise why the nickname for it is 'Dopamax'. My memory isn't as sharp, names/appts don't come to me as quickly (thank God for the Treo!). But I gladly trade that for the lack of headaches. But on the other side of the coin, two girlfriends of mine have had horrible luck with Topamax and it doesn't do a damn thing for them. Another thing you need to bear in mind - it's extremely cost prohibitive if you don't have prescription coverage. Without insurance, it runs about $300/month. I have Aetna POS, and I pay about $45 for it at Target (I take 100mg/day).

Anyway...

Talk to your neurologist (if you don't have one, find one - GPs really aren't skilled enough to be dealing with this kind of medication). Oh, and it comes in both tablets and granule form so you don't even have to go through the trouble of crushing it post surgery.

As far as Over The Counter stuff goes, I take 1 tablet of 800mg of Ibuprofen (same as 4 OTC Advil) at the slightest hint of a headache. If that doesn't kick it, then I move onto a prescription medication called Maxalt-MLT, which is like a super melty Altoid (the only way I can really describe it). It melts the second it goes onto your tongue, and usually within about 10-20 minutes at most, my headache is gone. So far, this protocol has been working for me for the past 8 months or so.

PM me if you have any other questions. :smile:

Good luck!

-m

Edited April 1, 200818 yr by dancinglamb

Yuck. I was on Topamax for a good part of a year and it definitely had heavy duty side effects as I was titrating up. I also didn't like the idea of taking a medication every single day. I feel like I've tried literally everything for migraines.

I know how crazy this sounds (to all those who suffer from regular migraines) but I suffered from migraines for over 10 years - it got so bad that I was taking a prescription drug (relpax) every single day. Then I read this book that changed my life - "Heal Your Headache" by David Buchholz. It advocated changing your diet and stopping taking medications that would have a rebound effect (medications like Excedrin and my Relpax). I follow the diet restrictions pretty closely and only take my Relpax every once in awhile. Just following the book's advice worked wonders for me. I really feel like I have control over my headaches.

I guess if your headaches are infrequent and the Excedrin works for you and you're happy with it, stick with it. But if they ever increase or you want to try to get off meds altogether, I totally recommend that book.

Best of luck.

hello all, I also have been a migraine sufferer for several years and many Dr. just give u relief meds, but almost 2 years ago my Dr put me on Propranlol (not sure on spelling) it was the best thing EVER for me....I had a minimum of 2 MAJOR migraines a month, blinding and blurred vision, could not function...and have not had any since being put on that med. ....Relpax is awesome for relief but am soooooo glad to not have one to treat anymore.....hopefully when I'm banded I can go off that eventually..my band date is 1 week from today April8th...Cindy:blink:

I have suffered from ocular migraines for years. they have become more frequent (probably from a combination of my age and weight) Dr just prescribed Maxalt (sp?) and I was told there was a disolving tablet because many migraine sufferers have nausea and have trouble keeping pills down. I don;t often get nausea, but I worry about taking pills with the band.

A suggestion that doesn't require a prescription.

OTC Potassium supplements.

back story:

I started having migraines around puberty. My mother was a migraine sufferer, too. As a teen they would make me nauseous and if I could throw up, they would go away.

Shortly after the birth of my second child I had a really, REALLY bad one! Three days and two trips to the ER did NOTHING. On the third day, my diaper delivery was due and I owed money. When I heard the van on the driveway I went and cracked the door ever so slightly, with my hand covering my eyes and waved the driver down. She'd already dropped my bags of clean diapers and hopped back in the van.

She came back to the door to get the check and asked what was wrong. She said, "I figured you were gone since all the windows and doors were closed."

I told her about the migraine from Hell. Then she told me a story that changed my life.

She said she'd had severe migraines as a pre-teen. So much so that her doctor had her parents take her to a University Medical Center in another state where they were researching. After two weeks of running every imaginable test they told her parents to take her home and give her a potassium tablet every day! Her migraines went away.

Desparate to try anything, I vowed to have my husband get some on the way home. She said, "Now once it gets going, potassium won't do anything. It only works as a preventative."

Okay, still -- anything to never suffer through that again.

Folks -- that was 25 years ago THIS month.

I have had exactly FIVE migrains in 25 years. Each and every one was when I grew complacent and didn't bother to get another bottle of potassium when mine ran out. The last one (summer of 2000) was so bad I collapsed at a Sam's Club and temporarily lost my eyesight! I swore I would NEVER run out of potassium again!

A word of caution: There is no RDA for potassium because it varies so much from person to person. But do not exceed ONE tablet per day -- you can cause serious problems even death from too much. And, if you're not comfortable with the thought of taking even one, just make sure to amp up your intake of potassium rich foods.

I've had many people -- in the last 25 years -- come back and tell me that it DID make a difference in their migraines. I hope all of you find relief....I have felt your pain and am humbled by its magnitude!

It sounds to me like you don't have "true" migraines just really bad headaches. I would go with the excedrin and ask your doc if it is ok to take it because it has aspirin in it. Excedrin also makes a tension formula which has the caffiene, but not the aspirin. I really like the liquid tylenol. It works really fast for my "regular" headaches. The taste is not very appealing though.

Have you ever went to a chiropractor for your headaches? It helped with my "regular" headaches. My migraines are hormonal though...