Hi all,
I have had chronic migraine for 4 years. I have been taking Flunarizine for the last 5 months and amazingly I haven't had a migraine for the past 2 weeks!
However....the side effects are really getting me down. I feel depressed, apathetic, jittery, agitated, like I want to vomit and my insides just want to get out of me.
I also have a very stiff jaw which is difficult to open and close and then the pain from the jaw moved up the side of my face and head to next to the spot which I call my migraine spot because that's where I always have my migraines. So I have basically swapped migraines for needle pain in the head which comes from a stiff jaw.
Has anyone else had experience like this?
I have reduced the Flunarizine dose from 10mg daily to 5mg daily to see if this helps with side effects and hope that the migraines don't come back.
Has anyone else reduced or stopped Flunarizine?
If so, have the migraines got worse again? Or have the side effects got better?
And how long after reducing/stopping Flunarizine was it before the side effects got better or the migraines got worse?
Thanks!
Hi Alice,
Yes, I take Flunarizine and thankfully not had those symptoms. I was told to take 5mg at night for first month, I think, before going up to 10mg, maybe the 10mg was too much too soon for your body?
Glad migraines stopped anyway!
Good luck and best wishes, take care and hope things settle soon.
Let us know how you get on
Hola Alice, tomé flunarizina durante 3 meses a principios de este año, pero me provocó una depresión horrible y aumento de peso, por lo que tuve que reducir la dosis y dejarla completamente. Conozco a personas a las que les ha funcionado, así que quizá menciones a tu neurólogo cómo te sientes y veas qué te sugiere, ya que sería una pena dejarlo porque estás obteniendo algo de alivio para tu migraña. Mucha suerte.
Hi, thanks for your reply. How long have you been taking Flunarizine for? And has it helped with the migraines?
I have reduced the dose to 5mg for a week now and symptoms are still the same. In fact the insomnia and not feeling able to eat symptoms are getting worse!
Hi Jeanette,
Thanks for your reply. I also have the weight gain but at the same time I have lost my appetite and have to force myself to eat. I have also been finding it very difficult to sleep.
I asked the Neurology nurse if it was possible to reduce the dosage and have been down to 5mg per night for a week now but it hasn't helped at all yet with the side effects.
How long were you taking Flunarizine for? Did you have to build it down gradually when you came off it?
I have been taking Flunarizine for about 2 years, I have gained weight, but controling it with lots of exercise and watching what I eat. Its not easy, but the Flunarizine has helped to keep the Hemiplegic Migraines under control, so that has to be good
Hola Alice, lo fui reduciendo 10 mg, 7.5 mg, 5 mg y luego 2.5 mg en días alternos. No tuve síntomas de abstinencia. La flunarizina no redujo mis migrañas, el aumento de peso y la depresión no fueron agradables y tuve un dolor de cabeza frontal permanente, así que mi neurólogo me la quitó y me dio Botox. Había una señora en la clínica a la que asistí que realmente se benefició de la flunarizina, así que no te desanimes por mi experiencia, ya que funciona para algunas personas y poner unos pocos kilos es un pequeño precio a pagar por recuperar tu vida. Espero que tus efectos secundarios se calmen. PD: el Botox tampoco me ha funcionado, así que ¡es volver a empezar de nuevo!
Hi Jeanette,
Thanks. How long a period did you have to taper the Flunarizine down for? You said alternate days - would you mind letting me know what you mean by this? Thanks.
Hola Alice, hice una semana a 7,5 mg, luego una semana a 5 mg, luego una semana a 2,5 mg y luego una semana a 2,5 mg en días alternos. ¡No hubo efectos secundarios al dejar el medicamento, pero tampoco pérdida de peso!
Hi Jeanette,
Thanks. How long did it take for the depression side effect to go away? Did you find that the depression eased as you reduced the dose?
The side effects are really getting me down now. I'm not able to sleep any more too which makes everything so much harder.
Hola Alice, si soy sincera, la depresión no se ha ido, pero creo que eso se debe más al hecho de que mis migrañas son peores de lo que nunca han sido y nunca tengo un día claro sin dolor y vómitos y tener que irme a la cama. Si pudiera tener un respiro de esta horrible condición, entonces no estaría deprimida y podría tener una calidad de vida decente. Si el flunarizina está reduciendo tus migrañas, entonces yo seguiría con ello y vería si los efectos secundarios se asentan. Daría cualquier cosa por tener 2 semanas sin migrañas. ¡Déjame saber cómo te va!
hey Jeanette, late to ask this question but did the weight come off for you?
thanks
kelli