Husband (SP) has been taking Pregabalin for a while for severe almost daily headaches. However his balance has become really poor. After experienmenting with the dose, ended up talking to the MS Nurse earlier this week, who spoke to a consultant who prescribed Carbamazepine. He has taken it today. The box had no leaflet and he has been given no advice, just to take 200mg a day but was told these are an anti-convulsant but good for neuro pain. He has been told to phone in a couple of weeks to report how he is getting on.
I have Googled and have a grip on the possible side effects. So I wondered whether anyone has had this prescribed for headaches and what the results have been. Have side effects been an issue?. I know that whatever you take there is always the risk of some sort of reaction, but I thought I would see what the general feeling might be and how effective they are.
If they help to control these headaches without the balance problems then that would be fantastic. Living in hope!
I take carbamazepine for neuropathic pain (TN) I take the slow release sort. 400mg in a morning and 600mg in the evening.
There are side effects but I found that they wore off over time. As for my balance – it’s rubbish and I don’t know if that’s the SP or the drugs but I’ll take a bit of wobble to be free of Trigeminal Neuralgia pain.
I have used this for nasty MS pain during a relapse. It worked! It also knocked me sideways, so last thing at night was the right time to take it. Excellent stuff, and I would not hesitate to use it again if I needed it. Alison x
I am on carbamazepine for TN and it helps a lot. I haven’t noticed any unwanted side effects from it so I must be one of the lucky ones. I am also on Gabapentin for neuropathic pain. I also suffered horribly from daily headaches and chronic migraine but neither of these did anything to help with that unfortunately.
My neuro put me on another anticonvulsant drug to help with the migraines, Topiramate, and it has been brilliant. I have gone from daily migraine down to maybe one a month.
It can be a bit of trial and error to find the right drug so if this doesn’t work don’t give up. Another good one that kept my headaches under control for years is Sodium Valproate. It is also an anticonvulsant and helps with neuropathic pain too.
Thanks, this is the second day for my husband and he feels really rough. He is only on 200mg and is not taking the Pregapentin, which he has just stopped. Will have to see how it goes.
Thanks, have made a note of the Topiramate and the Sodium Valrooate. What I find difficult is that it just seems that you are on your own to sort of the meds, without a lot of management.