Side effects of medication
By Amber
@AmbiePam (85909)
United States
August 14, 2010 4:52pm CST
What side effects are you willing to live with? I'm on a new migraine medication, and it is to prevent them. I'm supposed to take one at night. This is actually to prevent me from having to take the "big" prescription migraine medication if a migraine hits me. As some of you know, I have them constantly.
And I think some of you might remember how my insurance quit paying for my old migraine medication. So I had to get it changed because I couldn't afford it. Anyway, the prevention medication is making me feel like I'm going to pass out. I noticed it the second day after I started the medication. The room started spinning, and I hurried back to my room to lie down just in case I actually did pass out. I haven't had a "room tilting" incident since then, but several times a day, for a long period of time, I feel like I'm going to faint.
My doc says it shouldn't last long. And really, when I think about the agony of a migraine that sometimes lasts for days, it's a small price to pay. Okay, I think I'm going to get a lot of people offering me solutions to migraines, and that's really sweet. Go ahead if you want to. But I ought to tell you I've tried everything under the sun, traditional and alternative treatment. I've tried natural ways to deal, kept a food diary to see if I had a trigger there. Chiropractor, acupuncture (insurance doesn't cover the last two, but I was so desperate I paid out of pocket). I've done it all. And if I haven't by chance tried, it would be because I cannot afford it. And when I say I can't afford it, it isn't a matter of pinching pennies. It means I cannot afford it at all.
Back to you: what side effects are you willing to live with for the sake of bettering your health? I guess it could be traditional medication, or herbs, or whatever else you can come up with...Maybe even the side effects of going to the chiropractor. I had some bad side effects from that, although they did me more good than harm, there was pain.
8 people like this
13 responses
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
14 Aug 10
It depends on what the side effects are and then I'd weight them, to see which I can live with or try another med..Your doctor, however, did say it shouldn't last long, so I would continue and just don't so any driving or tightrope walking for a while.
That is if you can, don't drive...
I hope you feel better by my little bit of humor. Remember my daughter also suffers from migraines and one time we had her laughing so hard during one it did go away..Problem is, you can't spend the rest of your life laughing, though it would be fun too..
I hope you feel better by my little bit of humor. Remember my daughter also suffers from migraines and one time we had her laughing so hard during one it did go away..Problem is, you can't spend the rest of your life laughing, though it would be fun too..@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
14 Aug 10
Lots of typos today..grrr.. *weigh not weight..lol
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (157837)
• United States
14 Aug 10
I did not answer the question really well.If I could avoid driving, yes, I would put up with dizziness. I am to the point that some OTC pain meds give me digestive issues, so I take them much less often. I would not put up with side effects that reduced the quality of my life, like tremors or complications to my cardiovascular system. I guess if a doctor said the issues were short term and told me how to deal with them, I would give it a good try, though. I am sure it feels great to have fewer headaches.
2 people like this
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
16 Aug 10
For me, the side effect has to not be as bad as what I'm using it to treat. Trading a bit of dizziness for a migrane seems a small price to pay...especially if the feeling is temporary. I've have migranes most of my life, although they've come less often as I get older, so I know how much they hurt. How long did the doctor say the adjustment period was? If it's just a matter of days or a week (or two), I'd live with it. That's me...you might think differently. Good luck...hope you get lots of relief!
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85909)
• United States
16 Aug 10
Oh no, I was prepared to deal with this particular side effect until the cows came home. I'll take the passing out feeling over a migraine any day. Bad thing was that nausea came with the passing out cr@p.
But it doesn't mattter now. After a really bad weekend, I woke up this morning just fine. So it's all good. lol
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157837)
• United States
14 Aug 10
Well, I ran into that the other day. My back went out, and it has not done that in eight or nine months. I finally gave up, and for the two worst days I took some lortab that I still have from my foot surgery. It does a really great job on the pain, but it makes me "stupid". Although I continue to have pain, I will not take more of them, I do not have the time right now to be unable to think clearly. I have some stretches I will do, because the pain is there still, somewhat. If it is not clear when my unemployment finally starts coming, I will go see the chiropractor. So, I guess for severe pain, I would put up with the side effects for a little bit, and try to get by. I am glad you talked to the doctor about the faintness with this new med, and that he says it will pass. Does it make your blood pressure drop really low?
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Aug 10
I think you know me well enough by now to know I'm so anti-medication it's funny in a way. Naturally some people have to take medications, such as in your case with the extreme migranes, but yikes there must be something better you can take and which will be accepted by Medicaid.
Years and years ago, my doc gave me an anti-depressant for my anxiety issues...like duh, wasn't depressed...LOL. Well if I wasn't depressed before I was while taking that medication I sure was while taking it, so I nixed it and never took it again. I wish I could go to an acupuncturist, but Medicaid/HIP won't cover it, and no way could pay out of pocket
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85909)
• United States
15 Aug 10
Yep, I know you would go alternative therapies first, and I'm right there with you. I think if Medicaid covered some things like the chiropractor and acupuncture it would actually save them money. I had only a slight but of acupuncture once, when the person was at my chiropractor's office. If I could afford it, I'd go back.
I'm trying to get off some of my medications. I'm getting a lot of arguments from some of my doctors, but although there are no known long term problems from the medications I'm on, I would just feel better about my future health if I were not on as many as I'm on now.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
14 Aug 10
When I found out I had high blood pressure I had to start taking two meds...one a water pill that made me go all the time...the other was the blood pressure pills. The first couple of days...well besides being in the bathroom all the time.....I felt a little queasy...then dizzy when I started the blood pressure meds. I had to learn not to get up so fast as my blood pressure had dropped considerably! Now I can't tell I even take them. I feel good! Hopefully this soon will pass for you...I am not going to give you any advice on how to handle your migraines....but will just add that two different people I know have had them cease...after memopause. I hope you don't have to wait that long before you feel better...theirs was hormone related.
1 person likes this
@suryaannamdevula (44)
• India
15 Aug 10
now a days all the medicines not curing the diseases but the patients are addicting to the medicines.if they stop the taking of medicines they are getting weak.the main medicine that most addictable is the cough syrup which is not curing the cough but it is helping in deep sleep.so people are addicting to it.
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
15 Aug 10
I was told exercise helped in preventing them since it gets more oxygen to your brain and body..but I still get them. I don't like taking pills unless it is absolutely a have to case since I don't like the side effects of some pills which can be worse then the problem you started out with. Like liver damage and some of the symptoms you stated. With Normal headaches, yeah some of the natural and herbal stuff my help to alleviate the pain some. But with migraines it is a whole other ball park.
1 person likes this
@mamacathie (3928)
• United States
14 Aug 10
I saw with my precious mama that each medicine they gave her there were side effects that she would end up having to take more medicines to correct and it was a long circle of events. Medicines are good but they all have so many side effects that I am afraid to take any medicines. I hope you get something that will help your migraines. God bless yo
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
15 Aug 10
I guess it would depend on what the side effects were and what the medicine was supposed to be preventing or fighting off. I guess feeling like you're going to pass out is better than getting a migraine.. and if you only get the feeling right after taking the pill, which is when you're heading for bed, then it's something you can live with. If the feeling persists during the day you may want to see if the doc can lower your dose or give you something else... either way the doc should know about these side effects.
I do not take medication often, but I don't have any real health issues. So it would depend on if the side effect outweighed the health issue. If I give up migraines just to be nausious all the time.. I don't think that's worth it, lol.
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
16 Aug 10
The medication I’m on at the moment doesn’t have nasty side effects fortunately. It would depend what the side effects were before I decided whether to take something. My poor husband has been through awful symptoms which started from medication he’s had to take over the years. Luckily these days he has the right combination. Migraines are awful; I have had them occasionally although my sister gets them regularly and has to take specific meds for it. Hope what you have now works for you...
1 person likes this
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
15 Aug 10
when it comes to medicines, there's seems to be no perfect medications... some can mitigate, others simply manage, and only the body can completely cure one's ailment... what i do, as i also take a few management medicines for my hypertension and diabetes, is to understand fully the type of medicines i take... there are contraindications -- what you call side effects -- and i try to minimize them by understanding what triggers these side effects... like the food we eat, even lifestyle... ah... i just try to live with the reality that while it prolongs my life, it also causes me some pains, even fears of the unreal... the bottomline: what choice do i have?
@dreamkeeper (455)
• United States
15 Aug 10
Wel, wether we like it or not taking medication especially for long period of time has a long term side effects. I personally i do n ot take medicine coz i know the effect of that one and i do not want to depend on medicine. I have a migraine and i knwo how you feel when it attacks you.Before whne my migraine attacks me i will instantly take my medicine and then i noticed i became so dependent on ti and then i became immune to my medicine and ended up no effect at all. So i have to take another medicine.When the medicine will not have an effect on me sometimes i will hit my head on the wall. And now what i did to prevent my migraine fro attacking me is that every morning i will alwasy do exercise aerobics and yoga to clear my mind. And i will avoid foods that could trigger my migraine and for sure you know what are those foods.
1 person likes this
@chayapathys (2111)
• India
15 Aug 10
Yes migraine is terrible to think of. It strikes like a sunstoke.Is it heriditary or not is worrying the medical world. Only those who suffer from migraine can explain what ir is all about. But the pity is the other man cannot understand or atleast synpathise.It is mental state of mind when everything becomes blank and only remains.People have been suffering from migraine since a long time. But the question is whether there is any medication in any system of medicine..allopathy ayurvedic unani or homeopathy.One thing is certain that in allopathy system there is bound to be side effects. It is also possible that in other systems also there may be side effect which may not perceived for long time. I feel homeopathy is perhaps the safest when we consider of side effect. I personally feel there should be some combination of medicines in flower therepy which can mosly cure migraine without side effects. Dr Bach who discovered flower therepy experimented every flower therepy on himself and and found out the penecia for all pains is flower therapy only
