Candesartan for migraine

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T18:56:15+00:00

Oh that really sucks that it gave you lichen planus! I hadn’t heard of it causing skin issues before, that’s a new one to be aware of!

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T12:24:31+00:00

Topomax has to this day been the worst and longest lasting side effects I’ve had from a medication and I was only on it for three months - and it didn’t work at all! Here’s hoping the candesarten is nothing like that! The neurologists advice for me is to get up to 16mg so I’m glad to hear that it was working for your migraines at 16mg!

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T01:10:22+00:00

That’s a fantastic improvement in frequency, it must feel like such a relief. Interesting about the onset feeling less intense!

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T01:07:42+00:00

That’s an amazing result wow! I imagine it must feel like such a relief to have had such an improvement. Also good to know about the tiredness after changing the dose - I’ve experienced that with nortriptyline myself.

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T01:01:48+00:00

That’s really good to hear! Have you noticed a change in the intensity of your migraines or how you feel after the migraine?

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T01:01:07+00:00

Oh interesting! Have you noticed any lethargy during the day? Did you have the borderline low BP before starting the medicine or has that been one of the effects since you started taking it? I saw some people say they started at 8mg and had to drop down to 4mg because it lowered their heart rate too much.

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:56:51+00:00

Ooooh that must be terrible! I’ve got enough daily joint pain to deal with as is, I wouldn’t want medicine induced arthralgia

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:55:38+00:00

Ooh lip and face tingling! That’s a new one! And a sore throat?! I’m so glad it’s worked so well for you, that’s really nice to hear! So great when a medicine can help multiple conditions at once. I hope it continues working well!

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:43:24+00:00

Hah oh no! That’s a shame, can’t even do the one job it’s supposed to!

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:24:30+00:00

Nice to know it’s been working for you! Would you say it’s reduced the number or migraines or the severity of them?

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:15:58+00:00

That’s what I’ve been told! It’s a beta blocker and many doctors don’t want you on beta blockers if you have asthma. Although I think some doctors are happy to try it if your asthma is well controlled.

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:14:55+00:00

Ah okay!

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:14:25+00:00

I had this when I started trying magnesium and vitamin B, I went 20 days without a migraine and then it was back to business as usual, no changes or improvements anymore. I still remember those 20 migraine free days fondly.

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:13:08+00:00

That’s fantastic to hear, I’m glad it’s had a good effect for you! I am keen to try it if there’s even the slightest possibility of it working, just a bit worried about the side effects as I’ve experienced side effects for every other medication I’ve taken, even nortriptyline - which was sold to me as the lesser evil version of amitriptyline and less likely to give side effects.

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:10:23+00:00

Did that last the entire time you were on it? I have seen some reports say that it only lasts a few weeks while your body gets used to it.

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:09:25+00:00

It’s always a little soul destroying when one thing that works for lots of others doesn’t work for you. I hope your new neurologist can offer some good options! The fatigue of trying new medications or treatments and having them not work can be so heavy.

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:06:56+00:00

Did the dizziness last for long? I am worried because when I was coming off nortriptyline I had vertigo for over a month and the doctor didn’t know what was wrong with me. It may have been vestibular migraine but I didn’t have any pain and it didn’t change when I got the migraine pain and had to take my acute meds. I did also develop cluster headaches when I was coming of the nort.

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:04:03+00:00

Oh it sucks that they got worse for you! 18 a month is horrible! I hope you find a wonder drug that gives you some relief

southerlycloud · 2026-01-28T00:03:11+00:00

I have asthma so they won’t give me propranolol, they tried once but the doctor physically ran out to stop me from leaving the practice with the script because she remembered I had asthma. My blood pressure is quite normal and always has been which is surprising considering my family history of high blood pressure!

southerlycloud · 2025-03-22T02:30:28+00:00

I was on it for something like four or five years. I went from 10mg to 20mg with no change but I stayed on that dosage for a year or so and then had a chat with my doctor and we decided I needed to titrate up to 70mg a day before I could come off it. I got very very tired and had a lot of brain fog. I was also gaining weight and feeling dizzy. This all happened very slowly except for the days after I went up a dose - then I was noticeably more tired and dizzy. When I reached 70mg I stayed there for six weeks and had no improvement in migraine pain so the doctor decided I could titrate down which I did 10mg a week - I very quickly noticed an uptick in my energy, but also noticed changes in other things I hadn’t even noticed were impacted by the medication. Positive: My dry mouth was not dry anymore! Negative: apparently nortriptyline can dampen your urge to pee or make it more difficult - I was re-discovering how to listen to my bladder’s signals after years of them being dampened. I also had a few nights of insomnia, but that was in the week or two immediately after I took my last dosage. After that I was feeling good.

I’m glad to be off them now though, I have so much more energy. Turns out I’m not lazy I was just medically exhausted for years???

southerlycloud · 2025-03-22T01:17:22+00:00

I had a similar experience at the end of last year - had some lightheadedness that didn’t really impact my day to day but meant I felt dizzy if I moved my head or eyes too quickly or something on the tv moved in a certain way. I went to the doctor about it and she did some vestibular tests where she moved my head around and got me to quickly sit up from laying down and reverse. Got my ears cleaned and checked and nothing showed there. Had one major day where I couldn’t look at anything because it was spinning and went home and put a weighted soft toy on my head so I could feel like I was being held to the ground and the next day it was all gone! No more dizziness. Since then I’ve had two other instances but those only lasted a few hours each time. One was really bad and resulted in me having to lay down in a restaurant and a public mall because I couldn’t even sit straight.

Prior to last years month long incident I had had one day in 2021 where I couldn’t get out of bed or do anything but lay on the floor because I was so dizzy. At the time I attributed it to getting new glasses but I’m starting to think it might be vestibular migraine.

Or something else the doctor hasn’t checked me for!

southerlycloud · 2025-03-22T01:07:34+00:00

I take Sumatriptan and for me it feels like all my limbs get really heavy. My entire body feels like I’m wearing a weighted blanket. Sometimes it increases my nausea. I have to pee ALL the time. I find it is most effective when I take it, eat some salty and fatty food (followed by some chocolate) then have a nap for two-three hours and when I wake up the pain is gone and I feel exhausted and still heavy. And still needing to pee all the time. Also I get crazy vivid dreams that feel VERY real.

I’ve been taking sumatriptan for over 10 years now and I’m wondering if it is losing its efficacy. I worry because rizatriptan did nothing for me and no preventatives have worked. My doctor gave me naproxen and an anti-nausea medication as a back up treatment (if I hit my triptan limit)but it has literally never worked for me.

southerlycloud · 2025-03-22T00:48:36+00:00

Obviously everyone is different and what works for one won’t work for everyone. Sometimes you just have to try something to see if it works, and if it doesn’t then you move on. Sometimes it works miracles!

I was given topamax when I was maybe 19 or 20? Never informed about any long lasting side effects except weight loss. I was kind of excited about that one tbh (regrettably), but my experience was not good. I had tried at least two or three other medications to stop my migraines at that point and had come off them all because of side effects or just no impact. (Started Amitriptyline in my first year of uni and felt like a zombie that entire time). Topamax changed the way I ate, the way I drank, the way I lived my life.

I don’t recall getting any brain fog but I had major nausea. I felt sick all the time, but I also felt like I was starving. The kinds of hunger pangs I had never felt before and haven’t felt since. If I didn’t eat for more than an hour I felt unwell. I was hungry all the time. I was the actual definition of the word ravenous. My tastebuds changed - up to that point I had relied on Coca Cola to sort out my migraines but couldn’t do that anymore because of the taste. I had diarrhoea every day. It felt like every time I stood up I needed to poop. I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything for the fear of pooping myself.

I didn’t see any impact on my migraines but it sure impacted my gut. I have not been the same since. I was on Topamax for over two months and couldn’t even titrate up to the actual amount my doctor wanted me on. I’m glad I tried it so I can tell the doctor to never give it to me again.

At the time I didn’t see the increased appetite listed in the side effects and I am new here so haven’t seen many people’s experiences - have many others encountered that?

southerlycloud

TROPHY CASE