Quote Originally Posted by malkin View Post
The doc put me on a low dose of amitriptyline (so low, she called it 'tincture of nothing') and it has cut down on ALL my headaches, to the point where I have headaches like a normal person--you know, those people who notice that their head hurts, and then they can take tylenol and feel better.
I've had a similar experience with nortriptyline. I have many fewer headaches, and the ones that I do get generally respond well to medication. For me, it's a wonder drug. Taking a daily preventative means that I take far fewer pills overall.

Before the nortriptyline, my doctors had me try verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker which is sometimes used off-label for migraine prevention. The reason that we tried a heart drug first was that the continuous migraines were sending my blood pressure quite high. (Funny how unending severe pain will do that to you.) My BP dropped like a stone, but I also became lethargic and depressed. I couldn't exercise without blacking out, and my heat tolerance was seriously affected. About the only good thing was that it helped some with the migraines, and I started sleeping well for the first time in a decade. After a few months of trying to make it work, and after a few blackouts which resulted in falls, I finally told the doctor, "I'd rather have the migraines. I'm not taking this anymore."