Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


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

        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Vioxx
        
(Message started by: Jaime on Sep 9^th, 2004, 1:31am)

Title: Vioxx
Post by Jaime on Sep 9^th, 2004, 1:31am

I got to see a doctor today. He thinks my headaches are mostly the result of the extreme stress in my life, and that an MRI or CT scan would be a waste of my limited resources.

He did give me a 30 day supply of Vioxx (Rofecoxib) 25 mg tablets, and 2 doses of Maxalt-MLT 10 mg. I took my first dose of Vioxx at 5:30 pm, and got a Kip 7 attack at 7:30 pm. It is now 9:30 pm and I am having a Kip 6 attack. I don't know whether I should take the Maxalt now, or wait for a worse attack.

The good thing is that I am working in his office as a receptionist for the next month while his regular people are on vacation. I'll get some regular care and free samples. In the meantime, I'm going to try a hot bath and some lavender oil.

Will people please share their experience with these two drugs? Thanks.

Jaime

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by Jaime on Sep 9^th, 2004, 3:41am

Well, at 10:30 pm the beast amped up to Kip 8 so I took the first Maxalt pill. By 11:00 pm it went to Kip 9 and is still there at 11:45 pm. Sigh. It looks like it is going to be a very rough night. :'(

The Maxalt directions say that if there is no response to the first tab, do not take a second dose until speaking with your doctor. I guess tomorrow we'll try something different. Even my teeth hurt.

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by Jaime on Sep 9^th, 2004, 6:12am

2:15 am now and still at Kip 9 with attacks lasting about 45 minutes. Shadows are only fading to Kip 7. Actually, closer to Kip 9.5 right now. Oh God, kill me now! This is the worst it's been since the beast started.

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by clarence on Sep 9^th, 2004, 6:28am

Hang in there Jaime. It sounds like you are going through the rough of it right now. I have not experienced those two drugs, so I can't comment. I hope that you get some relief soon. Try to get the oxygen - If you are working in the doctor's office you might even be able to hit the O2 there if you get an attack. I feel for you, and pray that this is over soon.

Casey

<spelling>

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by floridian on Sep 9^th, 2004, 9:55am

Vioxx may or may not help with clusters - it does help some with paroxysmal hemicrania. You sound like you are at the beginning or middle of a diagnosis - doctor thinks it is stress related (?), few tests performed. Vioxx or indomethacin makes sense to try at this stage - these meds are traditionally used to distinguish between CH and PH. Cox-2 inhibitors like vioxx may also take some time to fully kick in and reduce the inflammation. And having something to abort is also good, sorry the Maxalt isn't working - maybe someone else with experience can post on that.

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by Jaime on Sep 9^th, 2004, 11:07am

About a half hour after my last post the attack stopped very suddenly. Within just a few minutes I was PF, and able to sleep for a few hours. I've been awake for about an hour now, almost completely PF, with just the faintest hint of a shadow lingering in the background, and some residual stuffiness in my left side nasal passage. It is difficult to say whether this is the result of the new drug therapy, or the natural pause of the beast. I'm sure glad the major attack backed off. I feel like I got enough rest to be able to work today. It is too soon to get my hopes up.

I am in the middle of getting a diagnosis. I'll probably have to go through more pain, both from jumping through the doctor's diagnosis hoops, and from getting the doc educated about CH.

I have been under an appalling amount of stress for the past two years, and there may be some part of my headaches affected or even caused by the stress. It is a challenge getting doctors to hear and understand me. I know the difference between a stress headache and what I am experiencing. As pleasant as Yoga, hot baths, aroma therapy and other relaxation or stress reduction techniques are, they haven't touched this beast. And the doctors aren't available at 2:00 am when the monster is at it's worst. I think I'll start carrying a note pad to keep a log to track the attacks and shadows start times and durations.

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by seannap on Sep 9^th, 2004, 11:57am

So sorry you had a rough night... I had simular results in the begging, as my doctor tried giving me the same spiel... don't give up - demand a referal to a neuro.. they are the ones that can lead you to a real diagnosis. I can promise you this... STRESS HEADACHES DO NOT REACH THE LEVELS THAT YOU ARE GETTING!

For some reason, the Vioxx didn't work for me in the beginning (year ago), but I have been on Celebrex (same type drug) for the past 6 months, and, in conjunction with iron pills, have been relatively PF for 2 months now... with only occassional KIP 7-8 (1/week), shadows a few times a week, and KIP 9's maybe 2x since I started the iron.

Hang in there.

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by lionsound on Sep 9^th, 2004, 9:22pm

Jaime,

Keeping a headache diary is an excellent idea. It will be very helpful for you and your doc. Be sure to keep track of times you take meds too.

Currrently I take maxalt to abort and for now it works.

However, I've tried lots of other triptans that didn't work, or don't anymore, or my body didn't get along with. Sometimes it's a bit of trial and error. And always remember.......DO NOT mix triptans within 24 hours of each other.

Hang in there..... PF wishes for you.

-lionsound

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by nani on Sep 9^th, 2004, 9:54pm

Maxalt worked as an abortive for me while I was episodic. Once I started getting chronic, it didn't work anymore. I notice that stress can sometimes trigger a kip 6 or more when I'm having a bad pain day. Some days I can stay below kip 6 all day and stress doesn't make a difference. The more I learn and hear the more it's a mystery to me... or maybe I'm getting stupid from all this pain. [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by Jaime on Sep 10^th, 2004, 1:10am

Thanks everyone for sharing. I've actually had a pretty good day. Only three attacks today, and none worse than Kip 3. Shadows almost non-existant. This is the closest thing I have had to a pain free day in 5 weeks. Perhaps the Vioxx is bringing some relief. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I'm kind of looking forward to sleeping a whole night. LOL.

Title: Re: Vioxx
Post by Jaime on Sep 11^th, 2004, 6:46am

Here is another update after day two on Vioxx. I had a very faint shadow just after noon, that lasted about 30 minutes. Pain free until another faint shadow at 6:30 p.m. Then I got hit with a Kip 6 at 10:00 p.m., I've got another Kip 5 happening that started at about 2:15 a.m. and is still going. Three real attacks is still a noticeable improvement over what I had been getting. The attacks seem shorter, too - lasting around 30 minutes. This current attack is longer, but I expect it to end soon, and then I can sleep. I was working tonight as a PCA, and didn't get off work until 2 a.m., so the beast didn't wake me up. I haven't been to bed yet.