Got my first dose of Imigran today. The doc's only given me two just to try it and see if I get on with it before having ongoing prescriptions.

Anyway... I'm sitting here and its grumbling away. Between 4 & 5 at the moment, all down the left hand side of my face and especially my lower jaw. Also got the constant migraine type headache going across the whole of my head (front and back).

Now... Should I have done the first shot of Imigran already? I'm trying to hold out against doing it in case I get a bigger hit later on - don't want to use it now when I can still handle the pain, would rather use it on a more forceful hit (if you get what I mean).

Any help would be lovely

Jen

Thanks Bob

That one has passed for now, when the next one kicks up I'll take it straight away.

The cost business with Imitrex is a major reason I keep suggesting trying Zyprexa. On a cost basis, it's much less than Imitrex, acts almost as fast, and for many of us, 100% reliable within 10-20 minutes. For a few people, it stops the cycle (see following.)
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Headache 2001 Sep;41(8):813-6 

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.

Rozen TD.

Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. THE INITIAL OLANZAPINE DOSE WAS 5 MG, AND THE DOSE WAS INCREASED TO 10 MG IF THERE WAS NO PAIN RELIEF. THE DOSAGE WAS DECREASED TO 2.5 MG IF THE 5-MG DOSE WAS EFFECTIVE BUT CAUSED ADVERSE EFFECTS. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and TWO PATIENTS BECAME HEADACHE-FREE AFTER TAKING THE DRUG. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. IT ALLEVIATES PAIN QUICKLY AND HAS A CONSISTENT RESPONSE ACROSS MULTIPLE TREATED ATTACKS. IT APPEARS TO WORK IN BOTH EPISODIC AND CHRONIC CLUSTER HEADACHE.

PMID 11576207 PubMed

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Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.

Thanks for the replies guys

It's not the cost of the Imigran that is holding me back... it's just that my doc has only given me two as a ''tester'' and I wasn't sure whether I should hold on to them for when a big one hits, or if I should do it as soon as anything hits. He did show me the cost of them but he also said he was more than happy to keep prescribing if it works for me.

As for the o2... GP's over here can't prescribe it, you can only get it through a hospital clinic. I'm seeing my neuro on 14th September and will be pushing him for the o2.

My Nuero prescribed me the Imitrex vials.  That way, I can only do 2mg at a time.  People on this site say that much will work.  I have never used it yet, though.