Propranolol for Migraine Prevention User Reviews (Page 4)

• Sha...
• October 8, 2016

"I have to say this medication changed my life! I kept having these chronic migraines with symptoms of a stroke. No feeling in my limbs, can't see, can't hear, throwing up, passing out, and they were relentless and left me in the ER 24/7. I passed out on someone on a bus and woke up unable to speak my name in an ambulance. I began taking this med, and the original effect was low blood pressure, tired a lot, and it made me quit taking it. I noticed my symptoms return shortly after quitting on it. So I tried taking one whole 20 mg tablet during an attack, and I couldn't believe it, my vision returned and the attack ended early. I have taken it 4-5 times daily ever since, and it saved my life. Haven't had a single attack in years!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2013

Propranolol "I've battled migraines since I was 14 and was diagnosed with PMDD. 10 to 15 days out of the month, I get crippling migraines. I've tried numerous things, and nothing has really helped. I've been on Inderal for a couple of days now, along with Norco, and still have what I would consider a fairly bad headache. I'm still seeing the aura and occasional star flashes in my eyes. I'm hoping something changes here soon. I will say last night was my first night since I've had my son, I slept a full 6 hours straight."

• Kel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 14, 2016

"I never had 'headache' in my life until high school, when I had my first migraine. Beyond the pain, it was completely debilitating; I lost my equilibrium, I was vomiting, had extreme light and sound sensitivity. After nearly a decade of doctor visits, food/beverage intake tracking, blood tests, etc., without finding an answer, I was finally referred to a neurologist. I had been prescribed Imitrex (had just become available in pill form), but it was never in my system long enough to work for me. At this point, I was having approx. 3 migraines per week, some lasted 1 day, others lasted 3. I was prescribed propranolol 60 mg daily for 6 months. I rarely have migraines anymore (only 1-3 per year)."

• L C...
• January 3, 2016

"I started taking propranolol after trying anti-seizure drugs that didn't work at all. I used Imitrex for a couple of years, and it was wonderful, but got less and less effective. I started with 80 mg propranolol extended release. I could tell it made a difference in the severity, but didn't completely control the migraines. I have been on 160 mg a day, once in the morning, once in the evening. Now I rarely get migraines, and they're very manageable when I do. Different things work for different people. This really works well for me. I had some weight gain, but I attribute it to getting my appetite back. No migraines, no nausea. I haven't gained enough to remotely think about stopping. I had weird and vivid dreams to start with, but that has stopped."

• Yoo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 14, 2020

"I went through a lot of migraine medications, and my doctor said this was the last option as far as pills go. I stuck with it for a long time because it was 'my last option.' I ended up having a lot of side effects. It made me vomit almost every time I took it. It also made my heart hurt a lot, I had sexual issues and had to pee constantly. Pretty much any side effect this medication listed, I had it. Hope it works better for you!"

• cre...
• February 1, 2018

"I had migraines weekly, they made splitting pain in my brain, with vomiting and disorientation. They would send me to bed in a blacked-out room for 15+ hours, sweating. It was horrible, I had these all my life. At 29, I had a severe migraine that caused a stroke. It happened, paralyzed from the neck down. Eventually, with a lot-and I mean A LOT-of hard work, I got myself back on track but did lose 92-96% of my vision. They put me on 40 mg of propranolol and I still got headaches during the day that sometimes turned to migraines, so they upped the dosage to 60 mg of propranolol. That's great, it's all good-probably 3 not-so-bad migraines in 12 years now. However, they say it won't cause weight gain and I have to say I have doubled my weight. I go walking, I watch what I eat, and I just keep gaining, so I think that needs to be addressed as maybe some people gain and some don't. Otherwise, this is a great medication."

• Bij...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 27, 2016

"I was suffering from migraines for over a year before I sought treatment. By then, I was having one every other day. The day I didn't have one, I was washed out and drained. Within a week of starting propranolol, my migraines were gone. I haven't had a single headache of any type in two months. I also haven't had any side effects. Well, until today. Not really a side effect though. I missed three pills and started getting dizzy, nauseous, and headachy. So it's actually a side effect of NOT taking my medicine."

• joh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2024

"I started having migraines 2 years ago and with it a constellation of symptoms: facial pressure, neck pain, forehead pain, ear pressure, abdominal cramps... I mean my brain started going haywire... and like most migraineurs, the ENTs completely misdiagnosed me... then finally a neurologist said migraines... confirmed by taking Imitrex, which eliminated symptoms... for preventives, started on amitriptyline... maybe knocked out 30% of symptoms... then started verapamil... nothing... then topiramate... too rough on the brain... then propranolol... felt a change right away... two 30 mg pills 2/day... only been a week and no headaches nor other annoying symptoms..."

• MMa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 9, 2019

"I've been on propranolol for around 10 months, and I definitely have seen results, although I'm not yet in the point that I want to be. I had migraines 2 or 3 times a week in the past. Now, taking 60 mg of propranolol per day, I have migraines around 3 times a month. It's still not perfect, and when I see a lot of people saying they don't have migraines at all, it makes me so frustrated because I'm sick and tired of being so weak. So, I guess I'll go back to the doc to see if I should go to 80 mg. I just hope that, in the long term, this medicine is not going to kill me from inside. Only one can hope!"

• Sed...
• November 30, 2015

"This drug has been wonderful! I had a feeling of being off-balance (not true vertigo, though) with my almost daily migraines. I started this medication about 9 months ago and have had only 5 migraines, and they were very mild and easily managed. The only negative is it does give you some fatigue. I also suffer from anxiety, and this drug has helped tremendously on that front since I often ended up with tachycardia during a panic attack, and this drug lowers your heart rate and stops that 'fight or flight' response."

• pro...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 27, 2024

"Was getting a migraine every morning for over a year. Docs put me on propranolol 40 dosage in the morning and 40 at night. I am in shock with results up to now, not had a migraine in the morning for 3 weeks since started taking it. Am so happy."

• Kla...
• January 14, 2018

Propranolol "Using Inderal LA 80 mg since Nov. 7th, 2017. The side effects were quite strong (heart rate low (45-50), fatigue, etc.), so I take now a 60 mg dose (since Nov. 22nd). In 2 months, I had only 5 mild migraines. More interestingly, since Dec. 16th, no migraine at all. I used to have 8 to 10 migraines per month on average! The only problem is the side effects that are still there, though less. When I do exercise, even light ones like walking, I feel tired and weak. I feel like my heart cannot fully give me the power to cope with its need. Before that, I tried 2 types of antidepressants, to no avail. I cannot take hormones for other medical reasons. Inderal is working, and I am happy. But..."

• Ris...
• February 2, 2016

"23-year-old female. I've been on Inderal (Propranolol) for about 1 year now after suffering with increasingly bad migraines for about 8 years. I was prescribed Imitrex (Sumatriptan) to treat the migraines, but that made me nauseous and didn't fix the migraines at all. After being prescribed Inderal, I was migraine-free, all but for maybe one menstrual-related migraine per month, which the doctor recommended treating with a 1-week pre-menstrual daily dose of ibuprofen leading up to my cycle-which worked! So now I am 100% migraine-free between 20mg each morning and night of Inderal, and 400mg daily of ibuprofen the full week before my cycle. Inderal might make you have some very vivid dreams and cause you to feel a bit drowsy at first."

• Pho...
• January 12, 2009

Propranolol "I was on propranolol for about 18 months and went from approximately 20 migraines a month to five. Unfortunately, a side effect I developed was cough-variant asthma. Made several visits to the doctor regarding the cough, and he suggested that it might be asthma and put me on a daily inhaler. I did some research as I did not want to take a drug to relieve a condition caused by another drug. The side effect was not listed in my propranolol literature, but I found it as a cause for cough-variant asthma. I had to switch to verapamil, which is not quite as effective for my headaches, but my cough is gone."

• Tet...
• August 5, 2017

"Boy, let me tell you this. First I was prescribed propranolol for panic disorder because I always thought I was having a heart attack (I'm 21 and a little overweight but working to change that), and to add insult to injury, often a panic attack meant a new cluster episode. Fast forward 3 months and my cluster episode begins. Surprisingly, instead of 3 hours of excruciating pain, I had 2 hours of mild, somewhat tolerable pain. Now, fast forward 4 months again to a month ago, and the last cluster episode I had were 2 clusters with 10 days apart from each other. My neurologist upped my dosage, and I am, for now, cluster free."

• Gva...
• June 22, 2016

"Propranolol has been very effective for my migraines. Though I probably am on too low a dose at 60 mg a day. As far as side effects, I have had none. And I have been on it for years and haven't gained one ounce."

• smy...
• August 18, 2008

"I've been on propranolol for several months now to treat my migraines. Before taking this medication, I had several attacks per week, often had some headaches that would last for several days. I have now gone weeks without having a migraine. I've been on other drugs for migraines, and I'd highly recommend this medication."

• Anonymous
• February 26, 2012

"I have lived years with daily headaches and migraines often. Migraines would be so bad that they even affected my vision at times. I was always hesitant about daily medications for migraines, but it seemed like I was practically eating over-the-counter migraine relief medications. The neurologist had me try propranolol, and I would highly recommend this medicine! It has given me back my life."

• big...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 14, 2012

"Since I had my child 3 years ago, my anxiety manifests as migraines with aura. I have had rosacea most of my life and get laser treatments to keep it under control. I started experiencing migraines every month about 3 days before my cycle, neck cracking, and general discomfort. I decided enough was enough and to actually try taking something. My doctor gave me 80 mg Inderal LA, and the first month was really hard. I was tired 6 hours after I took it for about 2 hours, to the point that I could hardly type or compose a thought at work. Now, after 2 months, I feel great. I don't get upset over little things, I can think without hundreds of thoughts, and this has worked so much better than Buspar, Zoloft, or 5HTP for me. I recommend giving it a try."

• Meg...
• February 9, 2017

"I have suffered with severe headache and migraine since being a child. About 6 years ago, I was put on propranolol, a low dose, which didn't help, it was then increased, and still, I noticed no change. Over the years, I have tried all sorts of medication, but none that seem to keep the headaches at bay permanently. I was back at the Dr. a month ago and was put back on propranolol 40 mg, 3x daily. Since taking it this time, my headaches have been worse. I am now about 16 days into a permanent headache, sometimes it's just a 1 on the pain scale, and sometimes a 10, but it's always there. Does anyone know of any others I can ask to try? Propranolol seems to be the thing they're relying on, but as it may work for other people, it isn't for me :("

• Bud...
• December 3, 2015

"I've had severe migraines since age 35. 20 days out of 30 and many unhelpful trips to the ER. Even Demerol did not stop the migraine. I have been taking 80 mg of propranolol every day since then, 31 years. The propranolol did very little for my pain. I researched and now take 400 mg of coenzyme Q10 and two 400 mg feverfew per day. Am headache free. I still take the propranolol because I have taken it so long I cannot safely get off it. Sleeplessness, wild dreams are common, IBS-D is a problem, and the worst part is the sexual side effects. ED. I wish I had known about the CoQ10 and feverfew first."

• hap...
• May 24, 2012

"After years of suffering almost daily, feeling like a bad mother because my girls spent so much time looking after me and going to several doctors, I was given Propranolol and have had weeks of being pain-free, which is the greatest feeling ever."

• dra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 8, 2019

"I was on propranolol for about 3 months to prevent migraines. It did not help me at all. It gave me wild, vivid dreams. I would even wake up and see things like a spirit swooping down at me, and I would lay there blinking and scared, thinking, what is going on? I'm awake! I dreamed of dead people that have been gone for years - this part was so enjoyable. The medicine did not help, but I liked seeing past loved ones. That was okay, those dreams were never scary. What made me stop taking it was a nightmare of being shown I could go along if I would only get ready! I looked, and it was a body bag. I woke up scared so bad and did not want to sleep again! I quit taking it after that. I naturally have low blood pressure and acid reflux. The only medicine I was on with propranolol was for acid reflux."

• Hap...
• July 29, 2009

Propranolol "I have been on this medicine for about six years. My monthly migraines were debilitating, included vomiting for hours on end. I still get minor migraines, but I can still function, and after a few hours, I am fine. To me, a wonder drug."

• Anonymous
• March 31, 2012

"Decreased the intensity of the headaches, but it was the propranolol LA that reduced the frequency of attacks from 12 to 15 a month to only one or two. Under my doctor's direction, I take an additional 60 mg LA propranolol when I feel the onset of a migraine. I usually feel relief within 20-30 minutes and have not had more than 2 full-blown migraines per year for the last couple of years. It has been a world of difference."