This issue has been mentioned in another post here today - and itās something Iāve come across but didnāt want to dwell on - my neurologist today asked my age (Iām in my mid-50ās), and then he said since Iām at a slightly higher risk for stroke, I should start taking daily baby aspirin.
Now, he didnāt get all dramatic, and he didnāt say really, really higher risk. (I didnāt ask HOW much higher. I donāt think I really wanted to know the figure, as Iād just been told to add another medication - I donāt take that many meds, but when you add the multivitamin and magnesium and calcium pills to the medications, it seems like a ton.)
Please, donāt anybody start taking 81 mg aspirin without a doctor telling you to do so!! Your age, other meds that youāre on, and other medical conditions have to be taken into consideration!! In fact, in some people aspirin can cause real problems, so itās not something every migraineur should just start doing on their own.
Plus, as I recall from what I read, I think āfemaleā and āaura historyā may be part of this risk factor, so it may not apply to every migraineur anyway - like I said, I wasnāt interested in asking for the data that he had to back him up at that moment.
The good news was that he suggested I could try alternating 150 and 100 mg of Dopamax - thatās topiramate, or Topamax for those who may not be familiar with what we who take it āaffectionatelyā call it. I was on 200, but side effect was intolerable (though dizziness and headaches were virtually GONE!). Went back to 100, and dizzies started up again. Started cutting pills to make my daily dose 150, and itās been a fairly happy medium, but hubby still thinks Iām more ādullā than I was at 100. So Iāll try this new regimen of 100 one night and 150 the next - hubby was pleased to hear that idea.
Hi Maryalice - thatās pretty interesting. You and I are around the same age. Saw my neuro this week, too. She wasnāt impressed that Iām often freezing cold on 60mg. of topamax per day (split doses) so suggested cutting back to 30mg and adding in 10mg. Nori since my dizziness isnāt consistently 80% better (is anyoneās??). Well, that hasnāt been funā¦ I feel very strange on the Nori and itās weirded out my sleep even at 5mgā¦ She also wanted to do an EEG as a rule out for seizureā¦though I have no reported symptoms and have had an MRI done as well. Iāve tried alternating the topamax back and forth between 45 and 60 and can do that as long as I watch the triggers. Other than all that, Iāve done pretty well on Topaā¦and am hesitant to try anything else.
Gail
Hi Gail -
Iād have to say Iām one of the lucky ones (even though hubby says Iām mentally sluggish - I donāt see the degree to be as bad as he does, but I know I canāt be objective!), because my dizziness has been dramatically improved with Topamax. Is Nori nortriptyline? Thereās no way I could add a tricyclic because Iād never have a bowel movement again!
:lol:
Iām sorry to hear you had that freezing - has reducing the Dopamax helped yet? Iām also sorry that adding Nori is adding a whole new set of problems. Those meds are generally supposed to help with sleep, so thatās not good at all - maybe itās just a short term thing, as your body adjusts to it. Hope thatās all it is, and that it will actually start helping soon!
Hi Maryalice - yes, if I stay at 45mg. with topa the chilling is about bearable though I was always the only one in the room with extra layers on anyway. I keep thinking that this would be a good thing in the summerā¦ But, Iām not sure I can stay on the Nori since it feels like itās intensifying the occasional stupefying effects of the topamax and it made my arm numb last night. My neuro is used to using larger doses of topamax and has never heard of anyone getting so cold instead of just tinglingā¦itās not just my hands and feet - itās just gets very uncomfortable . Ironically, the 5mg. of nori cut right through the Lunesta last night instead of working with it so thatās not good. Well, itās not like I didnāt improve on the level of topamax I can comfortable take so maybe thatās what it will be for awhile.
Gail
Hi MaryAlice,
Try not to freak out about any stats for increased risk of stroke. Stats can sound bad but not be. For example if itās 1 in a million for the regular population then even if itās double for female migraineurs with aura (me too!) then thatās still only 2 in a million. But then I failed maths every year of high school so what do I know? :lol:
Vic
Thanks, Vic - thatās comforting. I actually do feel better. And I bet your math skills are better than mine. 
Gail - arm numb?? THATāS not good! Iāve had that on occasion, but itās from sleeping on it wrong, and it always feels better after a few minutes, after I roll off of it. Are you convinced itās the Nori?
