Anyone tried Candesartan for migraine?

[silkbook]

My GP has just proscribed this to see if it helps me. I'm a bit concerned as I've tried beta blockers before and they didn't help and I felt sluggish on them. GP says the candesartan is an excellent medication with a host of benefits for long term health i.e. neuro protective, heart protective, stress reducing as well as reducing migraine. I don't have high blood pressure but I have about 15 migraines a month.

Anyone tried these? How did you find them?

Edit: Candesartan is mainly used to lower blood pressure.

@llizzie You are correct that it is not licenced for migraine prevention in the UK but it is used off license for migraine prevention, I think my GP consulted with a neurologist to issue this prescription.

I took Dixarit for about 5 months. They never returned.

I did not know about this treatment. How long do sufferers have to take it?

I have tried a variety of preventatives and have finally settled into a system that's working well - botox every 11 weeks and ubrelvy/ibuprophen at the first sign of a migraine. I still get them but they're not sending me to bed. I have a heart condition where I sometimes take a calcium channel blocker which also prevents migraines - but it makes me very loggy so not a good preventative for me. I did try flunarazine but I slept most of the 6 weeks I tried it plus gained weight. I hope this one works for you.

@llizzie I think it has only been used for migraine for about 20 years but it isn't a first line treatment. I think some people take it for a few months or so but others will be on it long term, I've been told if I tolerate this medication I will stay on it for the foreseeable future.

@Justsaynonow I was also on Flunarazine in the past, it wasn't very effective and as you said loads of side effects, it is very popular in France I think for migraine but it is totally unlicenced here or it was when I used it.

Botox wasn't very useful for me, I paid for that privately and I haven't used any of the CGRP preventatives I did try Vydura a CGRP abortative which also didn't work. I am a bit worried about the long term effects of blocking CGRP as I'd probably need to use them long term but I will try one if this medication fails.

I've been told to expect to be on it at least a year, first 6 months increasing the dose to get to 16mg.

As far as I understand, 16mg is the target dose that has been studied in relation to migraine.

I don't know if that means a higher dose is also effective and can be used if 16mg isn't enough.

Have people noticed an improvement for migraine with aura? Mine have gone through the roof the last year & a half (I think peri-menopause related). I’ve been talking candestartan 16mg daily since Feb. I’m maybe getting slightly longer between attacks but it’s not been the magic wand I’d hoped. Maybe it takes longer to kick in? My GP said I need to give it 6 months…

I was on propranolol for a while but I had no get up and go on it. I felt weak. Stopped it as I was having auditory hallucinations where I was waking up in the middle of the night hearing music like nursery rhymes type stuff. That was creepy as hell. I then tried topiramate which I could not tolerate at all it made me feel so ill. Then went on Amitriptyline but was so sleepy on it. After a break and struggling with a week long menstrual migraine I am now on nortriptyline as it's not supposed to be as sedative. I've got a dry mouth but not feeling too bad otherwise. Although I have just read today that you shouldn't take it if you have liver disease and I have steatosis of the liver. Back to the GP I go.........
Interesting to read everything people including OP have written about Candesartan. I just assumed another blood pressure medication would have the same effect on me as the propranolol. Worth pursuing. Thanks all for information 💜

I adopted a ketogenic lifestyle for health reasons unconnected to my frequent debilitating migraines, but happily it did resolve the migraines! I now only suffer once in a blue moon, it’s totally life-changing to be truly well and to reliably know that plans won’t be changed because you’re stuck throwing up in the dark instead, that’s no quality of life for anyone. I hope you find your solution @silkbook

@CinnamonRedwing Sadly I think it is quite common for migraine sufferers to fail a lot of the medications the try for prevention.

@DollydaydreamTheThird I think the action of candesartan is quite different to a beta blocker so might be worth a try.

@Carpedimum I did try a very low carb high fat diet in the past for weight loss, not sure if I was in ketosis but it made me very unwell and my migraines much worse. The neurologist I was seeing around that time told me not to do that kind of diet and not to fast. However I have heard it keto can be really helpful for some people and that's great you are doing well on it. Something to consider if this new medication doesn't work perhaps.

I take candesartan for high blood pressure. I ran out last week and have had 3 days with an awful headache. I’ve never put two and two together before, but now you mention it, I’ve had a lot less headaches since taking it.

My migraines are often triggered when I’ve not eaten enough. Plus eating too much sugar can give me headaches.

Flippin 'eck, I used to get hemiplegic migraines but have only had a 2 or 3 in the last 3 years on candesartan for high BP. Bizarrely had one a couple of weeks ago and I know I missed a couple of days of BP bills recently as my pack is out of sync, had never linked the two things.

Am I the only person who can’t tolerate it? From October last year I got into a state of almost daily vestibular migraines with severe vertigo and nausea.
I have Meniers Disease but the migraines usually only last 2 weeks- this went on for four months. The neurologist prescribed Candesartan, and it made the nausea even worse. I had to give up after two weeks. What has helped me was an amazing cranial osteopath- he’s given me my life back.

What dose did you start on?

I haven't had difficult side effects until 12mg. Before getting to 12mg I've been increasing by 2mg every 4-6 weeks, but then started getting migraines more often again so my doctor thought I should go from 8mg to 12mg in one go, then to 14mg the week after. It has been awful, I feel so sick, weak, dizzy. It is unbearable. I've put myself back down to 8mg to increase slowly again.

I'm just hoping I can tolerate the inevitable migraines that will come with the lower dose, whilst I slowly work up to 16mg.

And then that I can tolerate the higher dosage by getting to it slowly.

It's a nightmare, isn't it.

I can’t remember the dose, but there was no idea of increasing it gradually. I think it must have been the standard adult dose. At first I thought the vertigo and nausea were just getting even worse but after two weeks, in my befuddled migraine state, I realise it was linked the new meds. It was really horrible.

I took them for a while. Had to increase the dose every 2 weeks with a blood test taken everytime to check kidney function. Then I kept getting dizzy spells so had to come off them. It's worth trying as obviously works for some people. I do have just under the usual level of blood pressure though and although my GP is usually really good he didn't check my BP before prescribing it and I think he should have.
The whole having the regular blood tests was a pain but would've been worth it if they'd have worked.

My biggest trigger for non-aura migraines is hunger/unsteady blood sugar. I’ve stuck to the principles of Jessie Inchauspe’s Glucose Goddess to keep blood sugar steady for about a year now and it’s been an absolute game-changer for those types of migraines.

Sadly doesn’t help with the visual disturbance ones for me but a vast improvement on the other type is still a bonus!

No, you're not the only one. I had dizzy spells and had to stop it too.😑

I’ve finally found Sumatriptan and it’s the only medication I’ve tried that can relieve my migraine. I take it as soon as I start getting the pain/aura and it catches it so the migraine doesn’t take hold. Have you tried that?

It’s a minefield isn’t it. I got rid of my menstrual migraines by going on the mini pill. No periods and no cycle and therefore no period migraines! Just the other ones to get rid of now…!

I don't know either.

I do know about migraine though!!! Those who have never had them are often scornful, thinking it an excuse for not doing some chore etc.

There are scientific papers on migraine research, written by scientists in various fields, because it affects so many organs. They are accessible online, and some researchers do not mind answering questions.

Can I ask how long you had dizzy spells for?What dose were you on? Did you slowly increase from a lower dose?
I'm worried that as I'm getting to a higher dose that I can't handle the side effects until they settle down.
Every time I've increased the dose I've had stomach upset and heart palpitations that last around a week, but now I'm really struggling with awful low blood pressure symptoms.

I'm hoping they will settle down like previous side effects.