medication

I have always been opposed to medication especially ones that can create a dependense or addiction, but sometimes we have to take medication to help us through our days. As longs as you do not abuse the medication and speak openly about your consumption with your doctor then you should be ok. I am presently taking Supeudol also know as Oxycodone, which is a pain killer and has no effect in stopping migraines, but it is the only thing right now that relieves the pain. My main suggestion, is not to stop any medication with out speaking to your doctor. Also talk about dosage with your doctor and do not take more than you both agree on. Pain killers can be harmful but if you make sure that you are not abusing them, then they can help. The main problem with barbituates is that they are very hard to get off of.

Hi Lauren, I know how you feel. It can be extremely difficult to manage migraine - particularly when they become chronic. Which is my situation as well. So even if we don't like to take meds, we just DO in order to be able to function. Plus, no one likes the extreme pain of migraine. N'est-ce pas? But taking too much medication can sometimes lead to other problems like "rebound headaches" otherwise known as Medication Overuse Headaches, which can be difficult but not impossible to treat. As stated in a great article about MOH in Neurology magazine: "Almost all symptomatic medications have the potential to cause medication-overuse headache if used too frequently. Having said that, experts believe that some medications have a higher potential than others. Studies suggest that butalbital-containing drugs (i.e., Fiorinal and Fioricet), narcotics, acetaminophen (Tylenol), ergot compounds (e.g., Cafergot), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and the migraine-specific drugs known as the triptans may be the most common culprits. " http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/full/66/12/E43. You are right also in saying it is best to speak with your doctor or migraine specialist if you think this is your situation. He/she would be best suited to help you figure out a withdrawal and treatment strategy. Hang in there. You are not alone!