Preventatives--how well do they work?

I'm starting a new topic after reading gaigigi's post on too many preventatives. How many of you take preventatives that you absolutely know for sure have made a big difference in your migraines? Putting aside side effects (some of which could be harmful), think of the millions of dollars spent every year on these. I would like to hear some really positive outcomes--not that they "seem" to help "some".

I know my preventative helps me. I am absolutely sure it has saved my life, along with my rescue medications. However, if I didn't have my topamax I'd be in agony every day. I wouldn't accept large sums of money to be taken off this drug, I see it as the thing that gave me some of my life back.

Who made the suggestion to call these reducers? I think if we posed the same question calling them that....
Well I still couldn't say one of them has made a jot of difference at all...Sorry.

Ah it was Richard who suggested it...

My REDUCER is dothiepin (dosulepin/prothieden) which I believe isn't available in the US. I have to say that coupled with a regime of diet, exercise, sleep, and water, it's a God-send. Every time I've tried to cut down, without fail, migraines have come back violently (and that's with sensible cutting down over several months, not cold turkey).

I couldn't cope without mine. Despite the fact that they're anti-depressants and I'm not depressed, I've come to accept that I'll likely take it (or something similar) for the rest of my life. I'm grateful I've found something that works.

LHx

I had a brief moment of reduction (about 3 months) with Namenda

http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/medications-193210-5.html

I wish we could set aside semantics and the discussion to call them reducers from this thread. The medical community calls them preventatives; so for the sake of being consistent, I personally would call them what the accepted medical term is.
IMO, these drugs do more than just reduce migraines, that's why they're called preventatives. For me, topomax has PREVENTED me from becoming an angry, bitter, unhappy person who is always in pain. I'll take that over the alternative any day.

Otherwise, I totally second what LG says. I'm on the same preventative and it has worked wonders for me as well. It did give me my life back. And I'm lucky in that the side effects for me are negligible.
No amount of money would convince me to go off of it and return to the migraine pattern I was in. I had no life, or rather, I had a life that was ruled by migraines and at the mercy of too many abortives and rescue meds that never really took away the pain. I'm convinced I lost at least one job because of it. I had no quality of life.

So for me, topomax as a preventative has been a lifesaver.

AuntieBubbs wrote:I wish we could set aside semantics and the discussion to call them reducers from this thread. The medical community calls them preventatives; so for the sake of being consistent, I personally would call them what the accepted medical term is.
IMO, these drugs do more than just reduce migraines, that's why they're called preventatives. For me, topomax has PREVENTED me from becoming an angry, bitter, unhappy person who is always in pain. I'll take that over the alternative any day.

Otherwise, I totally second what LG says. I'm on the same preventative and it has worked wonders for me as well. It did give me my life back. And I'm lucky in that the side effects for me are negligible.
No amount of money would convince me to go off of it and return to the migraine pattern I was in. I had no life, or rather, I had a life that was ruled by migraines and at the mercy of too many abortives and rescue meds that never really took away the pain. I'm convinced I lost at least one job because of it. I had no quality of life.

So for me, topomax as a preventative has been a lifesaver.

I have to agree. Yes, guys. Lets put aside battle of terms and just say they REDUCE migraines but the medical community accepts the term PREVENTATIVE so when new people come and join us, lets not confuse the living bejesus out of them. Right?