Drum roll, please....
No hole in my heart! Woohoo. I was ready to have heart surgery too. Of course, I would have ruled out other things first. Anyway, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, see my last post. I encourage everyone who has headaches/migraines to get the test done though, assuming your insurance covers it, because ya never know...
So moving on to other things, this health Web site called Wellsphere publishes my blog (among other blogs) and they have a Q&A section, so I decided to ask a question. Here's the link, and here's the Q&A:
Q:
Is anyone else on Bystolic (nebivolol) for headaches/migraines?
I've been on it (5 mg/day) for at least six months, and while my migraines have gone away for the most part, I still have about 10-15 headaches a month. My neurologist thinks it's helping my migraines, but I'm not sure if it's that or something else. I didn't have many migraines that often to begin with.
If you're on it or have tried it, please weigh in. Is it helping? Did you have any side effects? (I haven't noticed any except for a slower heart rate). I'm nervous about being on such a new medication when I don't even think it's helping.
Thanks!
-Heather
A:
Heather,
Bystolic is a beta blocker, and beta blockers are quite effective Migraine preventive medications for many people. However, after five months, it's working as well as it's going to unless you increase your dosage. If you're worried about Bystolic because it's new, there are many older beta blockers you could try, including propranolol/Inderal (Note from Heather - I've tried these; bad side effects)
You are definitely still having too many Migraines. Research is increasingly showing that Migraine is a progressive neruological disease that can cause brain damage in some patients. Those who have three or more Migraines a month are at more risk for such damage than people who have fewer than three Migraines a month.
For more information, see Is Migraine a Progressive Brain Disease? and Yes, Migraines Can Cause Brain Damage.
Don't just settle. It's far too important. If your doctor won't work with you to find better treatment, it's time for a new doctor.
Good luck,
Teri
(Back to Heather:)
Now, Teri isn't a doctor, but she seems to have a lot of knowledge when it comes to headaches and migraines. Check out her blog here.
Speaking of migraines, I had my first one in a while (I mostly get headaches) on Friday. I'm nervous that since I've had my IUD for two years, my body is getting used to it and I'm going to have migraines like I did when my body got used to The Pill. I hope I'm wrong, but we'll see.
To wrap up this post, I'd like to thank God for the good test results today!
