I've been precribed pizotifen, should i take it? the side effects seem really extreme! help x

Question

i know all the side effects ect.

but they seem very extreme.

i've been precribed a 1.5 mg dose.

for shooting pains in the head.

is this a high dose?

it sounds low haa.

What are the pro's & cons of taking this tablet?

&

what's the side effect that i'm most likely to get?

thanks loads.

=]

x*x

Answer 1

a really good drug to lessen the headaches. main side effect is weight gain. 1.5 mg quite a low dose. hope that helps

Answer 2

best thing to do is take the dug and see what happens, watch for the side effects and report to your doctor, if the drug does not work then they will probably try a different drug  

Answer 3

!.5 mgs at night is the standard starting dose of pizotifen. It is probably still currently the most effective of the  3 commonly used migraine prophylactic drugs used in the UK. The maximum daily dose is 4.5 mgs. Its 2 most common side effects are drowsiness and increased appetite. The drowsiness can often be countered by taking it in the early evening, this way the effect tends to wear of by the time you wake up in the morning. If you watch what you eat and weigh yourself regularly it is also possible to avoid weight gain.

The next 2 tablets down the list are propranalol, which is less effective, can't be given to asthmatics and may cause quite severe fatigue, rather than sleepiness, and clonidine, which though in the low dose used has few side effects, also has a very high fail rate.

Answer 4

Firstly, read Dr. Frank's reply. The important thing to know is that everyone reacts to medicines differently and sometimes it is better not to know the side effects - they can frighten you to death and clearly they have worried you. There are examples in the medical world where, for example patients have been prescribed tablets for headache and one of the side effects quoted on the information sheet has been "headache". Try to forget the side effects, trust your Doctor and if any side effects appear then go back to see him/her.