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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
        
(Message started by: NLancaster on May 15^th, 2002, 10:10am)

Title: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by NLancaster on May 15^th, 2002, 10:10am

I've just come back from an appointment with a professor of neurology about my cluster attacks.

He has given me some information that no other doctor in the twelve years I've suffered from cluster has said.

I can take as many imigran injections in 24 hours as I want - as long as I leave at least one hour between each injection. :o

I have been suffering from this recent bout since 3 April. I've had 76 attacks since then. On the whole I've religiously stuck to using only two injections in 24 hours as stated on the information leaflet.

Once I went to three injections and one day last week the attacks were so bad I had FIVE injections in 24 hours - I just didn't care about anything but stopping the pain. I felt fine. No rebound headaches, in fact the following few days were lower in attacks than the week prior to me using five injections.

Now I'm not going to tell everyone with imigran to use as many injections as they want - only your own health care professional can tell you to do that. I'm just sharing the information that was given to me by a professor in neurology that I was referred to by my GP.

He also told me there was more risk of side effects from using oxygen and steroids than there was to using multiple injections in 24 hours.

He said the drug in the injection is completely out of the body in less than an hour. He also said that he always reommended using just imigran injections for people who found the injection to work well.

I asked him if it would be safe to use seven injections in 24 hours, as during the peak of this bout I had seven attacks. He told me that is was safe. He said he had treated elderly patients and even they had shown no signs of ill effects from using more than 2 injections.

He said there was also no risk of the injection becoming less effective from such frequent use.

So there you go folks. I know I've read of the risk of rebound headaches from over using the injections. I know I've been in so much pain and been so exhausted from it all that I went to five injections before I was told this and I'm still here and I feel fine.

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by Svenn on May 17^th, 2002, 3:03am

Strange

My professor of neurology says to me that its safe to use up to 8 shots every 24 hours.
Oxygen works also well for me.
Have you considered to star using verapamil in heavy doze "up to 7X120 mg of Verapamil Retard"dayly when you are in cycle,and reduce verapamil to 1 or 2X120mg Verapamil dayly when youre out of cycle.
Think only imitrex in those dozerz you talking about is not good on your body,specially on your heart
You should bew somewhat careful with imitrex-shots i think

Your friend in Norway

Svenn

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by NLancaster on May 17^th, 2002, 3:44am

I've been using oxygen since the second week of this attack and had very limited success with it. Partly due to not being able to get a regulator supplying more than 4 litres per minute.

The other medication you refer to has not been offered to me, I will mention it to my GP.

I must say I'm finding imitrex injections to work quickly and every time and yesterday I used 6 in 24 hours with no side effects. I am expecting the only problem to be my doctor telling me I can't have any more due to cost :(

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by Svenn on May 17^th, 2002, 3:55am

Its also possible to use prednosolon to end a cycle.80mg/day for a 10 days period,and then 8-6-4-2-1 over a 4 weeks periode.but thats for your neuro to decide

Svenn

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by NLancaster on May 17^th, 2002, 3:59am

Tried that at 60mg a day for 10 days. Five days cluster free, then it started to break through and the doctor wouldn't prescribe more...

I had a previous attack that was aborted from prednisolone at 60mg a day in two days.

If they refuse more injections then I will ask for the steroids again.

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by Svenn on May 17^th, 2002, 4:03am

I`m thinking that 60 mg of prednosolon is a small doze,but i`m not a Dr,just another clusterhead from Clusterwille

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by NLancaster on May 17^th, 2002, 4:09am

Oh my friend :)

When I first asked for the steroids I couldn't see my usual doctor and the doctor I did see had never heard of using steroids, she called a neurologist who also had never heard of it. I was fuming. They were going to refuse to prescribe exactly what I knew would help.

In the end they agreed and told me to use 10-15mg a day. I just went ahead and used the dose I'd been told to use by my regular doctor.

If I get more steroids I will try an 80mg dose. I found that the difference between 50mg and 60mg was noticable.

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by NotH20 on May 17^th, 2002, 8:41am

Hi NL - glad to hear that something is working for you. I have only taken up to 3 injections in a 24 hour period and was scared. In my opinion the risks are too high to take too much more than the recommended dosage....but it's all about relieving pain - a pain that we ALL know too well.

During my Prednisone cycles, when I got down to 20 mgs per day, I noticed the break through ch's. There have been a few times were the Pred. actually broke the cycle - I guess one never really knows what the beast is capable of doing until he hits.

Good luck to you and be safe!
NotH20

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by NLancaster on May 17^th, 2002, 10:42am

Well good news here. I managed to speak to my doctor on the telephone and he increased my repeat prescription of imitrex fro 4 injections to 10 injections. I can get a repeat every 48 hours.

I told him I appreciated the injections are expensive and he told me not to worry and to ask for as much as I needed it.

I feel so lucky to have found such an excellent doctor.

I'll keep you posted of any adverse effects I notice from using more than the recommended dose. So far today I've been fortunate and only needed on injection at 4:30am.

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by Mattso on May 17^th, 2002, 11:44pm

Hey NLancaster,

So maybe I wasn't risking my life when taking 5 injections a day - that's a nutty thing to find out!

If you haven't yet, I'd recommend checking out the Imitrex tip (it's one of the buttons you can click on at the left side of this site). You can double your doses this way.

Title: Re: Imitrex/Imigran injection Information
Post by Alison on May 18^th, 2002, 4:57am

This is the best news I have had in ages!!!!!
I have been asking the same question all week regarding imigran (but in nasal spray form) can I take more than 2 per day. Well for the past week I have been risking it and taking 3 and 4 sprays per day...The pain must be worse than any possible side effects.

But to hear today that you have been told you can take more than 2 per day is like :D 8) :)!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!!!!!

Take care
Alison