Weight Gain

[quote:4724229550=\"zebani \"]I have just been prescribed pizotifen to combat my miagranes. Having suffered from eating problems in the past having to handle weight issues again terrifies me... do people find it is the tablet that does this or does it just make you more hungry?[/quote:4724229550]

Im in the same boat as you... I just got a prescription and scared to death to take these for Migraine with Aura. Does anyone know if this is a case of a pill making people put weight on and what are the alternatives. I cant take triptans like Zomig as I am allergic and I dont want Beta Blockers

I have had migraines since I was about 12 years of age. My GP gave me pizotifen around 5 years ago and the weight I have gained is horrendous. I now weigh nearly 11 stone and rising and used to be 8 and a half. I dread getting on the scales. On the plus side, the pills have helped the migraine attacks. I still get them, but they're not as painful and they don't last as long.

I take 1.5 mg daily before bed and they make me tired all the next day, rather than within hours of taking them. You're damned if you take them and damned if you don't. A no win situation. It's time a permanent cure was found for migraines. I've felt like chopping my leg off in past years before pizotifen so I had a worse pain somewhere else.

good to hear that while taking these pills, someone else has gained weight and is eating less and doing more excerse, thought i was going mad i am definately coming off them

jane

talk about weight gain,ive alays been a slim small person-never weighed over 8stone in my 30plus years of my life.now after taking piz for 3mth my clothes are too tight-put on one and a half stone in less than 3mth and i hate it-a huge tyre where my waist once was!im off back to drs to change em for sure!

I've been taking Pizotifen for over 4 years and I haven't had any problems no weight gain or headaches they are the best thing I have tried. I recommend them to anyone who suffers with migraines. :lol:

I have been on and off Pizotifen for 2 1/2 years. I suffer from Cluster Headaches and they ruin your life. I build up to 2mg of Pizotifen a day when in a cycle and they stop the headaches dead. Absolutely amazing, I get my life back. Since my cycle stopped this time I have gone down to 1mg daily, and was planning on staying there till the next cycle, except for the weight gain. I probably weigh nearly 1 1/2 stone more than before and I know I am getting bigger, problem is that my self discipline and exercise is lacking.

I want to stop taking them, but they are the only thing that works for me and they are better than the headaches

I have never been so happy to read all your posts. I suffer with lupus and as a result have to take many medications. I have always had a poor appetite but over the past 18 months I have gained 3 stone. I was prescribed Pizotifen for vasculitis headaches and it has helped the headaches, but the weight gain, is horrendous. It is not a vanity issue but with the extra weight it is putting extra pressure on my joints and giving me more problems. Hallelujah now I can ask for something else. Thank you all for sharing your stories

Hi, I started taking Pizotifen about two years ago after some serious migranes, where sometimes I even blacked out. I was put on a dose of 3x1.5mg tablets every night. The migranes started to happen less and less..... So the tablets were working..... hurrah....Even though I maybe only get one slight migrane once every few months now I am still very tired all of the time. I have hardly any energy. I have put on 3 stones in the time I have been taking Pizotifen. I have tried Weight Watchers, Slimming World etc and nothing works. I didn't realise the weight gain side effect was so severe, however weight gain was preferable to the horrific migranes I was having.... Does anyone know if the weight drops off when the tablets are reduced/eventually stopped?

Hi. I have been taking Pizotifen for just over two months and have put on 20 lbs, and seven of those in the last two weeks! I cannot believe how quick it was. It has made me utterly depressed. I have never had a weight problem so this has come as a huge shock. I am 47 years old and have suffered with what I thought were migrains since I was 15, averaging two every week. I have avoided all the foods that one is supposed to, hhave had countless medical treatements, homeopathic, alternative, diet, etc, etc. NOTHING has worked, until Pizotifen. I was amazed and felt that my life could actually become more enjoyable. I am also on the anti-depressent Escitalopram, for acute anxiety and depression. But now the weight gain is actually making me feel more depressed again, so I have decided to stop it. I saw my GP who then confirmed that weight gain was the main side effect of Pizotifen. He told me I could stop it straight away without reducing it slowly which concerned me slightly. He is referring me to a Neurologist as he says there are now other drugs which do the same thing, but without the weight gain side effect. Yay! (I have been on the full 1.5mg taken at night) So I stopped it about four days ago and so far feel fine. NO headaches yet either! Maybe it stays in your system for a while? I am now going all out to try and lose the weight, but it is so hard, specially at my age. My question is, has anyone else decided to stop it due to weight gain, and if so have they started to lose weight, and how long did it take to lose?! I would love to hear anyones experiences. Thank you!

That's exactly what I want to know sacoolcat, how long will it take the weight to go? I will go back to my doctors too and see if there is something else I can take. I really don't want those migranes back though!

My migranes only started after the birth of my child. They went away for about 6 years and then came back with fury!

okay, so my story is a little different...

when i was 8 i started getting really bad stomach pains. i went to the doctor, and i was diagnosed with appendicitis after several doctors appointments. i had my appendix taken out, only for them to tell me there was nothing wrong with my appendix. after 2 years of going backwards and forwards to the hospital, i was diagnosed with stomach migraine. i was prescribed pizotifen, which stopped my migraines COMPLETELY and while on them, i had no problems whatsoever.

Then i started noticing the weight gain. there used to be nothing on me, as i am very active and has a fast metablism. then i had a serious knee injury, and didnt do any exercise for a year. this made the weight pile on even faster.

i tried to cut down on pizotifen several times, but every time i did, the migraines kept coming back.

i dance almost everyday, and am very active, but still i dont seem to lose any weight. with all the dancing i do, i should have a dancers body, but i dont because of this weight gain. i feel very uncomfatable when im at dancing, when all the other girls are thin, and im not, and theres nothing i could do about it.

i used to think it was all my fault, and i'd get very upset, but now i know it was because of pizotifen. i am definetely going to the doctor soon to ask for an alternative.

i also notice i am very very tired all the time, and i think this is a result of pizotifen.

i wonder if anyone else taking pizotifen suffers with stomach migraine?

Hi ,Ive been taking Pizotifen for 12 months now, completly cured my migraine attacks but now trying to lose 1&1/2 stone !! not happy with this as always been slim and its costing me a fortune in new clothes all the time I would love to try an alternative, will ask my doctor.

Hi,  I gradually lessened the dose from 3 x 1.5 tablets each night to 2x and then 1x with no migranes!!  However once I completely stopped them it took about 3 or 4 months at most and the migranes came back as bad as before, to the stage where I passed out twice with the pain. During the time I was off Pizotifen I lost 3 and a half stones in weight.  Since I have started them again the whole lot has gone back on.  I tackled my doctor and he denied that pizotifen caused weight gain.  So here we are again, back up in weight and back on 3 x 1.5 tablets each evening.... however the migranes have stopped completely again!!  Mine were so bad I'd rather carry the extra weight and have no migranes!!!  In saying that though, I may try and reduce the tablets to 2 x 1.5 in a couple of months!!