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This is my first time posting a tip, but as a "sufferer" (better word anyone?) of chronic migraines, I thought I would share my prescription success with you guys.
I have taken abortive migraine drugs (think Maxalt, Imitrex, etc) for many years, but when my migraines moved from a couple of times a month, to every other week, to every day, I had to find a better solution. My neurologist decided to try me on Topamax, an anticonvulsant, the type of medication typically prescribed for seizure disorders and now migraine prevention. This isn't a medicine that I would say someone should take if they only get a migraine every once in awhile, but if you're like me and get them every day or multiple times a week, it may really help you.
I don't really believe in endorsing medications as they don't work for everyone, so obviously don't take my word for it. Also, your doctor is the expert, not the Internet so defer to their recommendations. The side effects that I have experienced so far is a bit of fogginess with my short term memory and some numbness underneath my feet. Obviously, the medicine isn't perfect, but I have only had 2 classifiable migraines in the last 6 months, and I can't even remember how few before then.
Hope my experience has helped you!View Thread

I have many of the same conditions as you do and I'm just wondering why you are even taking this medication to begin with. Your arthritis pain would be best managed by a medication that actually treating the arthritis. Treating the pain isn't going to make it any better, and you're going to have to keep increasing your dosages. By decreasing the inflammation (and maybe some pain relief if you really need it) you will see much better results. With fibromyalgia I'm also surprised you aren't taking any neuro-meds to treat the pain that fibro causes.
I don't want to see like I'm challenging you here (just as you didn't want to your doctor) but I really think that your pain could be managed much more effectively with less damage to your body in the long run. I do take a lot of medicines, but they aren't going to cause the same internal harm that opiates do. I'm not judging, I don't want to come off the wrong way, because I know the ridiculous pain of having both fibro and arthritis. I just want you to feel better and not be hurting yourself for later, something your pain management doctor will never tell you. My grandmother (who was the one that passed the arthritis down to me) had a pain management plan that just pumped her full of narcotics to deal with her RA pain, and in the end her immune system was so weak she died from pneumonia. I don't think anyone else who suffers like we do should have to take that with us to our death beds.View Thread

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