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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Imitrex Overdose??????
        
(Message started by: kfoster on Mar 11^th, 2003, 12:30am)

Title: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by kfoster on Mar 11^th, 2003, 12:30am

I type this as my friend has a level 10 attack. He is affraid to take any more Imitrex injections as he has taken 5 for the week already and has been taking as much for the last few weeks. He is currently taking Stadol and Vicodin for the pain. It doesn't really help unless he is so high that he is completely out of it. He has suffered for eight years. Currently on 480 mg. of Verapamil, 1500 mg. Depakote, 100 mg. Topamax, and 60 mg. Prednisone. What is the most Imitrex injections anyone has safely taken in a short amount of time? He has never taken more than one injection per day. Doctors claim heart attack is possible - any advice?

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by H2odiver on Mar 11^th, 2003, 2:40am

I always try O2 first and it works over 80% of the time, for the other 20% I will use the Imitrex injections.You are not supposed to exceed two shots per day but if you look and the imitrex tip on the side it will show you how to extend your shots and therefore get more relief and not exceed the limit.It sounds tricky but it really isnt.

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by boski on Mar 11^th, 2003, 6:41am

I have taken more than 2 a day for a week.
I'm on double the verapamil dose and so far so good.
My Dr. told me to bring up the verapamil to a dose where I had no CH and the side effects are not too bad.
Had to take 1 for 2 days then 2 for 2 then 3 for 2 .... 4 .... 2... then I backed off by 1 1/2 as I was feeling tired all the time so far CH free for a month and a 1/2.

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by cbolony on Mar 11^th, 2003, 11:08am

Quote:

What is the most Imitrex injections anyone has safely taken in a short amount of time

The safe limit is 2 vials or 1 stat dose which has 2 vials
in it.Use the imitrex tip instead of using 6mg you use
3 mgs and you can get 4 shots.I get 3-4 ch a day in cycle
so i need to do it that way.Some times when i'am running low on the imitrex which is all the time i take 2mg per vial or stat dose so i get 6 shots.

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by Svenn on Mar 12^th, 2003, 3:25am

There is no safe limit of how many shots with trex.
Glaxo says max 2/24 hours

1 neuro says 2,and another 4 and the third neuro say that you can take up to 8.

Take me as a example

used up to 8 shots/24hours. Got a heartattack in nov,2001"familyrelated"
Glaxo says no no no to more trex.1 neuro says the same,but my cardio says that i should have all the trex that i need to kill the attack.He told me that in a letter in writing.
My private doc says the same as my cardio.

So the BIG question here is who shall we lissen to?

Any suggestion?

Svenn

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by UnsolvedEquation on Jun 28^th, 2003, 12:18am

I've taken thousands of 6 mg injections. I've used 8 injections in a 20 hour period. I'm still here and it helps everytime ! NO ONE HAS USED MORE THAN ME !!!

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by Stately on Jun 28^th, 2003, 5:02pm

I have taken 12 shots in two days.....was getting ready to take a 13 and the wife asked me how many I had taken...when I told her she freaked....she made me go to the ER and get dosed on Morphine instead...which really doesn't cut the pain (unless they give you enouh to sedate you). Anyway the ER docs freaked when they found out my FP prescriped me that much trex...they told me that heart attack wasn't the real worry...it was "stroking out"...in other words..a blood vessel failure....hmmmm...interesting considering clusters already blow up your vessels in your brain like a balloon.
I can't tell you how much trex I took during the last set of CF's...but can easily say it was over four shots a day for a month...(insurance company did't like it..but was cheaper than ER visits).
In answer to your question on how much a person can safely take of Imitrex...I think it varies by the type of person you are..everyones differant..but if you feel physically fine after a shot...don't know why you couldn't take more.
Quickly on the subject of splitting up doses into smaller ml's instead of the six ml...I got my doc to get me the vials and syringes, I found out that anything less than 5ml did't touch my headache. :(
Good Luck,
State

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by firebrix on Jun 28^th, 2003, 6:06pm

Mopar has regularly taken eight stat shots a day - sometimes up to eleven. He has done this for long periods too, as he is chronic.
He suggests trying O2 first, as that often aborts the ha. - altho' it sometimes just delays it for half an hour - and then its back to the Imitrex again!
For long term relief, he uses prednisone but at 80 mg a day for four days, tapering then by 10 mgs every five days, altho he has been on 60 mg for the past two months.
When not on prednisone, he gets hit every two hours. All Kip 8 - 10s (I don't know how anyone can type with a Kip 8! At that level Mopar is rolling on the floor making little animal noises..............)

He reckons without the drugs he doesn't have a life worth living. The drugs may kill him in the end, but without them he has no life.
So whaddya DO?
Mopar says "Live while you can"
Every day above the ground is a gift which should not be spent in pain if you don't have to.

firebrix - dictated by Mopar

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by RattZombie on Jun 29^th, 2003, 12:44pm

Hi, I'm a newbie here (not that that matters I guess). I'm somewhere around the peak of a cluster right now. In the past 24 hrs I have used Imitrex injections (the full dose) every 4-6 hrs. The past few days have been pretty close to that too. I have no side effects, so I'll keep on using them till they stop working (which usually happens if I continue to use them at that rate).

good luck all.... I know I need it..

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by smfaison on Jul 6^th, 2003, 3:24pm

I have taken 3 shots in less than 24 hours. I was at the point that death would have been preferable to the pain that I was in. When this cycle started and I took my first shot, I felt the tightness in my chest and stuff, but haven't felt it since.

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by NewHeadPLZ on Jul 10^th, 2003, 1:37pm

None of the Triptans have been around long enough to really study any long term effects or overdoses. Glaxo has given overdoses of up to 16mg in a single dose with no adverse side effects. Their recommended maximum dose in a 24 hour period is 2-6mg statdoses (or 12mg) go figure.

Anyway, based on what I said, and your post, 2x7=14 so your okay for the week ;D. I've had great success with using only 3mg per attack or one third of the shot.

That would give ya 42 h/a a week you could treat by Glaxos recommendation.

By the way, my nero told me I could take more than two statdoses a day, but I figure if a third works, less trips to the drug store.

Title: Re: Imitrex Overdose??????
Post by nancyc on Jul 12^th, 2003, 12:03am

I will tell you something really scary about taking alot of imitrex injections...i am one who has alot of experience with them...one week i had been taking way over the prescribed amount...two per day...i had to have a heart cath done..i went to the heart center ..they were trying to get an IV started on me...they found a vein...but they could not advance the catheter into the vein...i had to be sent home and return when i decreased my imitrex so they could get an IV into me...scary, huh? Makes me wonder if they could not advance that catheter into my veins, then how much blood was my heart and all my vital organs receiving? something to think about...today, i am more cautious about overdoing the imitrex.. i use the imitrex tip and try to limit my doses...smiles,nancyc