Candersatan for migraine? Anyone else?

[Mortigua]

It just doesn’t seem to be working and I’m up to 8mg now, expected to go up again to 16mg if my next blood tests come back ok so I guess I need to wait it out but honestly I’m so fed up with this!

Has anyone else had this and did it work? I am desperate but really don’t want anything that makes me gain weight and I had a bad reaction to propanalol so can’t have that. I’m wondering if the GP has anything else they would try me on but I am pretty sure I’ll be expected to stay on this and try the next dose up.

Just coming back on to ask if anyone has experience of being on anti depressants as well as Candersatan ? I feel like since I’ve been on the increased dose in particular, my anti depressants aren’t working as well. Could be total coincidence of course and they just aren’t working for other reasons

I don't have this experience but I do know that migraines and/or triptans negatively impact my mood and every migraine medication I've taken or read about seems to have the ability to mess about with mood.

So I really wouldn't be surprised if it were the case.

I often feel depressed when I have a migraine so I guess it could be the migraine or the medication but if you're feeling worse than usual then it's definitely worth exploring whether it's the candesartan.

Thank you , I get very paranoid and anxious when I’m down and I’ve got gradually worse since the Candersatan, noticeably since I upped them. But it is also perfectly possible it’s the bad migraine and triptans I had last week- hadn’t thought of that but I bet they could . I find codiene really makes me anxious for days after taking it so tend to avoid it so could well be , especially as I have taken more triptans since this medication because I know ibuprofen can impact on how it works .

I'm on 10mg Candesartan which has my migraines reaosnably under control. I also take the combined contraceptive pill as my migraines seem to be very sensitive to hormones - I run packs together so I don't have a period. I've found that the actual pill brand also really affects things. My usual pill is currently unobtainable and the new one I'm on doesn't work as well so my migraines are starting to come back a bit but the combination of Candesartan and the pill is still a lot better than nothing.

Thanks pingster, interesting as mine are also massively triggered by hormones - I think. I get them before , during and after and in fact I’ve got sunglasses on (indoors) already as can feel it there ready to pounce.
I thought the pill would be a no no but perhaps it could help settle things. I do seem to have real mood issues on the combined pill though and weight gain though it’s been years since I’ve tried it so perhaps they’ve improved .

I feel completely depressed and useless pre migraine and during - I have to remind myself not to make any decisions during this time and that anything I am thinking about other people is likely bullshit (no really, everyone doesn't hate me)

Mini-pill has been a godsend - no periods, no hormonal migraines. Period pain + migraine - not fair.

Oh that’s good to hear too! Honestly I feel awful again today, I’ve got a real worry over one of my friends not having replied and I’ve got in my head I’ve done something wrong and I just know that if this turns out to not be the case then my brain will find something else to worry and obsess over. Spoke to the dr and am going up to 16mg now but she seemed fairly set on Amatriptaline or pzifen being ones to try before discounting them as being things that would cause weight gain and being too tired etc! Honestly don’t know if I could bear it, my weight has been a real problem since I started anti depressants as it is and while I do know it’s not all the medication’s fault , it’s hard to take as a potential side effect.

One thing to think about is that I put on loads of weight trying to avoid migraines as hunger is a massive trigger.

I've just started trying to lose weight low carbing, I know that when I've been a lower weight this has really helped me have fewer migraines but my migraine hates being hungry.

Sooo... I lost 6lbs in the first week, then had a massive spree of migraine and put 5 lbs back on again eating to manage the migraine

You might just eat less if you weren't having migraines.

I was worried about the weight gain in amitryptline but my GP said at worst it’s usually single digit weight gain and I’m happy to report after 2 months I haven’t put on any weight and have been migraine and cervicogenic headache free. For me putting on ‘single digit’ weight gain would have been worth it for the quality of life it’s given back to me

A friend of mine suffered debilitating migraines, sometimes vomiting for almost 24 hours) but was also terrified of doctors. She suffered for years before a group of us convinced her to see a neurologist. I went with her because she was so terrified. He prescribed diclofenac, to be taken as soon as the first signs appeared, followed by Sumatriptan if the migraine hadn't gone 20 minutes later. More often than not, she doesn't need the Sumatriptan. This is in mainland Europe, so the approach may be different to the UK's

Long term sufferer. I've taken almost everything mentioned. Topirimate was the worst. I ended up feeling worse taking that than with the hemiplegic migraine I suffer with had MRI and loads of investigation and concluded I'll manage the symptoms when I get migraine then at least I have some timed when I feel well. I take dihydracodeine and max paracetamol together and it seems to really help and shorten the attack.

One more thing - think about physio. I've had migraine for years and then I saw a physio for something unrelated and it turns out at least some of my migraines were cervicogenic headache.

Some physio and sleeping on one pillow instead of 2 and less headaches.

Anything is worth a try.

I had a phone consult today and the GP is doubling my Candersartan to 4 mg (going slow because my BP isn't amazing), but mentioned that I need to 'come completely off triptans' according to the neurologist. I told her that was a frankly ridiculous suggestion, given that they haven't yet found a treatment that prevents my migraines. She said 'Oh no... gradually.' So I told her that when a migraine was a once in a blue moon event, which was easily treated, I'd be more than happy to come off the triptans.

AnnaMagnani I can so relate to that with the migraines and eating. I was doing intermittent fasting and having some success but found that not eating triggered a migraine. I also crave salty or sweet stuff with migraines. Interesting too about the physio as I’ve been meaning to see someone (probably chiropractor) about my shoulder /neck issues soon.

AllyBamma that’s great it hasn’t caused weight gain. The doctor did say that it would be a low dose it’s more I had a bad experience with low dose tricyclics years and years ago and I piled on loads of weight. The good thing was it did come off without lots of effort when I came off them but I’m already fighting with my weight and so down about it I don’t know if I can face even that.

paap1975, I think I’ve had diclofinac for my back/neck issues before and it does work, possibly very similar to Naproxen? The more I think about it the more I think that I’ve been worse since the Candersatan because of avoiding anti inflammatories. I’ve had to take 100mg sumatriptans today as a bad one hit that’s been threatening all day .

Lougle good luck on the doubling! I’ve just taken my first of 16mgs dose so doubling today too. Do you take them at night ? I have found so far that that helps with not getting side effects. My blood pressure was pretty good and tests came back fine so fingers crossed it’s the right one. I would be the same as you about triptans! Why come off them when you haven’t had improvement? I forgot to ask about trying a different one .