has anyone been prescribed beta blockers to treat/prevent migraine?

[moulesfrites]

was a bit surprised when GP suggested this as seemed a bit drastic. Anyone had any experiences/side effects? TIA

[EzrasMummy]

When i was at school i had them prescribed. I took one look at the side effects and didnt bother. 15 years laster i was prescribed them again and they didnt work for me so i weaned myself off them, which is the best way to stop taking them, and got serious palpitations, it wasnt nice.

When i was taking them i didnt get any side effects though

Mind you, it didnt work for me but if it worked i probably would have continued. They arent called propanolol by any chance? (thats what mine were called.

I still get migraines and have done since age 4 but its now not that often and stress and alcolol, cheese, chocolate, coca cola and other caffeine are the triggers.

do you know what your triggers are?

[MrsSpringsteen]

i took a 10 mg dose i think
anythink greater is awful side effects
worked wonders for me
stops them coming back

[MrsSpringsteen]

any thing of coure

[lisad123]

i did, hated the feeling they gave me, slowed it right down (since found out have heart problem) but might be worth a try.

[lil]

worked for me, no side effects and no migraine BUT can't stay on them forever and I've come off them and back come the migraines!

[LovelyRitaMeterMaid]

They were suggested to DH, but as he has asthma, he can't take them.

[Pheebe]

I was prescribed propanalol as a prophylactic, took them for a week and became almst suicidal (not exagerating!).

After that I stopped taking all prescription drugs including triptans for them and within a few months they'd gone after having suffered for several years with them. I now get them once or twice a year. No proof, but I think a session of cranial osteopathy when I was 18 set mine off so not your typical migraine.

[SheDancesTheFlamingo]

Hi,
I've just come out of the other side of an awful time with migraine prophylactic treatments.
First I was put on Pizotifen which made me put on a stone and a half in two months . So the doctor gave me propranolol 20mg twice a day. I got very depressed .
In fact it was only when I came off the meds that I realised how bad I'd been - it was like a cloud lifting.
Have done a lot of research and none of the migraine meds are without potentially horrid side effects. The thing that worked best for me was taking rizatriptan (Maxalt Melt) wafers at the onset of a migraine - they knock it dead within 20 minutes, alternatively I take a strong dose of soluble paracetomol with Domperidone anti-nausea pills. Apparently they aid the fast absorption of the paracetomol by counteracting the body's natural reaction of shutting down the stomach when a migraine attacks (that's why a lot of people throw up during an attack).
I'm currently having a course - on the NHS - of accupuncture to see if that helps.
It's early days yet but I've had two sets of treatment and only one mild migraine so far - great, compared to the three or four monthly nightmares i normally suffer.
Hope this helps a bit.