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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
        
(Message started by: Rock_Lobster on Mar 1^st, 2004, 6:53pm)

Title: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Rock_Lobster on Mar 1^st, 2004, 6:53pm

Any thoughts on grinding up / chewing Imitrex tablets, with regards to making them take hold faster?

I have a week before I go back to the doc, at which time I will be getting nasal or injections. Love the nasal samples (speedy!), but used the last one 12 hours ago. Never tried the injections.

While I am asking... should I go with nasal or injections or both at the next visit?

Thx,
Rock Lobster

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by UN_SOLVED on Mar 1^st, 2004, 7:02pm

Boy, that brings back memories. When I first started using Imitrex (many years ago), I tried the pills first. It wasn't working. Doc suggested (off the record) I crush them up and snort them. I crushed 4 pills into a pile and snorted them in hopes of some relief. All I got was indegestion / heartburn.
If the pills aren't working, better just ask for something else.
UNSOLVED
PS. If you've never used an injection before, I wouldn't use a whole one the first time.

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by HypnoticFreddy on Mar 1^st, 2004, 8:07pm

Let me tell you something. Using that Stat Dose pen and injecting Imitrex in your thigh. Dammmmm!

It is painful! But I just used it as I felt a CH coming on and my CH is definitely going away.

Be brave.

Think of the 45 minute doozy that forces you into a fetal position (at least me).

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Filbert on Mar 1^st, 2004, 8:11pm

Personally I would go for the injections -they're very quick 3-5 mins for me.

Filbert

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by BobG on Mar 1^st, 2004, 9:01pm

I'm not a pharmacist or a chemist but I don't think powderizing the pills would be a very good idea.

I think the pills need to get down past the stomach then desolved to be absorbed into the blood stream. If they were ground up they may desolve before or in the stomach and you'd just poop them out. And still have a headache.

I really don't know the answer.

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Rock_Lobster on Mar 2^nd, 2004, 7:17am

Thx all. If I am only offered one I will be going with the injections, it seems.

My doc is very understanding though... he will likely line up both injections and nasal if I am lucky.

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Tiannia on Mar 2^nd, 2004, 1:17pm

Keep in mind that your insurance might only cover one type of imitrex even if your doc prescribs 2. Just a thought to keep in mind.

Good Luck to you,
Tiannia

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Karla on Mar 2^nd, 2004, 2:02pm

I prefer the ns because it is just as fast as the injection and I don't have to deal with needles. I am such a baby when it comes to that.

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Prense on Mar 2^nd, 2004, 6:43pm

on 03/01/04 at 20:07:42, HypnoticFreddy wrote:

Let me tell you something. Using that Stat Dose pen and injecting Imitrex in your thigh. Dammmmm!

It is painful! But I just used it as I felt a CH coming on and my CH is definitely going away.

Ummmmm, completely painless for me unless I hit the previous injection site. Even then it doesn't really hurt...just gets my attention.

I've injected thigh, shoulder, tummy, and hip. The thigh is the least painful.

The stat dose pen is actually much more painful without the vial and needle. I actually did this. Left a nasty bruise! ;;D

Chris

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Rock_Lobster on Mar 2^nd, 2004, 6:57pm

Many thanks all!

Any difference how many doses of each one can get on one load-up with the insurance... NS vs Injection? What is the typical number of doses the insurance company will send you home with?

For the tablets I get 9 per refill, regardless of size.

Rock Lobster

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by thebbz on Mar 3^rd, 2004, 2:04am

Statdose for me. Once the demon has in the hooks the pills have had mixed results . 100mg and I suffer for 2hours by then the better half has the statdose ready. Have the doctor show you one of demonstrators and go through injection procedure.... that sucks wasting the trex .best wishes
thebbz Leg arm whateverworks subcutenious is what counts.

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Jimmy_B on Mar 3^rd, 2004, 6:58am

on 03/01/04 at 21:01:51, BobG wrote:

I'm not a pharmacist or a chemist but I don't think powderizing the pills would be a very good idea.

I really don't know the answer.

Actually...it's in the mouth where you'll lose most of the efficacy of the med, if you ground it up & swallowed it.

You can "Grind up" the tablets...but you have to buy empty capsules & put the ground up imitrex in the capsules & then swallow it. This will give you the med a little quicker...but as everyone said the Injection or N.S is much quicker.

B.T.W. You can only "Grind up" pills that are immediate release...never try grinding up extended or sustained release tablets. Whenever in doubt...call your pharmacist or Doc.

Jim

Title: Before snorting them, try the injections :)
Post by fred33 on Mar 5^th, 2004, 10:58am

They are so rapid to abort severe migraines or cluster attacks (shorter than the spray)! I prefer the "medical" sringe (you can have it here in a ready-for-use plastic pack) because you pinch your skin and insert the tiny needle in the fold, as you would with insulin; you can control the dose with this method. It is painfree. The injection pen is not so painfree and the nasal spray taste so awfull I had to vomit afterward (but if you prefer the latter, stick with it).

fred from switzerland

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Tiannia on Mar 5^th, 2004, 11:53am

For my insurance

Tables 6 every 2 weeks (so 12 a month)

MS - 6 every 25 days

Injections 6 every 30 days (so 3 packs)

Sucks >:( as they say that "no one gets more then 6 HA in a month" Well that would be nice, guess I live a month in 24-48 hours. :-X No wonder I feel older then 32.

Tiannia

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by pinksharkmark on Mar 7^th, 2004, 1:35am

on 03/01/04 at 18:53:15, Rock_Lobster wrote:

Any thoughts on grinding up / chewing Imitrex tablets, with regards to making them take hold faster?

No need to grind them or chew them. Just cut them in half with an X-acto knife (or better yet, a pill-splitter) and swallow both halves. That way all the medication makes it to your stomach, yet the protective coating has been breached and the more crumbly Imitrex dissolves very rapidly. I dropped a whole one in a water glass and shook it, then did the same with one cut in half. The one cut in half dissolved in about thirty seconds.

It cuts a good ten minutes off the time it takes the pills to kick in.

pinky

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by randal on Mar 7^th, 2004, 8:03am

I would go with the injections. I cant take the injections or do the nasel spray myself because of heart problems but the 100mg Imitrex tablets are new they are quick desolving and take 1/2 the time to work as the old tablets.
Randal

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Melissa on Mar 9^th, 2004, 10:20am

on 03/02/04 at 18:57:30, Rock_Lobster wrote:

It depends on your insurance. You need to call them to find out if there is a limit on the number you can get per month, and how often you can refill your script. My neuro wrote my script for 3 boxes of injections and 12 nasal sprays X 8 refills. I called my insurance company, and because they do not have a limit on the number of meds in a month, just that I can't refill more than 1 script in a day.

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by Bob_Johnson on Mar 9^th, 2004, 11:25am

This posting got under the radar screen.

Faster dissolving Imitrex tab--new, on the market
« on: Feb 11th, 2004, 10:11am »

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"New Formulation Designed to Rapidly Release in the Stomach*

"RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC -- February 4, 2004 -- Today, GlaxoSmithKline announced the availability of new Imitrex® tablets, a novel formulation of GSK's leading migraine therapy. The new formulation contains the same active ingredient with the same proven efficacy and safety profile of the conventional Imitrex tablets now with an innovative technology for rapid disintegration of the product in the stomach.

"The rapid-release technology of new Imitrex tablets works differently from oral disintegrating tablets, also known as oral melts, which dissolve on the tongue. New Imitrex tablets, which replace the old tablets, are swallowed whole with water like conventional tablets. The new formulation has been designed to dissolve within minutes. In an in vitro study, the new tablet dissolved five times faster than conventional tablets - which may allow the drug to be absorbed into the blood stream quickly. Further studies are needed to establish the relationship between dissolution and efficacy."

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by thomas on Mar 9^th, 2004, 4:50pm

Chewed one up once, thought my stomach was gonna blow up, still didn't hurt as bad as my ch, and still took a long damn time to work.

Title: Re: Grinding up Imitrex Tablets?
Post by SommelierCH on Mar 10^th, 2004, 4:28am

Zomig ZMT 5mg and Maxalt MLT 10mg are the only two meds that I have used. Both are quick dissolving triptan tabs that enter the body under tongue, fast, bypassing the digestive system. Because of this absorption in the mouth, you need a lot less of the drug than you would if you swallowed a regular tab, that dissolves and is absorbed in your stomach or intestine. Did I mention they are fast? They have always been able to kill a Kip-10 in less than 15 min., sometimes within 7 min. I will say, that since my Kip-10’s are almost always out of a deep sleep, I have my O2 close by in the living room and start sucking on it as soon as I can blindly stumble to my tank. This combo is my lifesaver.

David J.