Migranes...and the Miracle Drug...

[HauntedMansionGeek]

Aren't migraines miserable? Those blind spots..gaaaaaaa and the sick headache that moves your entire body toward nausea. Bleah.......hate 'em hate 'em hate 'em.

My miracle drug has been Ibuproffen taken with a bit of pop containing caffeine. It ONLY works if I catch the migraine while it's still in the visual disturbance stage....and the meds work within 15-20 minutes!

Incredible and amazing is how I describe my miracle drugs.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Originally posted by Towncrier
FYI - The pills may not work well for some people because your digestive system shuts down during a full blown migraine. If you don't take the pill(s) soon enough, they will just sit in your stomach and won't do you any good. You might want to consider the nasal spray if the pills aren't doing the job.

I NEVER knew that! Thanks so much for sharing! I'll speak to my doc next time I see him about this!

About excedrine migraine...I get the WORST rebound headaches from those...to get me off of it my doc had to me take 3 imitrex in 24 hours.

think of this - he prescribed 10 pills to be refilled 3 times.
take 3 in the first 24 hours
1 each day for the next 3 days
then as needed

I blazed through those 10 pills in under 2 weeks....when I went to refill, they said no..I was only allowed 1 refill in 30 days.

 

[CyranoJones]

I was diagnosed with migraine syndrome when I was 5 years old. Had them regularly, maybe once a week until I hit my 40s. They started to slow down in frequency but I would be guaranteed at least one day a month hanging over the toilet. Unfortunately I didn't react well to any of the drugs.

Then a year ago I started eating low carb for other reasons and cut all aspartame out of my diet. I haven't had a migraine since. I haven't even had a headache since. If you do drink a good deal of diet soda and have headaches, I recommend trying soda without aspartame...it might help. There are conflicting medical and scientific opinions on the role of aspartame and its effect on occurence of headaches. So it could be coincidence in my case but I have a feeling that it's not.

 

[JulieWent]

Every time I take an Imitrex, I say a quiet little prayer of thanks that I live in the age that I do. I remember just a few short years ago when the onset of a migraine meant a day or two in bed. Now it means an hour or so of pain before my meds kick in. God bless those pharmaceutical researchers!!!

(I also take topamax to block my migraines. It's been pretty effective. I don't take so many Imitrex tabs anymore. Good thing, too, since they've changed the packaging and I can't get into those bleepity-bleepity blister packs anymore.)

Julie

 

[2bemarried]

I also get migraines. I've had them since my early teens. Thankfully Imitrex has been my saving grace. I also take Nortriptylene as a preventitive every night. Otherwise I'll wake up with them and am stuck in bed all day. It's not easy missing work b/c of migraines especially when I work for the company that makes Imitrex.

FYI for anyone that has not gotten a refill recently...the new rapid release tablets are out in pharmacies now. However the packaging is little more difficult (at least I think so).

 

[Simba's Mom]

Yes-thank goodness for Imitrex! I just took it a couple hours ago, the first time I've needed it for months, but thank goodness it was there. To those of you who aren't helped at all by the pills, neither was I. But my doctor had given it to me both in pill form and nasal spray, and the first time I tried the pills-I was so dissappointed-nothing happened! But next time I tried the nasal spray, and within 5 minutes the headache was gone. But that co-pay! Everytime I take it-there goes about $4 up my nose!

 

[DwarfMaster]

I think I'll have to ask about the Nasal Spray ~ it seems to work better than the pills for some of you. I've tried the Imitrex, Relpax, Maxalt, Zomig, Topamax, Excedrin, etc...Nothing gets rid of the migraine and they all seem to have some nasty side effect. The Topamax is supposed to be really good to help prevent migraines ~ but my blood pressure is so low, it only makes it lower and then I get so weak & dizzy.

I've learned to live with them for now ~ until we can find something better. I always get my migraines at night, so I've been able to work/function without too many problems ~ I just go home and straight to bed.

 

[HollyJoy]

My DH also suffers from Migranes, and swares by Imitrex!!

 

[crz4mm2]

Imitrex is quite expensive isn't it? But, I would pay a MILLION for one when I have a migraine!
I take INderal LA for suppression and that has been a miracle for me!
I have tried relapax too and it seems to work, but imitrex REALLY works well for me. Injectable if I have nausea/vomiting.
Fortunately, since using Inderal for suppression, I have not had a 'really bad' migraine (you know what I mean- in bed, puking your guts out......).

Migraines are terrible. If your Family doc won't give you an RX ask for a referral to Neurologist. My Gyne is who Rxd the Inderal for me.

Oh, I hate the nasal spray! Leaves such a horrid taste in my mouth causes nausea for me. I would rather do an injection if I can't do oral.

 

[goudaman40]

My husband and I both used to take Maxalt (self desolver's) I hated the taste and begged for something else.

I take Imitrex - works great on me, but doesn't work on Hubby.

Hubby takes Relpax - works great on him, but doesn't work on me.

He is also on a medicine which is a calcuim cluster blocker - preventive medicine that seems to work really well. He takes it everyday and now only has about 3 Migranes a month. He was having 3 - 4 Migranes a week - so this little pill is a real miracle!

 

[momtoce&j]

Originally posted by Boo'sMom
Imitrex is great for migraines...but why do they put it in a blister pack that is impossible to open when you're in that much pain

Yes!! Me too. I started taking Imitrex this March. This stuff is GREAT!! I had been taking the Excedrin Migriane, but it no longer works, just gives me the shakes on top of my headache.

So, why do they package the Imitrex the way they do?? Could it be so it's child proof? Don't they understand that when you have a migraine, you head is pounding like there's a little man with a sledgehammer in your head, it's too bright in the room, you're trying NOT to throw up, and the manufacturer expects you to be able to pull that little tab (that doesn't do squat) and break through the blister pack to get to the pill??