Nadolol for Migraines?

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Dignan

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Anyone ever been prescribed Nadolol (a high blood pressure med) to treat chronic migraine headaches?

If so, did it work for you and were the side effects tolerable? A woman in my family has been having alot of migraines recently (she has always had them, but now more frequent). She thinks it may be hormone related as she is in her mid 40s.

She had 10 migraines last month and went to her GP, and she had already tried the anti-seizure drug, mood stabilizer drug method for dealing with migraines and they didn't work. So, her GP gave her this drug, and she is not sure if she should take it or not.

We've looked up the side effects online and it is nerve racking for her, but she is desperate for something to reduce the headaches somehow.

Thanks for any advice.
 
A few patient reviews found at the links below:
http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=74172&name=NADOLOL
http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=18063&name=CORGARD
http://www.drugs.com/comments/nadolol/for-migraine-prophylaxis.html
Skimming those sites, it sounds like it really helped the migraine sufferers. (It's also used to treat cardiac arrhythmias.) If her GP has cleared her to try it, it might be worth a shot.

Has she mentioned the possible hormone connection with her doc? There might be other approaches (for example with progesterone) that night help.
 
I've never tried it, but beta blockers and blood pressure medications are often tried in migraine patients. Migraines are so unpleasant, I'd say it's worth a shot.
 
Thanks for the info.

Nak, in answer to your question, she has mentioned the hormone angle, but her docs don't seem to knowledgeable about it (even the neuro). She had a Gyno give her birth control pills to take, as she had heard something about the hormone angle, but that just made her headaches worse, so she stopped it.

My understanding is that the birth control pills may have increased estrogen, causing the exact opposite effect you were talking about with the progesterone. I may be wrong there, not sure.

Right now, I'm trying to get her to go see an endocrinologist (she hates going to doctors), as her GP and neuro don't want to do anything but give her seizure drugs or mood stabilizers (which in her words, made her feel like a drooling moron..)
 
Combined hormonal contraceptives are suggested for use in women with migraines because the estrogen can mKe it worse, she could try progesterone only methods like the mini-pill, Depo-Provera, Mirena, or Norplant.

If you do suspect the migraines are hormonal if you can find a neuro-endocrinologist that might help.
 
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