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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> 4 days and nights pain free-knocking on wood 
        
(Message started by: Pokenaut on Sep 16^th, 2003, 12:41pm)

Title: 4 days and nights pain free-knocking on wood
Post by Pokenaut on Sep 16^th, 2003, 12:41pm

Hi again fellow CH's. Taking the advice of some concerning reduced Imitrex doses, I started splitting the stat doses in half but stayed with the stat pen. At first it seemed to take a LOT longer to kick in than the full dose, but it DID work. My thought is that it helps reduce possible rebounds. That, along with O2 back-up started working well, and four days ago was my last full blown attack. I still have intermitent shadows following me around, but no attack so far. This cycles started August 11th, so if it IS gone it was my shortest cycle in 15 yrs. Because of the sometimes random movement and actions of the beast I think we sometimes attribute our experimentations and therapies with success that really was just happening all on it's own, because the cycle was changing, lessening or just ending.
IF this is truly an end ( I will wait another two weeks, and crack open a couple Killians to test the water) I would like to thank all of you for helping me firstly deal with this pain every time it comes, and secondly, for helping me so not-alone when I am close to the edge. You all are a Godsend, I hope you realize that.
'Naut

Title: Re: 4 days and nights pain free-knocking on wood
Post by Prense on Sep 16^th, 2003, 6:52pm

on 09/16/03 at 12:41:39, Pokenaut wrote:

Taking the advice of some concerning reduced Imitrex doses, I started splitting the stat doses in half but stayed with the stat pen.

How did you manage that?

Title: Re: 4 days and nights pain free-knocking on wood
Post by TxBasslady on Sep 16^th, 2003, 7:18pm

8)

I am so happy for ya, Naut........hope you have many more pf times ahead.

And yes, it is such a great feeling knowing that we are not alone.

Lotz of pf vibes coming your way from Texas :)

Jean

Title: Re: 4 days and nights pain free-knocking on wood
Post by Pokenaut on Sep 18^th, 2003, 7:30am

Dividing the dose is quite simple. Here's what I do.
-Take an empty syringe out of the cartridge. Swipe the needle with alcohol. Find a wood screw of sufficient length and thickness to insert into the syringe. Turn the screw about a half turn until it engages the back of the plunger and starts to rotate the plunger. Pull the plunger out. It will still be attached to the back of the screw. Set this aside so that the plunger isn't touching anything.
-Hold empty syringe (needle down) in a way that the needle doesn't contact anything. I use a vise that is padded.
-Take a full syringe out of the cartridge. Remove label so you can see the Imitrex level.
-Using anything that'll reach (a Q-tip works fine) push half ofthe dose into the empty syringe.
-Remove the syringe from the vise (a friend can hold it just as easily) and place the plunger (still stuck on the end of the wood screw) just a HAIR into the back of the syringe.
-Hold the syringe sideways and tap it until the Imitrex flows away from the needle end (Imitrex is pretty viscous, and doesn't flow like water). Once the Imitrex has left the end of the syringe where the needle is, hold it with the needle upwards, and depress the screw until the air is out of the fluid area.
-Twist the screw out of the back of the plunger. It comes out quite easily.
-Insert both syringes, which are both half full, back into the cartridge.
-Mark the caps as half full, and I draw an "X" on the cap after use.

This is REALLY MUCH easier than it might have sounded. It takes me litterally less than 2 min to do the whole thing. In my opinion, this is MUCH preferred to manually sticking a needle into my arm and pushing the dose in.

'Naut

BTW, still pf ;)