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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> "Don't Mix Triptans"
        
(Message started by: sevlow on Nov 16^th, 2004, 4:14pm)

Title: "Don't Mix Triptans"
Post by sevlow on Nov 16^th, 2004, 4:14pm

Hey All,

This message is specifically for kissmyglass/Kev who uses "Don't Mix Triptans" as his signature line, but I'm open to anyone else who might be willing to offer some insight.

What are the effects/problems of mixing the Triptans?

I asked my Neuro about it, and he said that he wasn't aware of any specific problems with taking different Triptans, as long as you spaced them out at least 2-3 hours apart. He gave me samples, and I have used Amerge/Frova/Maxalt/Zomig/Imitrex over the past two weeks, and am just curious to hear what anyone else here has experiences about "mixing" Triptans.

Thanks,

Chris

Title: Re: "Don't Mix Triptans"
Post by pubgirl on Nov 16^th, 2004, 4:32pm

Chris

Are you serious?
If so, your neuro is either a lunatic or should be struck off.

You should not take more than two doses of ANY triptan within 24 hours. That doesn't mean you can have one of 6 different ones, and frankly, taking triptans every 2 hours is insanity.

They constrict your blood vessels all over your body, they are NOT selective.

If you overdose on triptans you can die of heart failure, as one of our members nearly did.

Sorry to be so dramatic, but I mean it

Wendy

Title: Re: "Don't Mix Triptans"
Post by Margi on Nov 16^th, 2004, 4:54pm

Amen, Wendy - "doctors" that give out this kind of advice should be drummed out of business or at the very least reported to the powers that be. >:(

VERY dangerous to mix triptans - do NOT try this ever again! Pick one and stick with it and DO NOT OVERUSE IT!! We've had more than one person here get into life threatening trouble by doing that. There was one guy who had too much imitrex in a 24 hour period and his stomach shut down - it's a vasoconstrictor, folks and our 'vasos' can only stand to be constricted so many times before they rebel!

And yet another reason to support your local OUCH. Our advocacy and liaison teams are working hard to get the word out there to doctors who, sadly, can only afford to spend a short time studying cluster.

Title: Re: "Don't Mix Triptans"
Post by unsolved1 on Nov 16^th, 2004, 5:19pm

Better find a new neuro ... one that knows a little bit about medications

Unsolved

Title: Re: "Don't Mix Triptans"
Post by catlind on Nov 16^th, 2004, 8:33pm

Go read this thread and you'll discover how mixing triptans came very close to killing Roxy.

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=mar2004;action=display;num=1075679871

Cat

Title: Re: "Don't Mix Triptans"
Post by thomas on Nov 17^th, 2004, 8:45am

on 11/16/04 at 16:14:56, sevlow wrote:

What are the effects/problems of mixing the Triptans?

You can die.

Title: Re: "Don't Mix Triptans"
Post by sevlow on Nov 17^th, 2004, 9:20am

Thanks everyone for the replies. I really appreciate all of the input.

In reading them I see that my note was a bit misleading. My Neuro didn't say that if I space them out every 2-3 hours that I could take all six of the different kinds of Triptans he gave me in a 12-18 hour span.

My headaches tend to have a long drawn out ramp-up period, instead of going from nothing to Kip 8-10 in 10-15 minutes as with many people. What he was saying was that if I took something such as Frova early in the day to head off one when I first feel it coming on, but then later get slammed that I could take an abortive such as Imitrex as long as it had been at least 3 hours or so since the previous dose.

The closest I have ever put them together was one day when I took Amerge about 9:00 am, and then took Imitrex about 7:00 pm when I really got hit hard.

He gave me so many different kinds (all sample packs) so that I could test each one out to see what works best for my CHs, and then stick with it. I've only been having CHs since 09/26. I met with him again yesterday, and now only have Frova and Imitrex, with the Frova to be used early in the day if I catch one at the beginning, and the Imitrex to abort a really bad one. I had already decided that I would probably not use them together in one day before even reading your replies, and am now even more certain of that. (I'm actually very much against drugs of any kind, and prefer to find non-drug means of battling whatever ails me.)

Anyway, thanks again for all the great input. I was being careful with them to begin with, and now will be even more so.

The reason for going to the Neuro yesterday was to find out the results of my MRI, and he said that it showed one thing, which was a cyst in my left tear duct. I actually managed to get an appointment with an Opthamologist late yesterday, and he said that it is possible that my CHs are being triggered by the cyst, and has started me on Augmentin XR (antibiotic) to clear up an infection he said he could see, and then see if the cyst goes away after the infection is gone. I'm praying that it is as simple as that for me, because I don't want to live with these monsters as a recurring factor in my life.

Again, thanks for all of the input, and I appreciate knowing that there are people out there who have the experience to be able to offer advice.

Title: Re: "Don't Mix Triptans"
Post by kissmyglass on Nov 17^th, 2004, 5:29pm

Sorry, just saw this Chris but everyone has it covered...

Kev