xx
Hi Lindsay,
I’m sorry to say there is no answer to how long MAV lasts! It’s different for everyone, and I think some people may have just one spell of it and it goes away, whereas for some people it will be a lifelong thing.
Re medication, I found pizotifen worked really well for me. I found it really easy to tolerate. It made me tired for the first couple of weeks, but then I got used to it. It increased my appetite, but putting on a bit of weight was a small price to pay for getting my balance problems and migraines under control!
I wasn’t sure from your post whether you have just been seeing your GP or whether you have been referred to a specialist? If you’ve not seen the latter, I would really recommend that you did, so you can get a definitive diagnosis and also have tests done to rule out other causes.
Hi and Welcome,
There is so much information on this site. You can navigate around to different meds and see different threads on people’s experiences. It’s important to remember that your mileage will vary…everyone has different chemistry, so different meds can be great for one, a nightmare for another.
As far as what to do, read the Migraine Constitution…it really will help you. MAV isn’t something that necessarily runs it’s course. It’s a disease that you have, and you need to manage it. Some people get well on meds, or lifestye changes…others deal with it chronically…again, it’s different for everyone.
FOr the record, the most common meds seem to be the tricyclic antidepressants (nortriptyline/amitriptyline), SNRI’s (Effexor, Cymbalta) SSRI’s (celexa, lexapro, Zoloft) and anticonvulsants like Topamax and Neurontin/Lyrica. There are also beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. A lot of times doctors will prescribe according to how you present…in other words, if you are suffering any depression/anxiety, then the antidepressants are prescribed. IF you have high blood pressure, they will do the beta blockers…etc…the meds are all pretty equal in efficacy.
Hope that helps…
Kelley
Addition:
It’s the Mvertigo Constitution, not the migraine constitution…although they are the same. 
Sorry!
Kelley