[awptickes]

Out of curiosity, what medications do some of you guys take, for what conditions, and what are the side-effects, if any?

I am a chronic migraine sufferer, and I've been on about every med on the books for migraines, and now they are starting to try new things again. Right now I'm on Topamax (topiramate), which is an anti-seizure med. Most notably, I get tingling sensations in both hands, concentrated in the index and middle fingers. Only once or twice have I had any adverse psycological reactions, ie: several minutes of delirium including hallucinations and an absent seizure, but I believe that is attributed to forgetting a dose of the Topamax (which *can* cause a seizure) acute caffeine withdrawls, and sleep deprivation.

I guess you could add caffeine to the list as well. I injest roughly 1200mg of caffeine daily, or close to 12 cups of strong espresso.

Anyone else want to share?

 

[Duggeh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by awptickes Out of curiosity, what medications do some of you guys take, for what conditions, and what are the side-effects, if any? I am a chronic migraine sufferer I injest roughly 1200mg of caffeine daily, or close to 12 cups of strong espresso. Anyone else want to share?

Dude, there's a connection to be made there I suspect.

 

[Genetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by awptickes Anyone else want to share?

No...

Amicalement

 

[awptickes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh Dude, there's a connection to be made there I suspect.

Yeah, I thought so too, so I cut back on the caffeine for almost a year, then my neurologist started flipping through my migraine journal and noted that both intensity and frequency increased after I stopped drinking caffinated beverages. He was the one who actually suggested that I start drinking 8 or more cups of coffee a day. I was blown away when he told me to do that.

Not all of the caffeine is coffee. I wanted to remove the ammino acids from the equation as well. Only about two cups a day, then there's Jolt Gum, espresso, Mt Dew, Diet Coke, and caffinated water.

I'll have to say that since starting all of the caffeine back, even after the year "break" my migraines have decreased dramatically. Now I only get one or two per a week, and only about one every two weeks is bad enough that my routine has to change because of it. This is opposed to 6 per week, with 5 routine changing headaches per two weeks.

All in all, I'd say it's working, and I'll put up with the mild paresthesia from the Topiramate.

 

[Hi-Finthen]

"Anyone else want to share?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Genetic No... Amicalement

Except my knowing by experience that all we ingest has effects both primary and sideffects, especially when interacted upon with each other when multiples are ingested. I do have to take high dosages of ibuprofen for instance, which plays h*ll with my digestive system. And I'm concerned with long term use of these, and their known sideeffect of stomach bleeding, which a relative of mine died from at the age of 49...

Wean off of the coffee/cafine kick would be a good start IMO.....

EDIT: Having now read your further clarification....Nevermind the generic understanding of most peoples reaction to heavy caffine use.....

 

[daveDerek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by awptickes I am a chronic migraine sufferer, and I've been on about every med on the books for migraines, and now they are starting to try new things again. I guess you could add caffeine to the list as well. I injest roughly 1200mg of caffeine daily, or close to 12 cups of strong espresso.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh Dude, there's a connection to be made there I suspect.

caffeine is part of medical headache therapy, including for migraines (which are not just any bad headaches but have a specific presentation and can be incredibly debilitating.) it is a component of certain headache meds as it can help constrict certain blood vessels in the head, and vasodilation is thought to be part of the cause of headaches.

 

[m_memmory]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi-Finthen Wean off of the coffee/cafine kick would be a good start IMO..... EDIT: Having now read your further clarification....Nevermind the generic understanding of most peoples reaction to heavy caffine use.....

I went cold turkey on my caffeine addiction - went from about 5-6 litres of coke + 10-15 cups of coffee a week down to just 2-3 cups of coffee a week instead. I didn't actually find it many any difference to any kind of headaches or anything like that myself but whenever I do have a nice cup of coffee now I find it helps calm me down and a really warm, nice cup can actually send me to sleep (hows that for the stimulating effects of caffeine?? lol)

 

[Hi-Finthen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by m_memmory I went cold turkey on my caffeine addiction - went from about 5-6 litres of coke + 10-15 cups of coffee a week down to just 2-3 cups of coffee a week instead. I didn't actually find it many any difference to any kind of headaches or anything like that myself but whenever I do have a nice cup of coffee now I find it helps calm me down and a really warm, nice cup can actually send me to sleep (hows that for the stimulating effects of caffeine?? lol)

Well you do make a very good point which the AMA and the FDA here, don't ever seem to take into concideration. And that is we each are all very different in terms of sensitivity and reaction to legal drugs IE caffine, or their prescribed drugs. While in hospital for instance, after being given heperin my heart went into palpulations (flutters, prolapse) and the doctors swore that wasn't caused by the shot of heprehin they just had administered... Which I might add durring my many hospital stays I went code red two times due to similar medicine being practiced. And many other misadventures with the side effects of multiple prescription drugs being administered all leagly and by the PDR book, by those licenced to practice medicine. IMO far to many drugs are being perscribed with very little oversight as to their interactions and side effect profiles upon patients who for a variety of reasons are more sensitive than average to the textbook application of drug therapys...

 

[wakeride74]

Two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls

I kid I kid... I just take 800 Motrin for my knee but I try not to take it unless I'm really hurting because as mentioned above it does a number on my tummy too! I also take a Prilosec (spelling?) every morning but this is probably because I'm always eating tic-tacs for fear of bad breath

 

[Clutz]

Welbutrin and Divalproex for bipolar depression. Occasionally clonazepam for suppressing Tourette Syndrome tics, and occasionally ativan for anxiety.

FUN!

 

[gmoffatt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakeride74 Two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls

That's some night you've got planned there.

 

[lmilhan]

None.

36 years young and the health is still holding strong *knocks wood*.

 

[zachary80]

Allegra, Rhinocort Aqua, and Singulair for my awful allergies
A couple cokes at lunch to keep me awake and sometimes some 151 to make being awake fun

 

[dalanhilton]

j

 

[awptickes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmilhan 36 years young and the health is still holding strong *knocks wood*.

Must be nice. I'm half your age and I have two weekday pill-minders on my dresser, one for morning, one for evening.

I'd forgotten about NSAIDs until wakeride74 said something. Heh. I take Naproxen when it gets cold out or rains, because my left shoulder, lower-back, left knee, and left ankle hurt. I still work out every other day though.


Don't get me wrong, I'm not a downer. Heh. I just like to complain, that and drool over those UE10s.