Headaches

I have grown up struggling with migraines.  I got my first one in sixth grade.  Good Lord I can remember it now.  I digress.

They got much better after I had my hysterectomy (along with my gastric bypass - the best thing I ever did). But I occassionally get one that digs in and hangs on.  When that has happened my neurologist has decided to do a course of Topamax as a preventive  medication for the headaches.  I did this about 4 years ago for about 6 months.  It worked well - got the headaches under control - I went off the medication when the headaches got manageable and it was good for a long time.  Well I have a headache that won't let go now - it's been here for over a month.  I think it's stress related (more on that later), but it will not die.  So back on Topamax we go.

Ramping up on Topamax SUCKS big time.  Topamax is an anti-seizure medication and has some rather loverly side effects.  It makes my fingers, toes, and even my nose tingle randomly.  And darn it all if it does not make me STUPID.  But in the past it has made my headaches go away.  So I am suffering through the side effects to get to the point where the headaches go away.  The thing that is different this time around is that I have had gastric bypass.  So I have 2 things that are different - one I weigh less - so one would think it would take less of the drug to do the same work. BUT I also have the malabsorption issues to deal with because of the gastric bypass so it may actually take more of the drug to do the work than it did before.  Bottom line - it may take some trial and error to find the right dose to do the job.