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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004-2005 Getting to Know Ya Posts >> New with Imitrex Question
        
(Message started by: Kris_in_SJ on Jun 16^th, 2004, 7:16pm)

Title: New with Imitrex Question
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Jun 16^th, 2004, 7:16pm

First, I'd like to say "Thank You"! More than anything, I no longer feel so lonely, and I now have solid info I can give my family (who love me but have no way of really understanding what this is like yet).

I'm just winding down (I think) my third episode. The first was like 6 weeks of a kip 3-4 shadow - a brief horrible pain in my temple and behind my left eye, then lingering, dull pain for 6-7 weeks and eye droop ... neuro workup completed without diagnosis. 5 pf years go by and a true episode began. My smart GP gives me Imitrex injects and sends me again to neuro. This time diagnosis made & episode shortened with Verap - Imitrex for aborting. Unfortunately, neuro didn't explain that CH tend to come back and that I should wean off Verap eventually!

Anyway .... when my last episode finished, I had about 6 auto syringes of Imitrex left (which I threw away because I had NO IDEA that these would come back!)

Four years pass and here they come again! Because I was never taken off the Verap last time, I'm now up to taking 480mg/day and once again aborting w/ imitrex. After 3 weeks of the increased Verap, I feel like the episode is resolving - have gone to 2 CH/day down to 1/every other with only mild shadows in between.

My question .... If I'm truly winding down, I'm going to have Imitrex left over. If my clusters continue to occur only every 4-5 years, it will be VERY expired by the time I need it again. Can you use expired Imitrex? Will it get stronger, weaker, or kill me if I use it several years after the expiration date? If so, is there some method of getting it to someone else who might need it before it goes bad? Considering the cost, I sure hope someone has an answer.

Thanks for being there for me!

Title: Re: New with Imitrex Question
Post by Superpain on Jun 16^th, 2004, 7:25pm

Jesus pleez us!

You threw WHAT away!? :o

Yes, it's still good after the exp date...
Yes, there are ways to help people, but they shouldn't really be discussed in public like this.

There is a private message system on this board that comes in handy....

If you don't want to keep it, I'd suggest reading around here and finding people who are suffering the most and perhaps send them a friendly PM.

What goes around comes around. ;)

Title: Re: New with Imitrex Question
Post by UN_SOLVED on Jun 16^th, 2004, 7:32pm

I've used plenty of OLD Imitrex injections. Doc says it may lose some of it's stength after it gets old, but I never could tell a difference. Just don't heat it up to extreme temps or freeze it and you'll be fine !!

Unsolved < Has used MASSIVE amounts of Imitrex and still does ! >

Title: Re: New with Imitrex Question
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Jun 16^th, 2004, 8:13pm

OK Superpain - I'm sorry! There's a reason the word "new" shows up after my name.

Thanks for answering.

Title: Re: New with Imitrex Question
Post by Giovanni on Jun 16^th, 2004, 8:36pm

Hi Kris,

I've read where some people have used imitrex stat dose injections a couple of years beyond the expiration date. You might want to keep a few around in case your cycle pattern changes. I continously obtain new ones for storage. I have "properly" disposed of MANY boxes over the past year. My clusterbuddies have told me how to do this. The stat dose imitrex cost around $125.00 for a box of two.

Happy to hear that you're going into remission.

Regards,

John

Title: Re: New with Imitrex Question
Post by Prense on Jun 18^th, 2004, 9:56am

on 06/16/04 at 20:13:17, Kris_in_SJ wrote:

OK Superpain - I'm sorry! There's a reason the word "new" shows up after my name.

Thanks for answering.

He's only answering like that because for many folks imitrex is almost impossible to get in a realistic quantity as well as they are phenomenally expensive. Don't take it personal.

Chris