Posted by JohnX2 on March 30, 2002, at 7:33:43
In reply to MOAI's, Migraines, Lamictal - New to the Group, posted by Morgana on March 29, 2002, at 0:22:40
At some point you may want to try adding some topamax (seen gobs of good headache stories on that med; I take it for a facial neuralgia and am bipolar II). I had similar sensitivities to medicines.John
> Hi All,
>
> I'm new to the group and found my way here while researching MAOI's.
>
> I'll try to be brief, but tend to be long-winded, so bear with me. :)
>
> I've just started Nardil this past week. In addition to being bi-polar II (ultra-rapid cycler) I suffer from severe, and unfortunately frequent migraines.
>
> I have been taking 200 mg of Lamictal 2x daily which acts as both a mood stabilizer and migraine preventative, but my migraines were continuing to get worse and not better.
>
> I am sensitive to anything and everything that is high in tyramine and have been adhering to the MAOI diet to keep migraines from being triggered, but it hasn't been enough.
>
> I went to my Neurologist with a theory.
>
> If I am so sensitive to a particular amino acid that it triggers migraines, there must be an imbalance. Okay, so you might be saying "duh!" because of course there is an imbalance in my brain chemistry... :) But my theory was my starting place.
>
> If there is this specific imbalance, there must be a way to counteract it. Tyramine falls under Tyrosine...which is a precursor to neurotransmitters epinephrine, nor-epinephrine and dopamine. Could there be too much activity happening with these neurotransmitters? I also happened to be taking Welbutrin at the time, a nor-epinephrine re-uptake inhibitor.
>
> My suggestion was to stop the Welbutrin, but he was concerned about whether or not the Welbutrin was the med helping with the depression (my mood has been stable for over a year now <whew!>) and what would happen if we just took it away. Perhaps increasing activity of another neurotransmitter would create some balance.
>
> So we tried Celexa, an SSRI (to increase seratonin activity). And it worked. On the constant migraines. But <sigh> the side effects were not acceptable. Being a person who has a hard time sleeping, almost falling asleep at the wheel was *very* scary! Not to mention the total inorgasmia. Blech. So, back I went to the Neurologist.
>
> He had done some research himself, back through my files, etc. and come up with Nardil as a possible solution. I was already adhering to the diet, which is the difficult part of taking an MAOI, and the side effect profile is a heck of a lot shorter than most meds. So I was definitely up for it. We are hoping that the increased levels of seratonin and dopamine (increased in a more 'natural' fashion, rather than being forcibly recepted) will have a positive affect on both mood and migraines.
>
>
> So far I haven't really noticed any side effects. I tend to respond right away to meds and I may be experiencing a lessening of the constant headache. But that could be wishful thinking on my part. I so desperately want to be free of pain.
>
> Whew! That was long-winded wasn't it?
>
> I hate to break it into pieces, cus then it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I'm not even sure it makes sense all in one piece...
>
> So. If any of you have any thoughts/experiences re MAOI's, Migraines, Nardil, Lamictal, becoming a biochemist (only half joking)...I'd love to hear them.
>
> Morgana
poster:JohnX2
thread:100852
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020327/msgs/100958.html