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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
        
(Message started by: heidih on Feb 2^nd, 2003, 11:54am)

Title: Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
Post by heidih on Feb 2^nd, 2003, 11:54am

???
Hi there! I've looked over your site for a few weeks now, and finally decided to dive in. I have some biggy questions at the end of this so please hang with me.
I started having Migraines in high school (treated with midrin and tenormin) and they went away when I cut out caffeine. Happy about that. Started drinking caffeine again in limited amounts and didn't seem to have any problem. Junior year of college I got what they called hives. That stayed around for about three months while they treated me with prednisone... hello moon face. I though "hey wonder if it's the caffeine?? I stopped caffeine again and hives went away. So okay... learned my lesson.... always watch amounts of caffeine. Alright now I'm an elementary teacher going on 8 1/2 years experience and I started having cycles of cluster headaches after my first year of teaching (that seem to have no relation to caffeine). They seem to be starting anywhere between November and February, and they hang around for 3-4 weeks. Over the years I've been given Depakote (didn't get rid of all the headaches and made me feel awful), Imitrex (GODSEND! worked but couldn't afford refill when ran out) and Maxalt (worked alright.. just took a little longer),Frova (chest tightness), Axert (did absoultely nothing for 2 hours!!! that was a fun night)This year the fun started Jan. 2nd. I've been taking Percogesic (over the counter pain killer) for what I baby headaches and the shadows, then left over Maxalt and then got Imitrex refilled for the demons. Was given Methylprednisolone when I realized they were using up Imitrex like candy. The only headaches I got during the dosepack were tension headaches. YEAH. But when the week was over the demons came back... and I've been through all the samples the doctor gave me. The past clusters have never required this much medication.
SOOOOOOO after that long painful history....:'( my questions if you are even still listening.
1. Has anyone else ever been through 15 Imitrex tablets and one nasal spray in less than 30 days? I'm concerned when the package says only 4 headaches treated in a 30 day period... I'm way beyond that!
2. Has anyone ever had a terrible sore throat after using that Nasal Spray?
3. I've read about people taking supplements of Magnesium Citrate I went yesterday to get some to try. About 2 hours after the first capsule I started getting very nauseous and it lasted all night. Anyone else have that problem?
If you are still reading this... thank you for listening to me rant after a painful night! Any info you have would be sooooo appreciated.

Title: Re: Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
Post by Bob P on Feb 2^nd, 2003, 12:11pm

In answer to questioon #1:

Yes. Most clusterheads take 2-3 initrex doses per day for weeks and months on end. Read article #1 on this page:
http://www.clusterheadaches.org/library/medications/imitrex_rebound.htm

Title: Re: Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
Post by Ueli on Feb 2^nd, 2003, 1:15pm

Hi Heidi, welcome to the board.

Q#1 Was answered by Bob, nothing left to add.
Q#2 When taking Imitrex nasal breath in just enough that the stuff remains in your nose, not so much that it gets back down to your throat.
Q#3 Magnesium comes from the 'alternative' corner, something not exactly my line. But it probably won't hurt. :D

You didn't mention a long time preventative, like Verapamil with which many of us have great success.
An abortive that is relatively cheap and has hardly any side effects is breathing pure oxygen. Look into that.

OTC painkillers usually have no effect on CH, but one is often lead to believe otherwise. When the attacks end after 15 - 30 minutes one might think its because of the pain killer but usually it's just the natural end of the attack (Been there, done that).

And don't apologize for the long post. ;D It is that what we (or at least I) like to see, something about your symptoms, what you have tried, and what did help and what not. That is much better than some vague blabla in the first post and roundabout slandering in the following ones. :-/

PFNADs
Ueli

Title: Re: Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
Post by heidih on Feb 2^nd, 2003, 1:22pm

Thanks to the replies so far. I read over the information on Imitrex 'overuse' and it made me feel somewhat better. I don't feel quite as guilty or like a 'druggie' anymore.
And I haven't known anyone on Verapamil... and haven't done much reading on that. Is it like the Depakote where you take it every day, or make you groggy? Those types of things cause me to worry about long term effects.... but then again after a month of these I slowly don't care anymore.

Title: Re: Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
Post by Roxy on Feb 2^nd, 2003, 2:21pm

Sounds like everyone has answered your questions pretty well.

I've taken a lot of imitex in one day.....had the same concerns for a while....then said to heck with it.

I've been on verapamil for two weeks now, and haven't noticed any side effects, except the ch's are pretty much gone. I've only had 3.

I've never had a sore throat from the sprays.....just tastes really bad, but if the ch goes...who cares what it tastes like.

You need to try 02......great abortive.

Tracey

BTW.....I'm really lazy, so I tell my hubby it's the verapamil making me tired....heheheh So lets not clue him in. ;D ;D ;D

Title: Re: Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
Post by Bob P on Feb 3^rd, 2003, 9:23am

Verapamil is actually a blood pressure medication. At high doses it is sometimes effective in preventing attacks. Visit the "Survey" page at the OUCH site and you'll see the success rate and incidence of side effects in the results.

Title: Re: Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
Post by ComputerGeek on Feb 3^rd, 2003, 7:44pm

Hi All,

It is comforting to read about everyones experience with Imitrex. I had to go off of Sansert for 3 weeks and the first few days were OK but after that I was injecting Imitrex 4 to 6 times a day. I knew it probably wasn't good but I had a choice of having head banging pain every 4 hours or being pain free at the cost of my long term health. I chose the later and will deal with the consequences (if any) in the future. As for Oxygen, I found that my prescription plan was more than happy to let me pay only $5 for all the Imitrex injections I needed, put they would not cover the cost of Oxygen. Common sense and logic are dead.

Pat

Title: Re: Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
Post by heidih on Feb 3^rd, 2003, 7:54pm

Thanks for all of the ideas....It's good to have some of this information when you go into a doctor.
I went today after a very painful weekend, and no reflief from this throb for 24 hours now.
She put me on Prednisone againe since it seemed to help the during the three of the days I was on the dose pack before. This time it will be 20 mg a day for one week... 15 for the 2nd and so on reducing and praying that the haches don't come back!!!!!!
So say a little prayer for me... (i'm singing that you just can't see me).
I'll say little prayers for you, too!

Title: Re: Imitrex and Magnesium Questions
Post by BobG on Feb 3^rd, 2003, 9:37pm

About the magnesium………it comes in many forms.
Magnesium Citrate is usually used as a laxative.
http://my.webmd.com/content/drugs/5/65216?bn=Magnesium%20citrate

Click on this for a little more about magnesium and clusters.

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/wwwboard/messages/73084.html
from Ted (12-28-00 article on Magnesium)