Using Prozac To Treat Migraines
Since I bang on about Prozac (fluoxetine) a lot on this chronic headache and migraine blog, I thought I should check to see if my cherised Prozac is currently being using used to treat migraines. (It seems like almost every drug having to do with your head is). And well, whaddya know, I found that it is. Even the National Foundation for the Treatment of Pain list Prozac and family members Paxil, Sarafem and Zoloft among “migraine abortive medications”. These are all anti-depressants. Even more powerful anti-depressants like Wellbutrin are also prescribed as migraine preventatives.
I wonder why? Well, perhaps one kind of misery in the head can lead to another. There does seems to be a lot of migrainuers who also have depression (of course we’re depressed — our heads are killing us!)
My Case
I take generic Prozac for major depression, also called endogenous recurring depression (which I probably got in my past life as a hamster). I’ll tell you right now that I take the pills pretty faithfully (except for this one time recently when I accidently took two) and I still get migraines.
Also, if I forget to take my Prozac, then I get a mild headache in order to remind me to take it. And yes, I admidt that sounds like a classic withdrawal symptom to me. But since Prozac helps with my depression, it’s a cross I’m willing to bear.
Now Prozac is great for helping me get regular sleep and an appetite when I’m stressed out. Being able to eat and sleep regularly has made a big difference in my quality of life. But as for preventing migraines, Prozac sucks.
But apparently, it must work for somebody, as it does seem to be used regularly as a migraine preventative.
Side Effects
One side effect Prozac gives is that you often gain weight (it does stimulate the appetite strongly, as does most anti-depressants). Imitrex is also suppossed to have you gain weight and feel sluggish.
I felt horribly sluggish for the first two weeks when I was on Prozac, but then my body adjusted. Whenever my dosage changes, I do get dopey for about a week before my body readjusts. This can be a problem for some people.
For a more comprehensive list of Prozac side effects, check out this article on Prozac by Magnum.
Hope this helps. Have a pain free weekend.
April 19th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I think it’s the same idea as prescribing Elavil or any other Prozac wannabes. People still have migraines, they just don’t care… I actually seen it myself, believe it or not.
In theory, it’s supposed to keep your serotonin level down and prevent it from spiking. In reality, there’s way to many things that interfere with your brain chemistry that it’s close to impossible to control with just one pill.
So, to a cynic, it might seem that doctor prescribe sedatives to migraine patients so that they stop bothering them
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April 20th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I like your style, RainGem. Your theory about doctors is probably accurate.
August 11th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
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