Verapamil for headaches?

[JaclynDT]

Soon of you may know my story, some of you may not. I have been experiences head pain for the last 3 years, recently it has turned into a burning/tingling sensation, or continuous brain zaps. I have gone to several neurologist and the Dr. I am currently seeing put me on Nadolol which my body did not like, it effected my blood circulation and so on and so forth so he took me off that and decided we should try Verapamil [daily] and frova [spell check] as needed, does anyone have an insight on either of these medications? It seems like I have tried everything in the book and I am so tired of filling my body of pills with all these different, terrible side effects..
The pain I am continuing to go through is affecting my entire life, keeping me from going back to school, interfering in my relationship with my husband, being able to focus at work.. etc, etc. I want to continue to stay hopeful but how long do you have to go through pain before you just give up?

I want my life back.

Back to the main topic: anyone have any thoughts on Verapamil or Frova?

As always,
thanks in advance for any feedback given.

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Thanks for writing in.
Verapamil normally when used for migraine prophylaxis does not cause chest pain and shortness of breath. However it can cause fatigue which can lead to shortness of breath.
Verapamil can affect the normal rhythm of the heart and should be used cautiously by patients with heart conditions.
I would suggest you to wait and watch, if your symptoms do not abate and get worse it will be a good idea to get a cardiovascular exam done.
Hope this helps!

[JaclynDT]

Thank you for your reply, I have read that if you are taking Verapamil for migraines that it can actually cause heart problems, today I am noticing some chest pain and a little shortness of breath, It could be that I am just being the hypochondriac that I am but I just want to be safe, any thoughts?

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

How are you?
Verapamil is a calcium channel blocker which is mainly used for cardiovascular diseases.
Verapamil takes at least 4-6 weeks to show its effect in migraine. The starting dose of verapamil is 180 mg or 240 mg. It is usually a well tolerated medication which can cause allergic reactions, dizziness, insomnia and anxiety.
Also remember do not discontinue the medication without the advice of your doctor.
Frova or frovatriptan is an abortive medication which is used to abort migraine attacks. It is especially useful in women who get migraines around the time of their periods.