Migraine and Propanolol

I have been a chronic migraine sufferer since the age of about 20years. I am now 51 years old.

I wanted to share my experience in the hope that it might help others.

My life has been blighted with headaches and migraine and I have often said it has been my cross to bare. In a month, I have nearly always had more days with headache and migraine than without. I often have woken with morning headaches. My head has always been very sensitive even to pillows!  I could relate to the Princess and the pea fairy tale. My head would have felt that pea through all those mattresses!

My migraines have often been left sided without aura. My symptoms were severe pain but I could often still eat. I remember my mother during child hood being sick even with the smell of food when she was suffering a migraine attack. Before an attack I would become very light and noise sensitive. The pain during an attack would often feel like being shot in the eye and the pain worst than child birth.

I was on sumatriptan for years and then Rizatriptan. They have been a life line but rarely killed the migraine. Often after talking one it would buy me a few hours before the migraine would come back on the opposite side of the head. Ping pong migraine.

My migraines often last a week and I would have probably two a month with interspersed headaches. Many mini breaks have been ruined and I always start and finish a holiday with migraine since flying and travel are my migraines best friend.

I have tried acupuncture, homeopathy,Cranial Osteopathy, normal osteopathy, chiropractic, physiotherapy, drugs, seen a top neurologist in London, inhaled Oxygen, botox....you name it.

Years ago, Propanolol was suggested and I tried it for a couple of days but felt so whacked that it put me off. One of my joys in life is running and I wasn't prepared to give that up.

Last year my migraines became intolerable...hospital visits etc and I went back to my GP and he suggested propranolol again. This time I tried it. 80mg slow release. Within days I noticed a difference. The first one was not waking up with a headache. I started keeping a diary and this January all I I took was a couple of paracetamol!

I got cocky and decided to reduce the dose and even missed a couple of doses and low and behold I had  four days of migraine and feeling awful. I suddenly remembered what migraine felt like again.

I am back on the 80mg SR and will continue to keep my headache diary. I am now convinced enough to put this in writing as it feels too miraculous to be true.

Propanolol is not perfect as it does zap my energy but in comparison to the pain of migraine it has been pretty incredible.

Hope this helps someone.

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