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"New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"

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Anjel	Jun-08-02, 10:47 PM (CMT)
"New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"
Well I got on a new medicain, basically inderal about a month, month and a half ago. Their beta blockers. Its really the only thing I take anymore and its made such a difference. I've gone from having a migrain virtually every day to maybe a bad head ach once a week. I can't believe it. It feels strange to not be in constant head pain everyday. Has anyone else gone through this treatment, did it work, once you stopped taking the pills did the migrains come back? Whats the next step to this, or will I always have to be on this medication?
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Table of contents

RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone ..., Elise, Jun-09-02, (1)

RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone ..., LaneysMom, Jun-10-02, (2)

RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone ..., Catherine, Jun-10-02, (3)

RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone ..., Anjel, Jun-10-02, (4)

RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone ..., jeri, Jun-11-02, (5)

RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone ..., Steve B , Jun-11-02, (6)

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Elise Jun-09-02, 10:31 AM (CMT)

1. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"

I see no one else has replied so I will, though I don't know if any of what I know will be helpful.
I believe that a person needs to stay on the beta blockers to keep the headaches away, the dose will need to increase with time, and one should never stop them abruptly unless a doc says to - you have to wean off, like most medications.
If you forget a dose, you might feel anxious, nervous, maybe even scared. It's not your mind, it's your body.
If you're lucky, and you just might be, this is "the" answer for you, and you will go happily into the sunset, never again to have lots of migraines.
I would suggest that you enjoy your success with this drug. You may feel tired, you may gain weight, and you might feel some depression from this drug.
It makes me feel heavy both physically and mentally much of the time, and I am trying to get off of it, but if the migs come back as they were I'll stay on it, and admit that the side effects are worth the cure.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Invisible E

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LaneysMom Jun-10-02, 09:14 AM (CMT)

2. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"

I'm on Tinormin (atenolol)..it's a beta blocker. I was on 50mgs a day, but decreased to 25mgs a day because of tingling in my hands and feet. I *think* it's helping the migraines, but it's too soon to tell.
Michelle

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Catherine Jun-10-02, 08:43 PM (CMT)

3. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"

Sounds like great results!
Anytime I've had a preventative work, I've taken it for at least a year. Then tapered down to see if there was any increase. for me it was 50/50. So stay with it for quite a while longer first, then slowly taper to see.

Catherine

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Anjel Jun-10-02, 10:10 PM (CMT)

4. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"

As far as I know, I don't have any side effects from taking this medication. Least not anyones that I could single out to be caused by it.
Right now and I have been on Propranolol LA but apparently its the same thing as Inderal. I have to take 80mg per day of this. From what I've read that seems to be a pretty high dosage of this medication.

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jeri Jun-11-02, 07:47 AM (CMT)

5. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"

I'm glad you're having good results. I tried Atenolol for quite a while, and it may have helped a little. But I couldn't stand the side effects.
Before I started taking it, I was a pretty serious runner - running about 25 miles a week. I would eat anything I wanted and not gain a pound. But after I started the Atenolol, I could barely run anymore. It has the nasty side effect of not letting your heart rate go up. A big problem when you are trying to run a 6 mile run. But, I stuck with it even though it was killing me. But, I also noticed that I was gaining weight - even though my mileage had not decreased. Before all was said and done - I gained almost 20 pounds. I think my metabolism had slowed down alot because my heart rate simply would not go high enough.
By then I was so mad and depressed that I said screw it and got off the med *and* took a break from running. But the damage was done. I haven't lost the weight yet - but I am running again, so I hope it will come off.
I just tell you this because if you do any exercise where your heart rate needs to accelerate, you are likely to run into problems.
I'm glad it is working for you though. If it worked that well for me, I would have probably stuck with it!!
Jeri

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Steve B Jun-11-02, 08:24 AM (CMT)

6. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"

Anjel-
I started on calcium channel blockers (cardizem CD, 120mg once a day) about 90 days ago. I am taking these to slow an overactive pancreas which was causing the chronic low blood sugar condition that, in turn, was causing the migraine attacks and CDH (chronic daily headaches). This was a pattern for the last 25 years until my discovering this fact in Dec. 1999.
I have varified the effects of Cardizem CD on my pancreas by frequent blood sugar tests. My overall blood sugar levels are up a bit, but more importantly, I no longer have sudden drops in BS level after eating a meal, even a suggery one!
CCB's and BB's do about the same thing for the heart. It was a fluke that I discovered that CCB's slowed down OTHER organs besides the heart and since starting the med, my CDH's have diminished from 3-4 a week to one every 10 to 14 days, a rate that continues to diminish gradually.
My doctor (a cardiologist who I was seeing to make the FAA happy about re-issueing my license) was not aware of other uses for cardizem but gave it to me at my request anyway. It has worked well!
I too exercise daily with occaisional strenous periods. I have not noticed any change while useing the CCB, expect that my HR is a bit slower and does not climb in rate so quickly when exercising. I'll be taking another stress test in July for the FAA, but don't expect to have any trouble passing it.
I have also continued to lose weight at a gradual pace. Lately about a half pound a week on average. Down now about 50 pounds since start of hypoglycemic diet in Dec. 1999. I have about 10 to 15 more to lose to get to a fairly lean weight.
Best of all, like you, I have been migraine free and (now) CDH free too.
Wishing you a pain free day!
Steve

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Elise	Jun-09-02, 10:31 AM (CMT)
1. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"
I see no one else has replied so I will, though I don't know if any of what I know will be helpful. I believe that a person needs to stay on the beta blockers to keep the headaches away, the dose will need to increase with time, and one should never stop them abruptly unless a doc says to - you have to wean off, like most medications. If you forget a dose, you might feel anxious, nervous, maybe even scared. It's not your mind, it's your body. If you're lucky, and you just might be, this is "the" answer for you, and you will go happily into the sunset, never again to have lots of migraines. I would suggest that you enjoy your success with this drug. You may feel tired, you may gain weight, and you might feel some depression from this drug. It makes me feel heavy both physically and mentally much of the time, and I am trying to get off of it, but if the migs come back as they were I'll stay on it, and admit that the side effects are worth the cure. Hope this helps. Cheers, Invisible E
	Top


	LaneysMom	Jun-10-02, 09:14 AM (CMT)
	2. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"
	I'm on Tinormin (atenolol)..it's a beta blocker. I was on 50mgs a day, but decreased to 25mgs a day because of tingling in my hands and feet. I think it's helping the migraines, but it's too soon to tell. Michelle
		Top

Catherine	Jun-10-02, 08:43 PM (CMT)
3. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"
Sounds like great results! Anytime I've had a preventative work, I've taken it for at least a year. Then tapered down to see if there was any increase. for me it was 50/50. So stay with it for quite a while longer first, then slowly taper to see. Catherine
	Top


	Anjel	Jun-10-02, 10:10 PM (CMT)
	4. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"
	As far as I know, I don't have any side effects from taking this medication. Least not anyones that I could single out to be caused by it. Right now and I have been on Propranolol LA but apparently its the same thing as Inderal. I have to take 80mg per day of this. From what I've read that seems to be a pretty high dosage of this medication.
		Top


	jeri	Jun-11-02, 07:47 AM (CMT)
	5. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"
	I'm glad you're having good results. I tried Atenolol for quite a while, and it may have helped a little. But I couldn't stand the side effects. Before I started taking it, I was a pretty serious runner - running about 25 miles a week. I would eat anything I wanted and not gain a pound. But after I started the Atenolol, I could barely run anymore. It has the nasty side effect of not letting your heart rate go up. A big problem when you are trying to run a 6 mile run. But, I stuck with it even though it was killing me. But, I also noticed that I was gaining weight - even though my mileage had not decreased. Before all was said and done - I gained almost 20 pounds. I think my metabolism had slowed down alot because my heart rate simply would not go high enough. By then I was so mad and depressed that I said screw it and got off the med and took a break from running. But the damage was done. I haven't lost the weight yet - but I am running again, so I hope it will come off. I just tell you this because if you do any exercise where your heart rate needs to accelerate, you are likely to run into problems. I'm glad it is working for you though. If it worked that well for me, I would have probably stuck with it!! Jeri
		Top


	Steve B	Jun-11-02, 08:24 AM (CMT)
	6. "RE: New Treatment Working - Anyone with Beta Blockers?"
	Anjel- I started on calcium channel blockers (cardizem CD, 120mg once a day) about 90 days ago. I am taking these to slow an overactive pancreas which was causing the chronic low blood sugar condition that, in turn, was causing the migraine attacks and CDH (chronic daily headaches). This was a pattern for the last 25 years until my discovering this fact in Dec. 1999. I have varified the effects of Cardizem CD on my pancreas by frequent blood sugar tests. My overall blood sugar levels are up a bit, but more importantly, I no longer have sudden drops in BS level after eating a meal, even a suggery one! CCB's and BB's do about the same thing for the heart. It was a fluke that I discovered that CCB's slowed down OTHER organs besides the heart and since starting the med, my CDH's have diminished from 3-4 a week to one every 10 to 14 days, a rate that continues to diminish gradually. My doctor (a cardiologist who I was seeing to make the FAA happy about re-issueing my license) was not aware of other uses for cardizem but gave it to me at my request anyway. It has worked well! I too exercise daily with occaisional strenous periods. I have not noticed any change while useing the CCB, expect that my HR is a bit slower and does not climb in rate so quickly when exercising. I'll be taking another stress test in July for the FAA, but don't expect to have any trouble passing it. I have also continued to lose weight at a gradual pace. Lately about a half pound a week on average. Down now about 50 pounds since start of hypoglycemic diet in Dec. 1999. I have about 10 to 15 more to lose to get to a fairly lean weight. Best of all, like you, I have been migraine free and (now) CDH free too. Wishing you a pain free day! Steve
		Top

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