Hi all, I just want some thoughts on giving Periactin a go. It is a med that I don’t mind trying because cause it’s only an antihistamine, but somehow works as a migraine preventative too. I’m currently not on anything and I don’t really want anything that I need to wean off of if it isn’t working. I’ve been going through the posts on the forum here and so far I see nothing but positives here from this one (aside from Scott’s pizotifen trial-which is close to peri). But some of the people that have tried peri have said that it has given them their life back.
Jennyd’s recent success with this med is extremely encouraging. I just want the 24/7 rocking/swaying to go away. It looks like this med can do just that.
Does anyone know how long you can take this drug for? Is it harmful to use for months on end? Cause if this makes a significant improvement on my symptoms, then I’ll probably take it forever. Even after I die. Can’t be rocking and swaying in my coffin, I gotta rest in peace when I go. :lol:
Any feedback would be great. It just seems too good to be true that something as simple as an antihistamine could actually give me my life back completely.
I’m hovering around 85% right now.
just wanted to wish you good luck! i know it’s scary to try any new drug. i too suffer with the 24/7 constant rockiness and am constantly searching for relief. i just stopped taking lexapro 3 weeks ago and my body is having a hard time withdrawing since i went “cold turkey.” i think withiin my family history, our brain chemistry needs serotonin. i asked my doctor about periactin on friday and he kind of joked with me saying i was already having a hard time not getting enough serotonin- why would i want to lower more with the antagonists side of things? i guess he is right.
but the antihistamine side makes it sound so less serious…
Scott, thanks a lot for the info. I really needed to know that because my dr. has no idea about MAV. When I brought it up to him in October, he looked at the reports that were sent to him from the ER and gave me a huh?? look. It’s funny though that when he told me he when he sees a patient with dizziness, he never thinks twice about labeling it anxiety and has always 100% of the time prescribed them with celexa and said the patients always got better so he never thought any futher into it.
In fact, he prescribed me Celexa in November and I took it for three days and noticed that my pupils were looking big, so I got scared and didn’t take anymore. I was also taking 50 mg of Nortryptaline at the time, so there may have been an interaction there. Probably nothing serious but I still didn’t want to take any chances on seriously hurting myself.
I just like how my dr. has probably encountered tons of mav patients and has unknowingly got them relief through celexa. When I came in for my follow up from the ER, he said, and I quote “What the hell?? You’ve had one hell of a week. You’re still dizzy since I’ve seen you last?” I said , yea I haven’t really gotten better, it just doesn’t go away,the dizziness is still there. He said “Well not for long. Here is something I’m gonna rx for you cause it’s been way too long and this works everytime. You should’ve seen me a few months ago, I thought you were done with this dizzy shit.” :lol:
He’s a good doc though. Nice man. But I know loads more about migraine than he does and he’ll rx me anything I want. As long as I got this forum I know I’m in good hands. People tell me all the time I should find a good migraine dr. and I said I already have 100’s of them. There office is at mvertigo.org.
Scott, one more thing, should I take the periactin in the mornings at all?
Ilovesalem,
I too did worry about the seratonin issue, but I think I would be more worried last year about the low seratonin because I was having a hard time dealing with the dizziness, and I wasn’t dealing with it very well. But these days I don’t get down about it that much anymore and I don’t think it’ll be an issue. I’ve just learned to live with it and not get so discouraged. There is always that possibility though. That’s why this med a good one for that reason, because if I notice I become depressed, I can just dump it and there won’t be any withdrawl from it and I can move on.
Greg,
There is a med called Buspar, and it hits serotonin receptor 5ht1 only. It’s quite selective, no side effects and no trouble getting off of it. Its hit or miss for most people. It is good for anxiety too, and commonly used as add on therapy when SSRI isn’t doing enough for anxiety.
If by chance the periactin doesn’t do it, or enough, you might want to consider it. I also find working with a psychiatrist is the best when you decide to have someone on your side with these meds. THey seem more compassionate, and are more educated with how these meds work (psychoactive meds)…just my experience…
Good luck and hope it works out!! I’ve had good luck with phenergan, another antihistamine that is used for anxiety and vertigo…
Kelley
That is wonderful that your DR is so confident this Prescription will “knock this shit out!” I can’t wait to hear how it works for you and please keep us posted! I might give this drug a go if if works for you. I am so over the constant dizzies…
Hey Greg – while I’m certainly no medical doctor and you should definitely chat to your doc about dosing and when to take the Peri, I can relay the info I got from Granot and also what has worked best for Jen. Granot said evening was the best time to hit it initially because of the sedating effect. However, that does wear off and so you could likely take them throughout the day as you get used to it. I think for Jen, it worked out better by day but cannot recall why.
Interesting how your doc dishes out Celexa/ Cipramil thinking he’s treating anxiety. That’s what happened to me as well in 2004. Unknowingly, they were giving me a drug that can wipe out MAV too – and it did for me. He killed two birds with one stone.
— Begin quote from ____
People tell me all the time I should find a good migraine dr. and I said I already have 100’s of them. There office is at mvertigo.org.
Thanks guys, I’m really banking on this med. It almost seems like a sure shot. Just from being on this forum and learning from many here, I doubt there is any way I would have ever thought of an antihistmine. What has taken people years to find out what off the wall meds work for mav, you can find out in a matter of minutes being on this forum. I love it. But first I gotta see if periactin’s gonna work for me. We’ll see.
Right now I feel like the owner of sports orginization that just bought the best players in the league and is already celebrating a championship victory without even playing a single game yet. I’d better slow down on all this excitement right. :lol:
I have JUST got my hands on Periactin (thanks to LongShort) and last night took my first 2mg (cut the 4mg tab in half). I have to say that it knocked me out cold and today I literally couldnt get out of bed - but that was the only thing I’ve noticed so far.
I’m still on 45mg Nori and have had a rough past few days - so last night I thought sod it, I’m starting tonight. I’m going to keep going at 2mg per night for a week or so to see how things go.
Beatles - good luck buddy - I’m with ya!!!
If this doesnt work, I’m going to drag my brain out with a fish hook Egyptian style!!
Wow that sounds intense. That tired huh? My issue is that I have some things I have to attend to within the next 3 weeks. I’m getting my peri tommarow, but I might wait until after I have my things to do to start taking it. This weekend, I’m going on vacation til monday and on August 4th I’m driving down to Cincinnati OH to see Paul McCartney. Now that’s a 4 hour drive I will be making by myself, cause the people I’m going with live in Cinci. Do you think I should wait until after August 4th to start my trial?
HI I TOOK SOME PERI THE OTHER DAY I HAD A BAD HEADACHE, FIRST I TOOK 2 PANADOL WITH CODINE, NOTHING SO THEN I TOOK 1 4MG PERI, AND THEN ANOTHER 1 LATER STILL NO RELIEF, ENDED UP IN BED WITH SHOCKING HEADACHE.IT DOES MAKE YOU A BIT TIRED BUT NO REAL SIDE EFFECTS LIKE SANDROMIGRAINE
SO MY QUESTION IS DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT DAILY TO ACCUMULATE??
IM STILL TOSSING UP THAT OR GIVING PROPRANOLOL ANOTHER GO TO SEE IF IT MAKES THE DIZZY WORSE AGAIN…OH THE HELL OF THE DIZZY VERTIGO AFTER 700 DAYS YOU THINK I COULD COPE BUT NO!!!GET ME OFF THE FREAKIN ROLLERCOASTER, I TOO DONT WANT TAKE STUFF I HAVE TO WEAN OFF DUE TO SIDE EFFECTS OR NOT WORKING ANY ANSWERS WOULD BE GOOD
Beatles - either as Scott said, if you can take it at 7pm and be ready for an early night then go for it but if you feel you’ve a lot on for the next couple of weeks that you need to be on form (as much as possible) for then I would wait.
The sedation should calm down in a week or two - but seriously, I feel like I’ve been put under General !!!
I have a pill cutter so I cut them in half - but if you feel you want to go even slower - cut them into quarters … then that way at 1mg you could poss start before the 4th Aug?
Just take it at night for the first 2 - 3 weeks and build up your nightly dosage and then if you need to introduce it in the morning, start the morning dose at 1mg and continue from there. Just my opinion.
Keep me posted buddy, and likewise.
BECD - might just be coincidence re the headache? Can you keep trying and maybe follow the plan of action above?
What I think I’m gonna do is, on next Tuesday when I’m back from vacation, I’ll give it a shot, and If I find that it makes me too tired the next day, I’ll hold of until after August 4th.
