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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Imitrex dangers, oxygen, and verapamil
        
(Message started by: beach954 on Sep 7^th, 2003, 12:16am)

Title: Imitrex dangers, oxygen, and verapamil
Post by beach954 on Sep 7^th, 2003, 12:16am

I have been suffering from the cronic form of Ch for about 5 years at the rate of 2-3 per day. I tried Topomax, Neurotin, antidepressants, sinus surgey, and many meds I cant remember. Thoughts of suicide were a daily thing. The only thing that helped was Imitrex injections which of course are very expensive. I found that every once in awhile, within a few seconds of taking an injection of Imitrex I felt like I was having a heart attack. My blood pressure and cholesterol have always been normal. I recently read that Glaxo (the maker of Imitrex) is facing several lawsuits from previously healthy people suffering heart attacks when taking Imitrex. I completly understand that if Imitrex is the only thing that helps you that it may be worth the risk. It didnt stop me from taking it as the pain was unbearable. If you must take the injections at least use the Imitrex tip listed here on the site as a half dose seems to work just as well as a full dose. Oxygen helped me a little. It at least reduced the length of the headache and made it a little less severe during the attack. For whatever reason no drs ever tried Verapamil for me. I asked a dr to let me try it and WOW!!!!!!! I started with 120mg a day and then went up to 240mg per day. I feel like I have my life back. Instead of having 2-3 per day I only have had 6 or 7 over the last 3 months and even they were only about 10% the intensity that they used to be and are usually gone in 10-15 minutes. If you havent tried it please do!!!!! I hope my success with Verapamil continues and want to wish everyone on this site good luck getting rid of the monster.

Title: Re: Imitrex dangers, oxygen, and verapamil
Post by forgetfulnot on Sep 7^th, 2003, 11:36am

Hi beach, if you bump that dose, verapamil, you might stop all of them. I do 480 mg a day with mostly good success.
Some people go way up there, like 960 mg to get relief.

Lee, also chronic

Title: Re: Imitrex dangers, oxygen, and verapamil
Post by UnsolvedEquation on Sep 7^th, 2003, 2:39pm

I've also heard that a high dose of Verapamil may stop CH. Too bad I can't take more than 240 mg. It slows my heart rate to almost nothing. Imitrex giving you a feeling of pressure in your chest is pretty normal. If it gets too bad, better seek help though. I get burning palms and shoulders from taking too much Imitrex at once. It also makes me feel severly sunburnt. This is a "cardiac event" I am told by MHNI. So...Imitrex CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. You may want to lower the dose you give yourself by pushing some of the medicine out. Be careful and goodluck !

Title: Re: Imitrex dangers, oxygen, and verapamil
Post by Prense on Sep 7^th, 2003, 2:45pm

So far, I have only had the tightness in the neck feeling from a full trex injection. I also had some minor muscle twitching in the knee of the leg that I injected in.