Those who take Imitrex or Relpax, can you split?

[Ronda93]

I've been taking Zomig for migraines for years. It started out as a miracle drug for me. The only side effect was a tightness in my throat which I gladly endured for the relief it provided. Over the last six months the nausea side effect has become more pronouced and it's taking a second dose to relieve the pain.

I am shopping for a replacement. From the experiences related here on the DIS, it sounds like Imitrex has some potent side effects. I picked up a sample of Relpax and tried it last night. Very effective and no side effects yet....

I pay cash for my prescriptions, so $18 vs. $9 a pill is serious over the course of a year. I could split the 5 mg Zomig and get relief. I see that Imitrex and Relpax are available in 25/50 and 20/40 mg doses.

Finally my question.... has anyone had experience splitting either of these drugs? Is there a website that tells whether a med is suitable for splitting?

thanks,
Ronda

 

[Barb D]

Yes, you can split Imitrex. I'm supposed to try and take 1/2 of one, and if it doesn't work take the other half. Because of their shape (triangular) they are NOT easy to split without a pill splitter (like a hinged box with a razor blade in it.) They gave me a pill splitter at the pharmacy.

I'm currently on Zomig instead of Imitrex. They work about the same for me.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I take relpax, and I am not sure. Call the pharmacy and ask, making it clear that you are not asking permission etc. IOW, that they are not liable!

 

[Shellie722]

Imitrex also comes in a 100mg tablet that is supposed to be reformulated to disolve faster. Like Barb D said it is deinitely easier to split w/ a pill cutter. I have the tablets and the injections b/c I've noticed that if I wake up w/ a really bad migraine the injections work 100% better (not to mention faster) than any tablet. I've heard the same about the nasal spray too from several people. Of all the triptans I think Amerge may work best as a tablet and I have never had any side affects from it. I still have a prescrition for it too but after taking it for 5 years it seems to not work as well or me lately so I switched meds for a while. HTH

 

[Amberle3]

I use something called Maxalt RPD. I tried Imitrex for a while, but I react poorly to it. The Maxalt RPD is a self-dissolving wafer, and it's worked very well for me.

I found a website with some information on the Maxalt here