When I fly, I always buy a red bull at the waiting area, that's my first round abortive when flying. I am fortunate in that oxygen is so effective for me I never had to hoard my trex, I always had a few around for those rare times when I got caught away from my oxygen, such as flying. But I hear you...when you have to balance pain tolerance with the financial reality of your abortives....

Joe

As the others have said, I absolutely know what you mean. Not only am I reluctant to use up one of my resources, I am convinced the next headache following a trex abort is actually stronger than the one treated. Maybe it isn't but it feels that way. Still, I have some success using vials and syringes so I can modulate the dose. I can abort with 2.5ml almost as effectively as with the full .5ml of the autoinjector. Having said that, I still use the autoinjector when out and about rather than a bare needle. blessings. lance

For a long time we have recognized that delaying use of Imitrex, et al, is a mistake. When an attack is well/fully deveoped, it's benefit is meager. So, take at the first sign of a developing attack.
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IF you do not have a recognized heart problem, the 2 in 24 guide is too conservative.
--
Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2010 Nov;11(16):2727-37.
Sumatriptan therapy for headache and acute myocardial infarction.
Barra S, Lanero S, Madrid A, Materazzi C, Vitagliano G, Ames PR, Gaeta G.

SourceAntonio Cardarelli Hospital, Cardiology Unit, Via Antonio Cardarelli, 9, 80131 Naples, Italy. giovanni.gaeta@tin.it

Abstract
IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: Migraine is a common, debilitating, chronic neurovascular disorder. Triptans are considered the drugs of choice to treat migraine attacks; however, their use is limited owing to concerns about cardiovascular safety.

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: The aim of this review is to describe: the mechanisms of action of triptans; the case-reports of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) associated with sumatriptan use; and the results of studies evaluating its tolerability and safety.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: Sumatriptan administration can be followed, in close temporal relationship, by AMI in young or adult migraine patients. Some of these cases have developed in subjects taking their first dose. Based on the results of prospective studies,

THE RISK OF SEVERE CARDIOVASCULAR ADVERSE EVENTS AFTER THE USE OF A TRIPTAN IS ESTIMATED AT 1:100,000 TREATED ATTACKS. THESE ADVERSE EVENTS, ALBEIT VERY INFREQUENT, HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF CAREFUL ADHERENCE TO THE SUMATRIPTAN PRESCRIBING INFORMATION.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Inherent in its mechanism of action, sumatriptan could produce (coronary) vasospasm sometimes followed by AMI. The drug should not be prescribed to patients with history, symptoms or signs of ischemic vascular disease; an in-depth evaluation should be carried out in subjects at intermediate cardiovascular risk.

PMID:20977405[PubMed
===============
An option, which is especially good because of convenience (pill) and cost per dose. (The only limitation is if you need seveal doses per day.) This became my only abortive when I discovered how rapidly it worked.
--
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.
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Before flying I always pop a Triptan pill. Useless as an abort, priceless as a flying prevent. Have never managed to contain an attack to "manage to sit through" level on a plane.

I'm curious? when flying does it trigger a CH attack only
when your in a cycle, or when out of a cycle as well.
I've always avoided flying during Spring and Autumn when in a cycle. But travelled to the UK in August and came back in September and no CH's.

Hoppy.

For all of my worrying and preparing for a hit while flying, it's never happened.

Joe

neuropath wrote on Nov 17^th, 2013 at 9:47pm:

I've had the same result.
Just recently, I was getting low on injectors and split 4 into 8 and did not have good results.
Abort times took about 25 min or non existent if I didn't catch it early enough.
I had one attack that went straight to a KIP 10 after 1/2 dose and it stayed there for 30 minutes.
Being 6'2" 195 lbs, a whole dose works much better for me.

Using a whole dose, I can kill a KIP 6 that wakes me up at 0330 in less than 5 minutes and be back to sleep before 0345.
A half dose results in an attack that continues in intensity to a KIP 8 and only takes the edge off.
At this point in time, if / when I get low, I will save the full dose injectable for my night attacks and hope that I catch the daytime ones early enough with an energy drink.