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New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> Frova
(Message started by: scott_m on Jul 21st, 2005, 3:49pm)

Title: Frova
Post by scott_m on Jul 21st, 2005, 3:49pm
I am 34 yrs old and have been getting clusters for approx 20 yrs.  I had gone about 18 months without getting them, but they came back last week...waking me up everynight.  My doctor just prescribed a medication today that I had not heard about before, its called Frova.  Does anyone have any experience with this drug?  

Thanks.

Title: Re: Frova
Post by Melissa on Jul 21st, 2005, 4:03pm
Hello,

Easiest thing to do is type in a search for posts on Frova through here: http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=search  Some people I think have had success with it and then there are others like me, who have not.  My neuro had me try it, but all it did was give me migraines on top of getting hit by my clusters.  

YMMV

Sorry to hear they are back for you and hope you can find some relief very soon!

Take care,
mel

Title: Re: Frova
Post by E-Double on Jul 21st, 2005, 4:15pm
Hiya

To my knowledge it doesn't appear to be a very effective abortive YET some use it as a preventative, taking it at night before bed to eliminate nocturnal hits....

This is a great resource to know like the back of your hand...print it out and give it to your doc
http://www.brightok.net/~mnjday/chtherapy.pdf
It will present the appropriate treatments that you should seek and your doctor should know!!!

If you want an abortive with the least amount of danger/side-effects O2 should not only be requested but demanded from your doctor!!!
http://www.maplefallswebdesign.com/misc/oxygen/oxygen.htm

I have recently been using Zyprexa as an abortive and have found it to work (for me) as fast as Imitrex and without the "hangover"

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=display;num=1120904753

Since you do have the "typical" wake you up in the middle of the night horrors then.... Melatonin might be very helpful
Many of us (myself included) have found that taking 6-9mg (some take more) about a 1/2 hour to 45minutes prior to bed have Knocked out the night visits and can finally get sleep.

With the exception of 10-12 times.....I have slept through the night since August '04 (went chronic in March 05).....Still get hit during the day but my overall quality of life is better because I am not as exhausted all the time.

Some people report that it seems to make them worse....The fact is that we are all different and respond differently to everything therefore it may or may not...

The one thing I will tell you as far as my experience was that I had to stick with it...The first night I took melatonin, I was awoken with a doozy only I was too groggy to find my O2 .....It got a lot better for me....I then slept through the night but would get slammed about 1/2 hour after waking up....kinda like knocking the beast off schedule.....then again I was peaking and this cycle has been all over the place with no real pattern.
I stayed with melatonin and have had decent sleep overall.

It may help and it is natural with not too many sideeffects....also ask your doctor b/c if there are any side effects or contraindications...I think they have to do with mild depression.....

Like I said we are all different.

Best wishes, good luck & stay as positive as you can!!!!

Eric

Title: Re: Frova
Post by unsolved1 on Jul 21st, 2005, 4:20pm
I tried Frova once and it didn't help. I rely on Imitrex.

About Frova:
Frova is a 'Triptan" drug. There a 7 Triptans including:
(1) Imitrex (Sumatriptan)
(2) Amerge (Naratriptan)
(3) Axert (Almotriptan)
(4) Maxalt (Rizatriptan)
(5) Relpax (Eletriptan)
(6) Zomig (Zolmitriptan)
(7) Frova (Frovatriptan)

According to the FDA, " Frova has not been shown to treat headaches called “cluster headaches.”" (http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/druginfo/frova.htm)

Frova (http://www.frova.com/)

Frova (http://www.mymedications.net/frova.php)


If one Triptan doesn't help, maybe another one will.

Goodluck

Unsolved

Title: Re: Frova
Post by Lizzie2 on Jul 21st, 2005, 4:50pm
This is a favourite article of mine:


Quote:
1: Cephalalgia. 2004 Dec;24(12):1045-8. Related Articles, Links  


Frovatriptan for the treatment of cluster headaches.

Siow HC, Pozo-Rosich P, Silberstein SD.

Jefferson Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. siow@juno.com

Cluster headaches both episodic and chronic are some of the most challenging headaches to treat. Although effective treatments are now available, some patients continue to be unresponsive to standard therapy. We present 17 patients from our practice whom we treated preventively with frovatriptan, a new triptan with a long half-life. The promising results suggest that this medication may be an useful addition to our ammaterium against this painful disorder.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial

PMID: 15566418 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


In the UK, they are looking at the use of Frova in a preventative sense.

I'd tried it awhile back, and I didn't notice any change whatsoever.

However, this week I was extraordinarily desparate.  I would leave work in tears from the extreme amount of pain.  I couldn't handle it anymore.  So one morning I figured what the heck and took a Frova to try it again.

I have a chronic daily headache type and also chronic CH, and the CDH type was blown through the roof compounded by the CH hits.  It dropped my constant pain from an unbearable 9-10 to a slightly more tolerable 7-8, and the clusters took a break for a day or two, although did still get hit during the time frame that the Frova would have worn off...before I took another one.

So hey...guess it was worth a try for a second time!!

Hugz and good luck!
Carrie :)

Title: Re: Frova
Post by thebbz on Jul 21st, 2005, 10:29pm
What Carrie and Unsolved said. I have used it and the others. NO worky for me. What doesn't work one time may work at another time. So the neuro had me switching up if one didn't work. The best is the imitrex stat-dose for an abortive. Nuero say's do not mix triptans. Wait min 24 hours before switching. They all are vascular constrictors with a molecule switched around Glaxcos patent.
All the best
thebbz
Take all medications under the care of a medical pro.

Title: Re: Frova
Post by scott_m on Jul 22nd, 2005, 9:43am
Well....thankfully night #1 with the Frova was a success!  I am going for a repeat performance tonight.  Thanks for all your comments!

scott



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