Migraines - starting Gabapentin for now, seeking neuro asap

[waves]

Originally Posted by bizi

who prescribed the gabapentin for you?
bizi

originally, my first psychiatrist. here, i requested it from current pdoc as an occasional sedative. later i only accidentally found it was useful for migraines.

either pdoc or mdoc will script it for me if i ask. both know what i use it for. it has a very benign profile in terms of metabolism and interactions so they don't have a problem with it.

~ waves ~

[waves]

Originally Posted by waves

I haven't had a migraine since starting the gapapentin! Today I have been having twinges on alternating sides again. I should increase the afternoon dose probably but

famous last words.

got one today... mild... took extra med in the afternoon, will total 1050 mg for the day. it did help even if it took a while. i am also still phono-photosensitive. not going to stay on computer tonight. ((((hugs))))

[Mari]

Originally Posted by waves

famous last words.

got one today... mild... took extra med in the afternoon, will total 1050 mg for the day. it did help even if it took a while. i am also still phono-photosensitive. not going to stay on computer tonight. ((((hugs))))

Dear Waves,

'Crummy to have a migraine after thinking you have found the solution.

I hope you feel better.

M

[mymorgy]

that is a very long time to wait for an appointment.
love
bobby

[Mari]

Originally Posted by waves

Ok.. I finally made it! The call center was finally working this morning.

I have an appointment with the neuro my pdoc knows for

June 14th - 11:00 am

The clinic is in the town where I used to live - 3 hours away. My pdoc also works some hours there as a state pdoc.

Dear Waves,

This is good news. You are making progress on your list you made.

M

[Dmom3005]

In my area 6 weeks in not bad for a initial visit.

Many times we have to get on a calling list to get in before
3 months. Thats how long our neuros are booked out.

So personally I think you did great.

Donna

[waves]

Originally Posted by Mari

'Crummy to have a migraine after thinking you have found the solution.

I hope you feel better.

Thanks The past couple of days I've been slightly migrainey, adjusting to more med, and out of it at times due to one or the other. At more viable times I've been talking with dad about some new meds he is on, researching those, and busier with house stuff. Mom has been real tired and also has pain in her fingers, so I've been trying to help out when I can.

I really did not expect 750mg to be sufficient as a prophylactic... marveled that it had helped but Murphy's law you know, wish I'd kept my mouth shut, hehe - I am at increasing risk for migraines at the moment so, I was pretty much waiting for the other shoe to drop.

OK
- Friday 1050mg: 300 + 150 + 300 + 300.
- Saturday 1200mg: 300 x 4. (300mg q 6h)

I tolerated 1200mg well, without even excessive somnolence. It will probably take a few weeks before I can assess how truly effective it is as a prophylactic. For now, I will not increase further even for breakthrough sx.

I decided that a 750-900mg dosage was likely too low and it was more sensible to go up to 1200mg, that being the "last known good configuration" (in Windows NT crash recovery terms, lol) . I.e. It took that much last time - I know that 900mg did NOT work then.

~ waves ~

[waves]

Originally Posted by mymorgy

that is a very long time to wait for an appointment.
love
bobby

If it were an emergency I'd shop around. But in this case, it is just the right amount of time to settle what I need to before seeing him. I wanted my eyes adjusted to whatever new script I get. I also need to prep a readable migraine diary from my cryptic notes, and to see to what extent the gabapentin helps me, this go-around. (And the tooth thing... I will discuss that in the other thread... when I'm ready, eeks. )

love

~ waves ~

[waves]

Originally Posted by Mari

You are making progress on your list you made.

Yes, I finally am. The neuro visit is really years overdue.

I hope he can recommend a headache specialist in my area and that he might be able to counsel on risk of mania with triptans, w/ and w/o Zoloft on board. I also hope - although from what I've read there isn't much to hope for - he might know of some loophole whereby I can get gabapentin prescribed through the state (assuming, at that point, we see that the gabapentin is effective.)

it is really a big relief for me to have the appointments. I feel much less pressure. Making appointments is harder for me than going to them... until maybe a couple days before when I might get anxious over travel, meeting someone new etc. In this case I had to verify that there were routes to get me up there easily enough... I verified the route down to the stop where I need to get off. LOL! I know the area so that part won't be difficult. I only have the timing to plan now. Having done so much of the necessary prep work for this also reduces anxiety. I might go ahead and plan the timing too. Then I will really feel "all set."

~ waves ~

[waves]

Originally Posted by Dmom3005

In my area 6 weeks in not bad for a initial visit.

Many times we have to get on a calling list to get in before
3 months. Thats how long our neuros are booked out.

So personally I think you did great.

Thanks Donna.

Yes, I know what you mean! It is the same here, except they don't have waiting lists. In general, it is hard to get in to get an appointment with any specialist sooner than 2-6 months from when you call, unless there happened to be a cancellation.

When I went to the "supposedly" best headache center in the city (only to be treated like dirt and not even given formal diagnostic paperwork grrrr) ... i had to wait ONE YEAR for my first appointment. And then 7 months for the followup because they wanted an MRI. I think if my mdoc had been more on the ball, he could have ordered the MRI himself so I would have had it for the first appointment, but often that is how they play the game here - send you to the specialist for whom you must wait, the specialists orders tests - sometimes basic ones the doc could very well have ordered - then another long wait.
Not much we can do about it. Just sucks.



~ waves ~