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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> imitrex take so long to help?
        
(Message started by: Radha on Sep 9^th, 2006, 1:41am)

Title: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Radha on Sep 9^th, 2006, 1:41am

does it take anyone hours for the imitrex spray to help the pain? i only get relief many hours after i use it, i didnt think it was supposed to take 6 or 7 hrs? shouldnt it help within an hour? does anyone have any idea why it takes so long to kick in for me? any input would be appreciated, thanks, its very hard to be so patient and wait so long to get relief!
radha

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Guiseppi on Sep 9^th, 2006, 1:51am

The imitrex sprays never worked for me, just made me barf. The injections work in a matter of minutes but are very expensive. I save them for "when all else fails." If the spray aint doing it within 10 minutes you probably need another abortive, have you tried oxygen? Good luck to you.

Guiseppi

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by The mad viking on Sep 9^th, 2006, 1:51am

Hi There

What kind of trex are you talking about?
Shots--pills or spray?

The shots usually kicks in within 7-10 minutes,The spray within 12-15 min and the pills WAY to long time before it kicks in

Svenn

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Tattoo on Sep 9^th, 2006, 8:10am

My Doc took me off the injections and has given me the spray . The spray doesnt work everytime for me too . One thing I did notice is that I was puting the spray in my nose on the side that the HA was in and I get a real bad "drippy' nose on that side . So I will put it in the other side and it does work better ,if it works . I want my shots back !

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Kevin_M on Sep 9^th, 2006, 8:57am

I've used the Imitrex nasal sprays for about ten years now. Grabbing one with an oncoming hit has been reliably aborted within 15 minutes or so. Before starting verapamil, waking to a hit well under progress has taken much longer but never over 40 minutes, when an icepack helps bide the time, coping. However the fact it has consistently ended a CH for me, knowing the trex will end it, becomes the paramount issue at that time. Verapamil has helped lessen the time now for some reason.
Oxygen has been the mainstay for me as of late, with the trex used less now, but still a good back up when needed. I've noticed though that results vary widely with the n/s trex.

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Karla on Sep 9^th, 2006, 9:12am

I agree with svenn. An hr or two for the pills. 10 min for the shot. 15 min for nasal spray. I have been taking ns for years. It obviously doesn't work for you. I would request a different abortive.

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Bob_Johnson on Sep 9^th, 2006, 10:27am

With the spray, following instructions is critical. If you hold your head back you'll end up swallowing the med and, of course, no benefit.

If you find that under the best situation you don't get relief, then you're one of the appx 10% for whom Imitrex doesn't work. Only option is to work with your doc to try another med.

Here is a link to read and print and take to your doctor. It describes preventive, transitional, abortive and surgical treatments for CH. Written by one of the better headache docs in the U.S. (2002)

http://www.brightok.net/~mnjday/chtherapy.pdf

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by jmorgan52 on Sep 9^th, 2006, 11:08am

Rahda

If it takes hours to get relief when using the nasal spray, then it is not the imitrex that is giving relief. The CH went by itself. The spray and pills are hit and miss.

Get the injections. If imitrex is going to work at all for you then this delivery method is the fastest and most reliable. If it works at all, which it does for most of us here you will get total relief within 10 minutes.

The autoinjector is a piece of cake - just hold the "pen" firmly against the outside of your upper thigh and then press the button. No special injecting technique, no syringes to fill. just bingo and its all over.

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Radha on Sep 9^th, 2006, 11:37pm

i cant thank all of you enough for your replies, i do have the injection but just cant handle the burning i get thru out my body when i use it, so stopped using the injections, will the cluster just go away by itself even without taking any med? i dont find that mine really completely go away unless i take either imitrex or zomig or relpax, but the thing it never takes just 15 min!! even with the spray, i dont take the pills, thanks again for all your help
radha

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Guiseppi on Sep 10^th, 2006, 12:07am

I know what you mean about the burning, I call it doing the serpent dance. I inject in my bottom and I dance while it works it's way up my back and into my head.

Left untreated my headaches will resolve in about an hour, but if it ramps up to a kip 10 during that hour I'm exhausted and my head aches for the rest of the day. Not like a ch head ache, but like someone whacked me on the side of the head with a 2 by 4!!! I hope you do find something that helps.

Guiseppi

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by jmorgan52 on Sep 10^th, 2006, 5:22am

Rahda

ok so you tried the injection, it didn't really have any dangeorus affect on you so you can reasonablt assume it is safe. The sensation you felt is just the blood vessels contracting which is supposed to happen. Thats waht gets rid of the pressure in the nerves that cause the pain. Give it a few more tries. You will get used to the feeling. It is worth it to get rid of the pain in 10 minutes.

Sure - the CH hit will go away in a few hours without meds. I only had this option for over 30 years before I discovered trex in 1995 as noithing else aborted for me. The first time I used it the sensation was very wierd, but 10 mins later I was pain free and I was so glad I had used the injection.

I also did not enjoy the inj that time so got the pills and nasal spray, assuming I would get the same relief. 6 pills and 6 nasal sprays and plenty of wasted bucks later I realised they did nothing for me so I went back to the injs which have worked every single time for me.

John

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by E-Double on Sep 10^th, 2006, 8:18am

Zyprexa has worked for several of us including myself as quick as imitrex injection or any other triptan and has not had the nasty side effects

http://www.headachedrugs.com/archives/olanzapine.html

Quote:

Title:Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache
Author:TD Rozen
Date:Posted May 2002
Source:Headache 2001; 41:813-816

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Objective: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial.

Background: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs.

Methods: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. The initial olanzapine dose was 5 mg., and the dose was increased to 10 mg. if there was no pain relief. The dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg. if the 5 mg. dose was effective but caused adverse effects. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose.

Results: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80 percent in 4 of 5 patients, and two patients became headache-free after taking the drug. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple-treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness.

Conclusions: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. It alleviates pain quickly and has a consistent response across multiple treated attacks. It appears to work in both episodic and chronic cluster headache.

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by chewy on Sep 10^th, 2006, 9:40am

Quote:

i only get relief many hours after i use it, i didnt think it was supposed to take 6 or 7 hrs?

Are you saying your HA lasts 6-7 hours?

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by unsolved1 on Sep 10^th, 2006, 10:22am

get the 'jabs' ;)

UNsolved

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Radha on Sep 10^th, 2006, 11:29pm

yes many times they last 6-7 hours, terrible stabbing in ear on same side of eye and left side of head too into left gland in neck too, i have tried zyprexa but even half a 2.5 tablet makes me too too dopey and knocks me out and makes me feel so exhausted all day, but such a small dose doesnt do much for the pain, i did take a zomig spray this morning and it worked faster than the imitrex spray, so maybe imitrex just isnt the most affective for me, relpax works great but takes so long! and the doc only gives me 2 tabs at a time coz of i ask for zomig too. i just worry about rebound effects, but then i dont take them every single day, but i have been getting at least a strong shadow, or even a bad CH daily. and cant take verampil or lithium or kudzu, coz of other meds i take, anyway, i feel so thankful that i am a part of this group and that so many of you are trying to help me, thanks
radha

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by jmorgan52 on Sep 11^th, 2006, 2:28am

Radha

Having established that you have used the trex inj before but stopped because of the "burning sensation" you don't say whether you got any relief from them.

We need to complete picture here to help you.

Does trex work for you or not?

John

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Radha on Sep 12^th, 2006, 12:02am

i am sorry i wasnt more clear, the imitrex doesnt help enough to tolerate the burning throughout my body and the sweating i get, i better relief and less side effects with zomig, relpax, and even maxalt, thanks again for all your replies
radha

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by chopmyheadoff on Sep 12^th, 2006, 7:40am

hi - sorry your suffering .

did u know that its very unusual for cluster headaches for last the amount of time that yours seem to ??

do you see a neurologist who has diagnosed you or just your local doctor ??

i might be tempted to ask for a second opinion. do some reading up to the left
<======================

and maybe take the cluster quiz
sorry if you have been diagnosed , dont mean to second guess anyone ;;D

chop

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Radha on Sep 14^th, 2006, 11:48pm

the cluster doesnt last 6 or 6 hours everytime, some time they are just half an hour or even minutes, but they can last all day,
radha

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by chewy on Sep 15^th, 2006, 11:14pm

A cluster will not last all day unless your refering to shadows.

No one could survive a day long full blast CH.

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Radha on Sep 15^th, 2006, 11:26pm

i guess i am referring to shadows with periods of clusters in between, guess i wasnt clear enough!
radha

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by BB on Sep 16^th, 2006, 1:40am

Radha,

Its very important that you go and get a second opinion please.

What you are describing does not sound like classical cluster but more like Hemicrania continua.

There should not be any pain or shadows that last ALL day for SEVERAL days non stop between cluster attacks.

The treatments for Hemicrania continua are different and if you dont have classical cluster, using medications for cluster wont be effective.

Please go see someone experienced to check again.

Good luck with it all and painfree wishes to you.

Annette

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Radha on Sep 17^th, 2006, 1:11am

thanks annette for your suggestion, i did some research about it, and although hemicrania continua does sound alot like me, i do respond to the triptans, like relpax and zomig or maxalt, and i have tried indomethicin which didnt really help, so dont know! why cant anything ever be simple? but thanks to all of you for your replies,
radha

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Edski_1 on Sep 17^th, 2006, 12:57pm

on 09/17/06 at 01:11:44, Radha wrote:

why cant anything ever be simple?

Because life is complex? :)

If it's any consolation to you, I am prone to occasional "migranous" HA's that can last 12-16 hours. More commonly they are in the 30-90 minute range, but there have been stretches of attacks that have averaged more than 5 hours an attack.

Personally I think the line between migaines and clusters is blurry for a lot of people leading to poor diagnosis. Under it all the two "different" types of headaches might be very related, lending meaning in my mind to terms like "cluster-like migraine" and "migranous cluster headache".

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Charlotte on Sep 17^th, 2006, 1:14pm

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geuqr2gA1FvpYAWB9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE2bTQybGs2BGNvbG8DZQRsA1dTMQRwb3MDNQRzZWMDc3IEdnRpZANERlg1XzMw/SIG=12pa5utsu/EXP=1158599286/**http%3a//www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/9529768%3fsrc=emed_ckb_ref_0
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geuqr2gA1FvpYAUh9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE2ZjFtMzg2BGNvbG8DZQRsA1dTMQRwb3MDNARzZWMDc3IEdnRpZANERlg1XzMw/SIG=12ceiluaj/EXP=1158599286/**http%3a//www.headachedrugs.com/archives/hemi_continua.html

How long ago did you try the Indomethacin, how did you use it, and what other headaches did you have going on at the same time?

If you had more than one type of headache going on, did you know what indomethamcin might be expected to change, while the other headaches continued?

It might be worth another try.

Charlotte

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Radha on Sep 17^th, 2006, 11:34pm

thanks so so much charlotte for those links, i only tried 25mg indomethicin so i guess it wasnt enough, and i dont have to nausea but alot of sounds like me, i will keep this in mind and keep researching it, thanks so much for all your replies,
radha

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Charlotte on Sep 18^th, 2006, 12:44am

If you have any of those 25 mg Indocins left, you could try 2 at a time, on your own, & let your dr know if you get any relief. Protect your stomach. I eat a hunk of unsliced bread when I take mine. I now use 75 mg time release twice a day, but I tried it first with leftovers from the time that did not work. I also use other medications because Indocin alone, or any of the other meds alone, help ease the pain but do not provide enough relief.

Good luck.

Charlotte

Title: Re: imitrex take so long to help?
Post by Radha on Sep 22^nd, 2006, 11:21pm

i cant thank you enough charlotte for telling me about hemicrania continua, i have been doing alot of reading and research about it and have tried the indocin again and it does help, so it sounds like this is what i have, but maxalt and relpax do help too, i guess its complicated, thanks again for all your replies,
radha