Mexiletine

Hi ninjaqutie,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the discussion forum! You're lucky to be working with world class migraine/headache experts at the Jefferson, good for you!

I've not taken this medications but hopefully others will be along shortly to share their experiences with you. I hope you do well with it.

I have a little tip for constipation if you're up for it. I took methadone for 3.5 years for chronic head pain and had this problem. I finally found Yakima Valley Anti Constipation Fruit Paste from CancerLynx that completely resolved the issue. One tablespoon a day was all it took!

Here's the recipe. I have permission to share this as long as I meniton CancerLynx!

Yakima Valley Anti Constipation Fruit Paste
1 lb pitted prunes
4 ozs senna tea leaves (at health foods store)
1 lb raisins
1 lb figs
1 cup lemon juice

1. Prepare tea; use about 2 1/2 cups boiled water, add to tea leaves and steep for 5 minutes.
2. Strain tea and remove tea leaves.
3. Place 2 cups of tea, or amount left, in large pot.
4. Add all of the fruit to the tea.
5. Boil fruit and tea for 15 - 20 minutes, until soft.
6. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Allow to cool.
7. Use hand mixer/blender or food processor to turn fruit and tea mix into a paste.
8. Place in glass jars or Tupperware and place in freezer (paste will not freeze but will keep forever in freezer also very long in fridge).
DOSAGE: 1 - 2 Tablespoons per day

Good luck let me know how you make out,
Nancy

I go to Jefferson also. I'm also on Mexiletine. I've probably been on it a bit over 7 months now. I know the one side effect they keep asking me about is tremors, but I don't have that yet. From what I have read, although this is an effective medication for those with refractory migraines, eventually the sides effects will get to a point where you will no longer want to take this medication. I should say, at high enough doses.

I've recently upped my dose by 150 mg, and the first bad side effect that I have noticed is really terrible heart burn. I'm taking previcid, zantac, and tums.

Also, this drug took a long time to even start to work for me. I was on it for the first 6 months and it did nothing. Then one day it just kicked in.

Good luck with this med. I know it's been a miracle for me.

mela14

I was just discharged from Jefferson on Mexiletine after a 5day stay admission for their lidocaine infusion. For the first time in 23 years I do not have a headache!!!!! What I do have is blurry vision and terrible jitteriness, that actually making it difficult to type this. I am going to stay the course for a bit and hope I adjust. I don’t have much to lose at this point. I’ll keep you posted
Dana

Dana
Thanks for sharing that information. i am so afraid to take it because of the reaction that I had to all the meds while there. I’m so Sensitive to meds. At this point what have I got to lose. I woke last night at 3:30 am with the worst tension headache after having an all day migraine yesterday and taking relpax, compazine, advil. Saturday I had to take the toradol IM which helped but the headache returned Monday. So today I am a zombie and needed to take a muscle relaxant because the muscles were so tight behind my neck and going down my spinal column. I am so tired of this. So many different types of migraines. One triggers the other. I’m tired and confused. Stuck in the house with these awful migraines ....
Please keep us posted on the mexilitene.
Mel