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        New Message Board Archives >> 2002 Posts >> New Member Here
        
(Message started by: cox3406 on Oct 6^th, 2002, 3:16am)

Title: New Member Here
Post by cox3406 on Oct 6^th, 2002, 3:16am

Hi everyone,
I am new and this is my first post so be gentle. I do think after looking around this site I am in the right place. I have been suffering since I was 12 years old. I will be 41 this year. I am in the middle of an attack right now. Its about on a 12 hour cycle. Strange, I have never seen them so regular. In the past 17 days I have had at least 2 headaches?! a day with no end in sight. I have had attacks last as long as 70 or 80 days. I hope this aint one of them. I have Zomig when I can, but my insurance will only allow me 6 pills in 10 days, not enough. My DR gives me samples when she has them and that helps. I have started using Imitrex injection for the first time and it seems to abort an attack, but it does not last long. At $130.00 a 2-pack dose for Imitrex and 24.90 each for Zomig it is frustrating to finally have something that works at least sometimes and have so much trouble getting it.
Why is Imitrex pills 50mg and the injection only 6mg. Seems I can break up the pill about 10 times and strech it out! Maybe just lick it a little when the train rolls into my head. Well I am rambling, thanks for listening and I hope to be back with good news.
Mark

Title: Re: New Member Here
Post by BobG on Oct 6^th, 2002, 3:23am

Good morning Mark

Welcome to the board.

Click the 'imitrex tip' button on the left side of the screen to learn about extending the injections to 3 parts.

Title: Re: New Member Here
Post by cox3406 on Oct 6^th, 2002, 3:39am

Hi Bob,
Thanks for the tip. I was on the Imitrex web site the other day and I seem to remember something about them offering another injectable other than the STATdose pen. I will post a link if I can find it again. If I remember right you use a U-100 insulin syringe. Depending on the size of vial they provided it might last quite a bit longer. I am going to try to get my DR to try oxygen. She has been pretty good about trying what might work. I also have a pretty aggressive Neuro guy who has been treating me for over 10 years now.
Talk to you later,
Mark

Title: Re: New Member Here
Post by Drk^Angel on Oct 6^th, 2002, 4:05am

The reason why the injectables don't have as much sumatriptan as the pills, is because if you injected that much sumatriptan at one time, it'd prolly kill ya.

PFDAN........................... Drk^Angel

Title: Re: New Member Here
Post by cox3406 on Oct 6^th, 2002, 4:17am

Thanks for the reply DA,
Judging from the relief I get from just 6mg of Imitrex injection it almost seems a waste to take 50mg at once. I have just got the Imitrex pills today and have not tried one yet. I did take a STATdose shot about 8 hours ago. Judging from the timing of the cycle of the beast this time I will be due for a visit in the next 4-6 hours. I am hoping the Imitrex pill will last longer than the injection. I also received some Maxalt samples today but I have not tried it yet. This attack has been pretty bad so I am a little afraid to use an untried remedy while I still have something that is mostly working.
Thanks,
Mark

Title: f it is absorbed into the bloodRe: New Member Here
Post by SteveY on Oct 7^th, 2002, 6:21am

The reason your pills are 50mg, is that the majority of the sumatriptan in the pill is broken down by the liver and excreted out of the body, only around 10% finishes up in the bloodstream.

The nasal spray is 20mg, of which over half is lost by swallowing the stuff and evaporation, only about a third of it is absorbed into the bloodstream via the mucus membrane.

The subcutaneous injection is virtually straight into the bloodstream and over 95% of it is taken up by the body.

So all three provide roughly the same amount of sumatriptan crossing the blood brain barrier,

The main diffrence of course is absorbtion speed.

Steve

Title: Re: New Member Here
Post by cox3406 on Oct 7^th, 2002, 6:40am

Thank you Steve for your reply. It helps me understand the best way to get through the "dances".
22 hours PF, whew.
Mark

Title: Re: New Member Here
Post by chris_weav on Oct 7^th, 2002, 9:06am

hi there,
Im a new member myself. Just started using this site during my last cycle which almost drove me to suicide. I told my neuro, I dont want to treat these damn headaches anymore, I want to prevent them. Imitrex helps, and Maxalt has worked for me in the past, but have you tried any preventative measures. Steroids always stop my headaches in their tracks. and sometimes just breaking the cycle can end the cycle.

fellow sufferer Chris

Title: Re: New Member Here
Post by cox3406 on Oct 7^th, 2002, 10:08am

Thanks Chris,
It seems to me we tried Prednisolone about 10 years ago with no benefit at that time. Dose pack is what it was called, decreasing dosage. I have had Inderiol, Wellbutrin, Depacote and maybe a dozen other in the last 15 years. I have never responded to a preventive yet.
Imitrex injection, Zomig, and most recently Maxalt are currently in my arsenal, with some success.
I am about 30 hours PF now, during which I have taken two Maxalt . The cycle has been every 10-12 hours with heavy "ghosting' between brain smashers.
The Maxalt is working pretty good, I might be able to sleep a little. This current spell has been going on for close to 30 days now. I can only remember 3 days in this period that the 12 hour cycle relented. Last night is one of them.
If history is a guide I should be winding down, but The Devil may have other plans.
Lets hope not.
Let me know how you are doing,
Mark