Will be starting on Verapamil soon

Hi Everyone,

I will be experimenting with Verapamil shortly for Migraine Eqivalent (MAV). Was wondering if this medication has helped? If yes…how have your symptoms improved? What were your side affects? Do i need to give this drug atleast 60 days to see if improvements begin?

Thanks…

Joe

I’ve just been given a script for Verapamil as well as was wondering the same things.

Dizzyloopy

Dizzyloopey,

Do you know what strength they will start you out at? At first they were thinking of starting me on Neurontin but the doctor said it takes a much longer time to get to the strength desired…and verapamil would be quicker as far as getting to the strength desired for me.

Joe

I think it’s 80mg a day in two tablets. I just saw a GP who had never heard of MAV so I doubt that does will do much. She’s referring me to a nuerologist who might be more insightful and helpful, fingers crossed. Let me know how you’re doing.

Hi guys, well ive been on verapamil for 10 weeks and this is the first week ive found a change , they say it can
take this long for some people, I’m on 240mg per day slow release, at bedtime.
I just saw my GP who was going to put me on elavil or endep, but after realising this drug is similar compound to prothiaden, ive asked her if this was dangerous for my tachy prob as prothiaden was what started my tachy in the first place, she said no your correct, so I gently sugested that I wasnt on a very high dose of verapamil and could I up the dose , due to the fact that it has started to work, cutting down my migraine attack,
she said yes and has given me another slow release tab to take on top of the 240. this must be done slowly of cause,

P>S the side effects for me at first were not great, it made me very tired and funny in the head for the first 2 weeks, then things started settling down , now I find the side effect quite pleasant, I have an overall calmness that I never expected on this drug.
so feel free to ask any questions, I’ll be starting the new strength tonight.
thanks good luck
jen

jen,

you said that you are finally experiencing a “change” with verapamil. By that, do you mean an improvement in your dizziness? I’m glad you hear that you are not so tired on it - they claim that if you stick the SE’s out, they should subside - it’s good to hear that to be true, in your case.

Keep us posted and good luck.

Julie

Jenny,

I tried Elavil for one year and it didnot help except it decreased the tension in my head just slightly. I had a friend who tried verapamil and he started on 120mg. He increased it but it didnot work for him.

Jen…you said you feel a “Calm”…do you mean your head doesnot feel as much Tension or that Rocking Wavy Motion feeling? Does your thinking feel more clear too? The inside of my head feels alot of Tension, Tightness and pressure.

Glad to hear that Verapamil is working for you.

Joe

hi every one, Joe , My migraine consists of no pain, but confusion type symptoms, dreamlike states, very detached feelings , much like simple partial siezure, I didnt know this was my migraine as ive had these since being a little girl, I just thought it was a part of who I am (personality) and I didnt know everyone else didnt feel this way on a day to day basis.
MY family just put it down to me being the nervis person in the family,
Highly strung as a small child
who would tantrum for no aparent reason.
ive had learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and shocking memory most of my life , i dont retain alot at all, so study is hard for me.
so I’m starting to think that my migraine may have started at a very young age and didnt give me any balance or rocking (dizziness) untill 13 years ago during a stressfull period in my life.
this past 2 years ive noticed my aura,
hence my new diagnosis of mav, migraine veriant,
it’s all been getting worse during the past 2 years and I hadnt had many migraine free days, and when I have them it nocks me for a loop,
so after my 10th week on verapamil I’m just now feeling some (crazyhead) free days with less rocking, but I know I’m not in the clear yet as , I still awake every day with persistent aura. some of my aura’s a transient others are with me 24/7.
it’s been 3 days since my last migraine and I do feel one
pending today as I right you now, I can feel the fogy dreamy feeling I’m so very used to.
so yes it has given me a sense of calm,
all the best joe,hope ive answerd your question ok,
jen

Jen…i am similar to you in that i also am an anxious individual and i honestly believe i have a mild learning disability all my life. Comprehension and retaining things in school and in other aspects of my life have not been easy. Study at school was difficult. This condion began after i had gone thru an extremely difficult time in my work life trying to learn a new job that was way over my head. I began to have vertigo episodes which adventually evolved into the rocking sensation…foggy like feeling and more vertigo. After 15 years of this the vertigo has finally subsided but if i didnot take the anti-anxiety medication i am sure i would have it again. The only thing you have that i don’t is having an Aura…so far nothing like that.

Does your doctor believe this condition has something to do with the brain not having enough serotonin or affecting the innerf-ear or both? Is it something else?

Joe

Hi Joe,
so funny I was so shocked that I finaly had a diagnosis to tell the truth I dont believe I heard him give much explanation of how this illness works,
he mostly listend,wow a Dr listening finaly was amazing. It was my first visit with him and I have many questions to ask on my next appiontment,
Once my auar started I googled my heart out , due to the fear I had lost the plot seeing all this stuff freeked me out.
I found a place called migraine connection , they have also got some good information of explainations on how they believe migraine works,
according to some things Ive read yes seratonin plays a large part, here is another article about it as well.
pneuro.com/publications/migraine/

we migraineurs have neurons firing all over the place and of cause its going to Impact our emotions and mentle allertness, but dont worry we arnt mental, we are just different.

at first my doc and I thought it was epilepsy , as my real father has epi, so he gave me valium to try, and it worked with in a week, but unfortunatly or fortunatly I couldnt stay on it due to a adverse reaction, but i’m glad to say after reading how hard it is to get off the stuff and how we build up a tollerance and need higher and higher doses of the suff, I’m glad I coulnt take it,

Have you read some of the mav articles on the front of this site, thanks to Adam, I now have a better understaning of whats going on.
I dont understand how our migraine effects the vestibular or what part of the braine or inner ear it effects , but my doc said it cuts off the blood sorce in the brain and sends my brain scrambling for help, I kind of imagine its like a little stroke each time but with out the clot , thanks god, he he,
anyway joe all the best, hope ur having a better day today.
jen

I started Verapamil 120 SR in early August. It did help quite a bit, although it didn’t completely eradicate my symptoms. When I started taking Ambien for some sleep problems, that actually increased disequilibrium, which mitigated the positive effect of verapamil. Since I’ve weaned off Ambien, the verapamil is helping again.

I usually do much worse with this ailment during the winter. As a result, my doc increased my dosage to 180 SR about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I am feeling a difference once again, but still, the symptoms aren’t totally eradicated.

Jenny…one last question. Did your condition start out with True Vertigo (where you have an illusion that the room is spinning)? This is how my condition began…on occasion vertigo episode waking up from sleep at night. I would become extremely sick to my stomach. Then the Rocking Motion sensation began after approx 6 of these vertigo episodes within 3 years. The rocking has been with me ever since.

Hi Joe, No mine is just like mal de barquement, rocking , jumpy type, and no nystagmus, to speek of.
jen

Hi Joe, well one day upping my dose of verapamil an extra 80mgSR and by jingo,I"m not taking it tonight, my skin started to feel as if ants were biting me all over, kept fading in and out in my head , my blood pressure drop to the stage i felt very sick, faint ect
talked to the chemist today and she said these side effect would probably only last a week , but I said NO WAY!!!
Ive done the med merigo round before and handled it as best I could with a few tears and tantrums, but this feeling knocked me for a loop , I dont think I could handle that for another week, the chemist did say that this was normal on upping your dose, and she also said migraineures do take that higher dose, but not me, i just couldnt.
the 240mgSR didnt give me that many problems to begin with , so I dont know why the extra 80mg would, if they made a lower dose slow release id give it a go but they dont seem to, if you hear any different let me know? good luck joe.

Jenny,

How are things going with the Verapamil? Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Joe

Hi Joe, Ive decided to wait until my neuro comes back and ask him for more details about the verapamil, so I’m not upping the dose untill then, as I said way tpo many horrible side effects for me to cope with. I’m taking a chance with the elavil instead so far so good, havent had a migriane in three days, but still rocken.
how are you doing on the verapamil?
jen

HI Jenny,

Well maybe the Elavil will be helpful for you?? Since i have health care with the VA…the Verapamil was soppose to be mailed to me but so far i have not received it. I will call the doc next week if i don’t receive it by the end of this week.

Joe

Hi Joe, hope it gose well when you try it, I’m sure it will, I think 240, shouldnt take too long to get use to , my side effects didnt last anyl onger than a week or so on the 240.mg . left me with a sense of calm. good luck keep me informed on how you go. I take it at night it helps me sleep.
jen

Hi Jenny,

I began taking Verapamil this morning (tuesday). The dose to start with is One pill in the morning (120mg) for 7 days…then 1 1/2 pills the next 7 days then the next 7 days will be two pills per day (one in the morning & one in the evening). I will keep cautiously optomistic. I am hoping that this medication can RELAX the inside of my head and decrease the tightness, tension, pultizing and pressure…particularly on the right side of my head. Did you notice that many of the terms i use to describe my headache like symptoms pretty much all are about the same in meaning?? How are you doing Jenny?

Joe

Hi Joe
every one has different symptoms with mav,
also every one will have different side effects on meds.
hope you find the verapamil works for you,
dont be worried if you get more head aches at first they will go away.
thats pretty normal ,
good luck
jenny