Generic Name: Verapamil for Migraine Prevention (verapamil)
"I have suffered from severe migraines since 2008 and had been on so many different medications to try to control them, with many either not working or causing horrible side effects. In 2013, my neurologist finally put me on Verapamil Hydrochloride 240mg and these worked for a while, but I actually found that I was still getting migraines and eye pain. So, we cut it down to 120mg and 50mg of amitriptyline, and again I found the pain was still there. I then stopped taking the amitriptyline and only took verapamil 120mg. I have not looked back since as verapamil has been amazing and I haven't had a migraine at all (unless I forget to take my tablet). Obviously, it is different for everyone, but this has been my Godsend!"
"At age 37, I started feeling dizzy. Not spinning, just a nondescript dizzy feeling, similar to a bad cigarette buzz. After 40+ doctors, 2 Mayo Clinics, and over 2 years, I was finally diagnosed with 'vestibular migraine' and/or migrainous vertigo. I hesitate to call it vertigo as I was never spinning, nor did I have any headaches! I was started on 40mg of Verapamil twice daily. That helped to some extent. More was better. I worked with several Neuro-Otologists. At some point, I was put on Verapamil ER, which I took once daily. Much easier. I gradually increased the dosage to 400mg daily for about a month. I believe that broke the migraine cycle, and I was able to decrease it to 120mg/day. Since then, I have increased the dosage a bit as life stresses have increased."
"This medication has improved my life so much. When I started taking it, I was 17 and struggling to juggle friends, school, and three migraines a week (which I've been experiencing since I was twelve). I am now 20, in university, have loads of friends, and only about 3 migraines a month. This might still seem like a lot, but to me, this is bliss compared to how I spent most of my teenage years. Verapamil was a last resort my neurologist put me on after trying everything else, nobody expected it to work. It was (and still is) amazing. I have hardly any side effects, which is strange since I had a lot of horrible reactions to the other medications I tried before. Verapamil was my miracle drug, not sure how much longer I could've gone on as I was."
"This medicine saved my life!!! I've had terrible migraines since I was 16, and I'm now 24. I've tried so many medications, and nothing worked to prevent them. The Triptans relieve the pain, but only after the migraine starts. Verapamil is the only medicine that has completely blocked my migraines. I definitely recommend this! I've never had any side effects with it either."
Calan SR (verapamil) "I was put on a low dosage in 2002 when I was 37. The benefits were immediate and amazing. I actually looked forward to activities and outings. Unfortunately, after a couple of years, the migraines crept back, only less severe and less frequent. My doctor doubled the dosage, and that helped quite a bit. Now I take 350mg ER, which is the largest amount the doctor will allow. Although my migraines have become quite mild, I feel that the Verapamil has mostly lost its efficacy, and I plan to ask my doctor about gradually stopping the medication. Still, the years of relief it gave me were terrific, and I never hesitate to recommend it."
"I am 42 years old. I've dealt with migraines for 9 years. I recently had to stop taking the birth control pill with estrogen due to blood clots. Almost immediately upon discontinuing the pill, my migraines became severe. I had one every day for 3 weeks. I was taking an Imitrex every day (not good). I tried beta blockers and other medicines that had way too many side effects. Then I started taking Verapamil 120 mg ER once a day. It took a couple of weeks for the Verapamil to start working...but it did! The migraines stopped. Verapamil did lower my blood pressure a little and my ankles would sometimes swell. However, it stopped my migraines!"
"I have a history of frequent headaches and mild dizziness. Recently developed severe 24/7 dizziness and head. Was bedridden for almost 3 months. Chronic migraine and vestibular migraine suspected. Started 120 mg verapamil and within days both headaches and dizziness started to improve. Within a few weeks was able to go back to work part time. Still not 100% but will be increasing dose and hoping for continued improvement. This medication has literally given me my life back!"
"I had chronic headaches and migraines and had all the tests, MRI/CAT scan, to try to determine the cause - everything normal. The final resort was Verapamil, and I was instantly pain-free - as long as I take the lowest dose - I am actually taking 1/2 a pill of the smallest dose - extended release - and it works for me - but if I stop taking it - the headaches are back within two days."
Calan (verapamil) "I've been taking Calan for over 18 years and it is truly amazing. I was having severe, life-altering migraines at least once a week, usually twice. The migraines stopped instantly the week I started using this medication. If I miss a dose, the headache will come in about two days. Great motivation to take the medication on a timely basis. I highly recommend this treatment for migraines."
Calan SR (verapamil) "From 1965 through 1992 I suffered from what a doctor called Migraine Headaches. I endured the sporadic episodes until they became longer in duration and more often. The constant nausea was worse than the headache itself, causing me to go to bed until the event would suddenly subside. Went to a doctor again around 1992 and was prescribed Calan SR. I took it until the prescription ran out, and did not have any headaches during that time, but then I did not renew my prescription and stopped taking it altogether. However, I have never had a migraine again nor any type of headache at all since around 1992 to this day 2010 - that is approximately 16 years without even a headache. I consider this a miracle."
"I began having nasty migraines mid-November 2013. I got some relief from a pill I started to take in February 2014. By March, my migraines were back. I suffered through the migraines until September 2014. I had to change doctors because mine retired. I mentioned my problems with migraines. I met with a nurse practitioner who went through all the usual stuff. I told her that I once had a pill that worked. She asked if I wanted to try it again. I said I did. At the end of the meeting, I asked her if I could actually try something different. She prescribed Verapamil. THANK GOD. Three days later, my migraines were gone. I'm not sure what I would have done without it."
"This medicine was a lifesaver for me. I no longer experience migraines or headaches and can function as a regular human being, and I feel like I have a new lease on life. I was getting 3-5 migraines a week, and now I am not getting any."
"I'm in shape, exercise, eat healthy, take my vitamins, no smoking or alcohol, yet have been miserable with headaches and frequent migraines. Verapamil, even in its lowest dose, has helped to greatly reduce the frequency of my headaches and migraines. It is amazing to function all day without an aching head. It made me aware, for the first time, just how frequently I was experiencing problems. Very grateful for this medication."
"I started taking Verapamil in 1995 after going to so many doctors about migraine headaches. Finally, one doctor prescribed Verapamil. I haven't had a headache after going on this medication. It is a miracle because I was having headaches about every 3 weeks, so bad I would have to go to bed for days."
"I started having dizziness and vertigo issues this year and was diagnosed with migraines in May. I was put on Prozac, which helped with anxiety, but not with dizziness. Then the doctor added verapamil to my daily medication, initially at 120 mg, which reduced the dizziness greatly within days. Then we upped it to 240 mg with even better results. I am about to go in for a one-month check-up. I might ask if we can up the dose to 320 mg or 360 mg to get rid of the dizziness completely. This medicine has been a miracle, it gave me my life back."
"I was diagnosed at 19. I began having bouts with hemiplegic migraines 10 years ago. While few and far between, they were very scary! No one offered medications to control them until now. For a year or better, I've had blurred vision in one eye that would come and go with a dull headache. After going to have a vision check, my optometrist sent me directly to a neurologist. Something the ER and my family doctor wouldn't do. The aura I get before a migraine has changed, and I'm having migraine spasms, which is a severe migraine without the normal pain symptoms. These actually caused my father's strokes at 41 years old! The neurologist started me on verapamil 40 mg 3 times a day. Pain-free finally! Slight joint pain, but worth it!"
"To me, this is a wonder drug. My migraines were driving me crazy, it was the most uncomfortable experience. I was told by my neurologist that I have cluster migraines and suffered with it for about 6 years, and he put me on 40 mg of Verapamil twice a day. I can now live freely. If I get migraines now, they are very weak, and I can go about my day normally."
Calan (verapamil) "I started taking Calan (Verapamil) 20 years ago. It decreased my migraines from monthly to only getting them every five years. So obviously, I think it works amazingly. I take 120 mg per day, and I take extra if I feel like one is coming on. More recently, I also started taking 400 mg of magnesium, and I think that has helped as well."
"I have only been taking verapamil for less than 2 months. It took 2 weeks before I got relief from my chronic migraines. It was a wonderful feeling until my ankles started to swell and I had intense pain in my feet, legs, and hands. I just started to wean myself off of this med and already have relief from the swollen ankles and pain. So, back to the doc to see what else she can offer. I hate taking meds and think I will try a chiropractor and see what they can do for my migraines."
"40 mg per day is normally considered a very low dose, but is all that I need to prevent migraines. I tried just about everything else for years until I got on to verapamil. To me, this is a wonder drug."
"Was prescribed this medicine to prevent migraines, which I was getting several times a week. After being on these tablets for 3 months, I have had no relief from the migraines, either in frequency or severity, and have experienced side effects including night sweats, hot flushes, dizzy spells, and shaking."
"I have been prescribed verapamil for vestibular migraines that I have had for the last 8 weeks, with the only symptoms being tiredness and disequilibrium. I am still in my first week of taking it (4 days) and have found it great. It has cleared the lethargy and tiredness, and my disequilibrium has improved substantially. The only side effects I have had are slight dizziness if I move too fast or get up too quickly from sitting, and my feet have been feeling a little swollen at night, but nothing major. I am a 45-year-old male and normally very fit and take 90 mg of verapamil each day for a month, followed by 180 mg in the second month."
"I had my first severe migraine attack at age 7 and was rushed to emergency! Now age 40; and after having 2 kids, migraines became way worse almost every day! The only thing that worked was Excedrin Migraine, but I was fearful of the effects of long-term use of OTCs. Tried Botox, which was very expensive and only got rid of migraines during treatment; then they came right back... plus Botox side effects were awful. Topamax worked, but terrible side effects as well. My doctor recently put me on Verapamil 80 mg, 0.5 tabs, 3x/day and FINALLY a lifesaver!!!! In the first week of use, I still had migraines. In the 2nd week of use, slight dizziness for about half an hour after taking the med, but NO more migraines!!!!! Miracle drug! I have my life back!! Wish I had been introduced to this med years ago."
"I have been having daily migraines with aura for many years. I tried different things until I was prescribed calcium channel blockers. I tried first amlodipine with encouraging results at first, but then having severe side effects. So, I switched to verapamil, where the positive impact on the migraines is a bit less pronounced, but I am practically free of side effects. It didn't solve my problem, but I can feel a significant improvement."
"I have never had migraines, but 5 years ago, I suddenly had stroke symptoms with hemiplegia on my left side. I have very little residual from that now, but I would get twinges/pinches in 2 distinct places in my brain and was very sensitive to light, noises, and movement afterwards. Any concentrating on difficult things would trigger the symptoms, not a good thing for an ICU nurse. The only thing that controls it is 240 mg ER of verapamil. With that, I can work and live a normal life. I tried reducing it this year... big mistake. My symptoms returned... it has taken me almost 2 months to get back to where I was."
Calan, Calan SR, Verelan, Covera-HS, ... +2 more
Calan, Calan SR, Verelan, Verelan PM
