I have been taking Verapamil since November. Was at 120mg 2x a day, then went down to 120 at night only. It was making me retain water, giving me constipation, and making me bruise so easily I couldn’t believe it. Plus, there was this little pain in my chest every once in a while that I didn’t like.
After much trial and error, I landed on 20mg of Paxil and 120mg of Verapamil. I still get relapses, and a couple of times I have upped the Verapamil for a few days to see if it helps. It seems to, however all of the SE’s start up again and now include shortness of breath and a weird pain in my back near what I think is my left kidney.
Have just reduced myself back down from 240 and yesterday was the first day of taking no evening dose of Verapamil, despite having had a bad headache all day. I rarely get the really bad headaches, mostly it’s dizziness, vertigo, visuals etc and a headache too just not a killer… Yesterday was a killer.
I feel a little odd, but that could be because I had such a bad time yesterday and have to be back at work today.
I really liked Verapamil for my condition, but am now thinking poss it is causing some of my vertigo?? What exactly do Calcium Channel Blockers do for migraines anyway?
Okay so today is day 2 and I feel a little bit woozy, however I did end up with a cup of real coffee and a deli sandwich yesterday. All in the same day is generally too much in the trigger department for me. Ears are plugged, tinniuts up.
But things are not too bad. Think I will give this a few more days during which I will be basically trigger free - there’s always something isn’t there? - and see how I’m doing then.
Well, so much for that. I am now just about at full relapse mode. Took my walk, wobbling all over the place. Getting vertigo attacks that are thankfully short lived.
I started back on the Verapamil Friday night. Will stay on it for a week and then possibly increase to twice a day which is where I started out.
This simply has to stop. I was actually getting my life back.
Kathleen
Sorry to hear that the Verapamil is no longer your friend. It can be such a disappointment when a med seems to be helping a lot then these symptoms start happening. I’ve not tried Verapamil so can’t help there. Are you able to get to see the doc who prescribed this med for you? Perhaps he can suggest something else which can help.
I had been on Dothep for nearly two years with little side effects. Just recently however, things changed and I couldn’t tolerate the symptoms that were showing up. I’m in the process of titrating off this med. It has helped me tremendously but looks like my body/brain is no longer tolerating it so have to try something else.
I think posts that are not in the “General Discussion” area do get missed which may be why you haven’t had replies - I’m sure there are others on the forum who take Verapamil. Perhaps worth asking there.
Barb
Hi Kathleen. Sorry things are going up and down for you. It is very frustrating and exhausting trying to work out what’s for the best with a condition that can be so variable (just on its own). Yes I was on Verapamil for about a year all up. I took one Slow release (cordilox) every evening - 180mg or 240 I’m not sure. Sorry have had a big clean out of old meds at home The Drs were very keen on it and is well regarded as a migraine prevention med. They like the slow release and always said take it at night?
Did have the main side effects but was happy enough as they were (for me) kind of smaller than the SE’s of everything else I had taken…Now I’ve been on/off it for so long I dont think it caused (or helped) vertigo (for me). I have some work colleagues with migraine it has really helped so am glad to have given it a good go…
There can be BP things with Verapamil though… a couple of times I either forgot or double dosed taking one in the morning and I was dramatically dizzy/low BP. When I came off the first time I took one every second day for a week or so then every third then stopped. No issues. The second time stopped suddenly and had very low BP (but since was in hospital with severe adverse reactions to a different drug - rare but textbook - not the verapamil),anything could have been going on. good luck Wendy
The twice a day Verapamil did NOT work for me - SE wise - so I went back to once a day. Now, getting SE’s from that! Going to taper off. Probably have to do the one pill every other day thing as you are not supposed to crush or chew the kind I have, so I am assuming I cannot cut them in half.
Doc says if things get worse we’ll try something else. Good thing is I am more in tune with having a clean diet than I was before. It was a bit overwhelming. Now I am going to try a 3 week gut clean diet, looks really good, with a lot of probiotics supplements. Wow I hope those aren’t going to be a trigger like fermented foods can be… :roll:
So it’s 2 nights I’ve not taken the Verapamil. Symptoms ramping up are tinnitus and sound sensitivity, a little nervous. Read some posts about antihistamines and so I took 1/2 of a 12.5 mg tablet of Meclizine. It should def be taken at night
Thanks everyone.
The Drs were very keen on it and is well regarded as a migraine prevention med. They like the slow release and always said take it at night?