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Imitrex INJECTIONS

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Migraine Headache
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Posted 2/1/2005 8:17 AM (GMT -8)
I am 40 years old and have had migraines since I was about 15 years old.
I got a migraine if I dared to have an alcoholic drink, if I ate the wrong foods, if the barometric pressure was dropping, if I was stressed out, thirsty, hungry, tired, had my period, or wore the wrong color socks!! (lol)

For about 4 years now I've been able to get rid of my headaches right away, THANK GOD, because I used to go to bed TERRIFIED that I'd wake up with my head pounding at 4:00 a.m.

Many of you might already know about this, and if it's been discussed a lot in the past, please forgive my redundance but for those that still have to suffer please ask your doctors about the Imitrex INJECTIONS. The shots and/or the nasal sprays are not as effective for some reason (totally unscientific remarkl) The injection is in the form of a pen which tricks you into giving yourself the shot (dont have to look at the needle) and the little "pinch" is nothing compared to the pain in your trobbing head.

I think the longest I had to wait for relief was 20 minutes. The only time it doesnt work for me is if it wasnt truly a migraine in the 1st place (tension headache, etc.)

I dont panic anymore when I'm awoken with a "killer migraine." only if there's no Imitrex in the house anyway. (they are expensive so it helps if you've got health ins. which I dont) My doctors nice enough to give me some of the samples the drug companies leave him.

Sorry for the length of post and again-sorry if this has already been covered. Have a great day ladies smile (and mabye gentlemen)

Barb
Posted 2/1/2005 11:52 AM (GMT -8)

Thanks for the info Barb~

I have been using Imitrex injections for years and they do work most of the time. Other times I have migraines that do not respond to much of anything and land me in the ER. There are also some people who can not take imitrex (in any form) due to heart conditions and allergies etc.

Thanks again for the info!

Sara

Posted 2/1/2005 12:55 PM (GMT -8)
I've seen that mentioned in their advertisements. I wonder if it affects a lot of people........

Thank God I can take it (I had problems with rapid heartbeat-spent a few occasions in the hospital) BEFORE I took the Imitrex. The doctor knew this & still allowed me to take the Imitrex.

I consider myself lucky-There were times I did not think I could live through another minute of those headaches. You start to think crazy when the pain is so severe. The worst is when you get that ice pick feeling in your eye and you're vomiting-A gun shot to the head starts to sound more appealing :)

I cant imagine living back when there was no medicine for things like this. Women were out there plowing the fields, churning butter, all while they had a migraine that they couldnt take medicine for!!!! Yikes.....................

Take Care,
Barb
Posted 2/2/2005 5:45 AM (GMT -8)

I definitely understand that, and I have several friends with Coronary Artery Disease and know that they can not take any triptans! I feel for them.

I have some tighteness in my chest, jaw and sometimes throat and when I tell people that they ask why I still take it...well, of course they have never suffered a migraine in their life so they don't quite get it. I know that after I have had the same migraine for 2-3 days I think a bullet in the head would hurt less too!!!

I recently loss my job and house due to medical issues-mainly migraines and it's impact on life, so I don't know how others do so well with this. I have no husband or children to look after (well, I do have a four-legged one that acts like my child!!!) But sometimes I wonder how others deal or if I'm just a really severe case...cause Lord knows I'm not just a wimp :-)

Well, I am thankful for the medications that have been created to help us out. Now, we have to work on the healthcare system so everyone has access to the medications they need. (Those of us without insurance are greatful for the drugs, we just can't afford them!!!!)

Thanks for the post Barb~!

Sara

Posted 2/2/2005 10:00 AM (GMT -8)
I am a "stay at home" Mom for many years now because of health problems myself. I dont think many employers want to hear "I cant come in today-I have a migraine" or "I cant come in
today-my back hurts too much" over and over and over. I was in a bad accident-my SUV flipped over 7 times -really made my back a mess-more medicine that I take. I would be the most unreliable employee someone could ever hire!!!

I have two kids, 9 and 13, and I cannot tell you how many mornings they would find me sitting on the floor by the toilet and have to get themselves ready & down to the bus stop with nothing more than a "I CANT TALK TO YOU-MY HEAD HURTS TOO MUCH TO TALK-HAVE A GOOD-DAY-BYE!!!" from their Mom!! Did you ever get them like that where it hurts too much to even move your lips!!! That was mostly before my injections-Now I keep them right in my nightstand so if I wake up at 4 or 5 a.m. feeling that God Awful Feeling I just have to reach over for the shot and not even have to walk. It's so nice to wake back up an hour later with it gone, sometimes I start singing or get giggly from pure relief!!!

I wish it was more affordable so having them in the house was not such an issue.
My husband has always known I'd prefer he walk in the door with one of my Imitrex prescriptions filled than with a dozen roses, chocolate, you name it....... LOL

Hope you have a Headache Free Day, Week, Month, (I wont push it)
:-)
Barb (concerned sis)
Posted 2/2/2005 6:29 PM (GMT -8)

Barb~

I just wanted to say...I love reading your posts!!!

Thanks for hanging around.

Sara

Posted 2/3/2005 5:03 AM (GMT -8)
I've been trying to log on and read more of these health boards. It's so nice to "hear from" people that go through the same things that you do.

"Non-Migraine People" think we just have a HEADACHE, A HEADACHE, can you imagine??
How do you explain migraine pain to someone who hasnt had one-you cant!!!

Have to go do my Crohnes research for my sister (thats why I initially came) before I lose the computer again-(crashes)

Hope to be "hearing from you" again :)

Take Care-
Barb
Posted 2/8/2005 4:36 PM (GMT -8)

Barb~

I know exactly what you mean, it is nearly impossible to explain to someone what a migraine is, or even worse...Chronic Migraines. I have family and friends who think they are "just headaches" like you said...and I think that is one of the things that hurts the most, people who are close to you and should understand but don't, and/or don't try to understand.

I get them for days at a time and can not function-to the point of just getting up and going to the bathroom, nothing else. And not only does your head hurt, but there are so many other things that go along with that...and I have a tendency after days to get really depressed and have that pile on top of things.

That is why I like coming here so much, it helps to know that there are others who care and really do understand what you are going through!

Keep coming back to see us!

Sara

Posted 2/10/2005 5:20 PM (GMT -8)
Hey, it's great that we can share about this stuff. I read an article in science news-- sometime in the last year-lol- that they did a study using Melatonin with women with severe migraines and something like 72% had significant reduction in occurance.  They didn't know the mechanism, but I thought it was interesting---Not much risk involved in seeing if it helps. You can get it in the grocery store!  When I was a kid, I had serious sleep problems, and also intense migraines.(are there any other kind?) I think they put me on some codine syrup. I wonder now if they were linked. I also came on here to research/post about Crohn's. I'm new here, so I don't want to break any posting rules. I've found something that really helps my IBS. email me if you want to hear about it. Hope the meletonin tip helps!

Posted 2/12/2005 4:55 PM (GMT -8)

Tesa~

Thanks for the information! We hope to see you around more...

Sara

Posted 6/26/2005 9:58 PM (GMT -8)
Imitrex injections helped me for awhile and then they became useless. My problem seems to be my body builds up some kind of resistance to any type of pain med after only a short while.
After I have had a migraine for two weeks I usually end up in ER. In most cases it takes morphine to get it under control. The first few times it knocked me out cold. Now they have to up the dosage and it doesn't even make me sleepy. The RN's used to put up the bed rails and now they all know me and I just walk out when they are done, not one bit sleepy! This tolerance has become a curse!!

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