For those who get Migraines...

[sunlver]

And have prescription meds, how many pills a month do you get?. I take Imitrex,and get only 9 a month. I realized it was due to insurance purposes why they limit them. I had no idea that this medicine was so much money. Some months I take all 9, some months I have a few left over.

Imitrex is my lifesaver. I know it doesnt work for some people, for me it works wonders. Instead of having a headache that lasts all day, or even two days,the headache is gone less then 2 hrs , sometimess less.

So does your insurance limit how many migraine meds you get a month?

I always try other things first. My first thing I take at the slighted hint of a headache(Sometimes I think its just a common tension headache, and will wait to take anything, but Ive learned LOL), I take 2 Excedrin migraine pills with 2 motrins and most of the the time Im good to go.. If this doesnt work, then I wipe out my Imitrex..

 

[ducklite]

DS takes Topamax, he takes a pill every day and gets 30 a month from insurance. His co-pay is $30, without insurance it would have been close to $300 IIR.

Anne

 

[SandraVB79]

I take medication that prevents me getting migraines, although there are a few times a year I still get them. Maybe 9 times a year?

Nevertheless, I get unlimited migraine-medication, but it's very expensive.

 

[aprilgail2]

Even if insurance only covers a certain amount you can still get the rest, you just have to pay out of pocket. We did this for my godson, he had cancer and was taking so many meds that made him sick, the would let him have a 7 pills a month that would keep him from being sick, so it was like "do you want to puke all day today or would this ba a day you want to take one of your pills" it was insane, we finally just paid out of pocket the 3,000 a month it would take to cover to get him pills for every day.

 

[Disney_Mama]

I take Zomig Rapimelt. It costs me $202.83 for 12 pills. Some times that can last me a few months and some times only one. I started with Imitrix, it did not work for me. They wanted to put me on a daily pill but I hate the thought of taking a pill every day even when I don't have a headache.

 

[SandraVB79]

I take Zomig Rapimelt. It costs me $202.83 for 12 pills. Some times that can last me a few months and some times only one. I started with Imitrix, it did not work for me. They wanted to put me on a daily pill but I hate the thought of taking a pill every day even when I don't have a headache.

D_M, I used to have a migraine once a week. Now I take a daily pill, and if I get a migraine once a month, it's a lot. Usually, it's only once every two months or so.
Also, it's not that, when I forget to take my daily pill, that I get a migraine that day, so it doesn't stress me as much as BC

For me, the preventive medication works very well, and it's a lot cheaper than the Zomig!!!!
Taking a daily pill and not suffering is more worth to me than suffering and trying different things to stop the pain!

 

[Strawberry Lemonade]

I was just prescribed Imitrex for my migraines and am also limited to 9 per month. Do you get more if it's a lower dosage? I have the 100mg pills and end up cutting them in half which usually gets rid of the migraine completely.

 

[crz4mm2]

Have you talked with your doc about daily preventative meds?
I used to get frequent migraines too. Would take Imitrex almost daily too. It is very expensive. WEnt on a preventative med (Topamax) and now get migraines infrequently. I would much rather take a preventative med daily then get a migraine daily.

 

[sunlver]

I was just prescribed Imitrex for my migraines and am also limited to 9 per month. Do you get more if it's a lower dosage? I have the 100mg pills and end up cutting them in half which usually gets rid of the migraine completely.

Thats a good question. I get the 100mg also. I read on the insert it said not to cut them in half. I guess it couldnt hurt. I mean, if you take a half, and it doesnt work, you could just take the other half.

 

[Forevryoung]

I get migraines nearly weekly if not sometimes twice (i think if i get them twice, it's a rebound).

I take Amerge because I can't take all the "normal" stuff- I take a rare (fairly new) medication every day and my doctor is super careful with drug interactions. He doesn't want to give something to me if they haven't done enough drug interaction studies on it. Even if it is supposed to be safe by logical standpoint (I agree with him but it limits severely what I can take).

I get 9 Amerge tablets a month as well- $195 out of pocket ($50 copay instead for my insurance). It took me 2 months to go through all 9.

I wish I could take Excedrine Migraine first to see if it works but my doctor prefers that I make the "one or the other" decision

 

[Horseshoes]

I take Maxalt and I also only get 9 a month, which I do go thru every month.

I was prescribed Frova, which works even better than the Maxalt for me.

I think thats the way around the insurance, you need to be precribed 2 different ones.

 

[Strawberry Lemonade]

Thats a good question. I get the 100mg also. I read on the insert it said not to cut them in half. I guess it couldnt hurt. I mean, if you take a half, and it doesnt work, you could just take the other half.

My dr is the one who told me to try half first after I complained that the whole pill's side effects were too strong. If it doesn't work after a few hours, I'm supposed to take the other half. I have to go back and re-read the insert to see what it says about that.

 

[Tuffcookie]

I sympathize with you! There are times I need all my alloted migraine pills for 1 on-going migraine! I actually was on topomax to prevent the migraines altogether but I didn't like the side affects. When I took topomax I felt like I wasn't thinking clearly.
Right now, I'm like you, I first try the Excedrin Migraine meds before taking the prescription Rx.

TC

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I'm a chronic migraine sufferer and am really having a tough time right now. I've tried lots of different preventatives and am currently on Topamax, but nothing has really worked. For pain I take Maxalt. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't so well. On Sunday I had a migraine and I took the meds pretty much right away and it just didn't kick in. That day I chased it with a percocet when the Maxalt didn't work and it did go away, but I was knocked out from the Maxalt and wired from the percocet (I think that's the day I started the bra thread ). The neuro thinks that they are because I'm peri-menopause and wants me on a low-dose birth control pill, but I have been reluctant, but I'm finally going to break down and try it.

And yes, the insurance does limit how many pills, but if the dr writes a letter to the insurance company they will sometimes increase the # of pills they will allow.

 

[THE HAT]

I used to take imitrex but it just didn't seem to do a thing for me. I have been taking fiourcet for mine. I get 60 for 14.00 and I just call dr when I am running low and need a refill. I can usually go 4 months on those. She did mention talking about some different ideas when I come in for my physical this summer. I am sure she wants to go the one a day route, but I just can't take a pill a day. I can't even finish a week of antibiotics, geesh.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

I try and take Excedrin migraine first with a coke (or cup of coffee) before taking my prescription. It usually lessens the migraine where I can tolerate the pain. I hate the light headed feeling and the feeling that I can't control my brain with the prescription.