Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
        
(Message started by: sheilacp on Dec 11^th, 2003, 11:45pm)

Title: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by sheilacp on Dec 11^th, 2003, 11:45pm

My poor hubby right now is the middle of a bad one...first damn one in over a year. Problem is that our Imitrex inject is over one year expired. He's scared to death to try and take it, but this is a really bad one. Has anybody ever used expired Imitrex inject?

Urgent! :'(

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by BlueMeanie on Dec 11^th, 2003, 11:47pm

I've used Imitrex over a year old. Was kinda scared to try but the pain told me what the F..k so I did. Worked fine. Beast was gone 20 minutes later.

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by Flounder on Dec 12^th, 2003, 12:21am

I have used expired Imitrex. Shouldn't be a problem. As I recall it was way over a year expired.

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by Edna on Dec 12^th, 2003, 2:05am

ditto......have used expired before

once spoke to a pharmacist friend....he said all he would think would be that it might lose some of its potency.

EDNA

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by Melissa on Dec 12^th, 2003, 7:52am

My very own Neuro gave me some imitrex samples that had expired the year before, so I see no problem at all using them.

:)mel

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by thomas on Dec 12^th, 2003, 8:49am

I have used old trex - had my girlfriend call the pharmacy first. They said the only bad thing that can happen is, that you might not get the full dose. I had no problem - mine was 2 years old because i skipped a cycle. Don't worry. :)

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by Cluster_head on Dec 12^th, 2003, 11:19am

The FDA establishes very conservative expiration guidelines for medication. If it says it expires in a year, it would probably be good two or three years later.

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by bamjd on Dec 12^th, 2003, 4:47pm

from what i have heard, it just loses some of its potentcy. I used to get on this site several years ago,but then i started taking 3 mega b stress timed release capsules a day and my clusters disappeared. i let a few people know and no one ever got back to me so i could see if it worked for them. i don't know if it makes any difference but mine were solaray brand. hope this helps, let me know.

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by Bob P on Dec 12^th, 2003, 6:12pm

If it were me, I'd use it. I take cafergot that is more than 2 years past expiration.

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by eyes_afire on Dec 12^th, 2003, 7:25pm

Hi Sheilacp. Your question is a common one. Here's how I responded awhile back to the same question (I'm just gonna copy and past it from the archives because I'm getting too lazy in my old age :):

Imitrex expiration is a very common topic here. If you're interested, here is how I explained it in the past based on my knowledge from working with drug product stability studies:

To obtain FDA approval, drugs are tested for product stability. To get approval, the drugs have to demonstrate product stability at least up to thier expiration date. A comprehensive 3 year stability study may cost the drug company $1 million (but don't cry for the drug companies, because they make a killing in profits). Speaking from experience, most drug companies don't pursue stability studies beyond 3 years, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the product is not good for longer than that. The product may very well be good for much longer than that, but it doesn't do the drug companies much good investing that kind of money just to get a longer expiration date.

Basically the expiration date means either:

1. The drug product will lose potency once the expiration date is exceeded.

or

2. The drug company knows that the product is at least effective up to expiration date and didn't see a need to invest further simply to get a longer expiration.

Personally, I would use expired imitrex if I needed to. Most obvious down-side is that it might not be as potent. Based upon what others have reported here on this message board, I'll bet that imitrex is very stable. That's just my opinion, you may want to check the archives. Of course, you should not take imitrex unless it is under the supervision of a physician.

Certainly, I'm not advocating that you disobey your doc or take meds improperly, I'm just offering my perspective.

Drug Product Stability study protocols are governed and influenced by the US Code of Federal Regulations Part 211 subpart G and the International Conference on Harmonization. For more info:

http://www.fda.gov/cder/dmpq/cgmpregs.htm#211.137

http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/4282fnl.htm#P511_40316

--- Steve

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by Mikey on Dec 15^th, 2003, 12:03pm

I've used a shit load of expired Trex, and i'm still here..LOL.....But really, i have......NO worries!

Mikey, ;;D

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by Ree on Dec 16^th, 2003, 6:37pm

I asked this same question when my hubby started his cycle... He used it expired and all it worked like a charm... good luck..........ree

Title: Re: URGENT...expired Imitrex..need help now!
Post by sheilacp on Dec 16^th, 2003, 8:10pm

You all have been great - thanks!! Hubby did indeed use the expired 'trex with no bad side effects. (Although I don't think any side effects - no matter how "bad" could be worse than the Beast itself.) We were hoping against hope that this might be a one-off, as hubby has had them like that in the past. Unfortunately, this is definately the beginning of a cycle. He's tried a couple of things over the last few days, and so far he does OK by taking Melatonin about 45 mins before bed, then an Excedrine Migraine right before bed. It could be a total coincidence, but so far so good. (I hope I didn't just jinx him!) We've got to try something, 'cuz our insurance SUCKS and the 'trex is way too expensive for us. He's tried O2 (which didn't do anything for him) and all the preventative stuff (which made him walk around like a zombie PLUS gave him terrible stomache problems). We'll have to scrape together the $$, because if this cycle is as bad as his last one (3 or 4 beast visits a day) I'm seriously afraid that he'll hurt himself - and yes, I mean HURT himself. You all know what I'm talking about.

This totally sucks, and there is nothing we can do about it. Thanks for listening.