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Mike NZ

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New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available
Feb 16^th, 2016 at 3:48am

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As a result of an issue with the supplier, there are no sumatriptan injections available from pharmacists in NZ until at least mid-March at the earliest.

This will impact people with both CH and migraine who use them pretty severely.

I'm just relieved that I've been CH pain free for over 4 years, but they are pretty useful for my migraines, however I've enough to get me through a few months.

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maz CH.com Hall of Famer Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 1071 Hampshire, England Gender:	Re: New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available Reply #1 - Feb 16^th, 2016 at 4:31am Oh wow. That's bad. That would be my worst nightmare - probably for most others too. Good job you stockpiled some.
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Hoppy CH.com Alumnus Offline LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE Posts: 1890 Perth WA Gender:	Re: New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available Reply #2 - Feb 16^th, 2016 at 4:46am I've read recently the same applies in the US. Hoppy
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blacklab Ex Member	Re: New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available Reply #3 - Feb 16^th, 2016 at 5:34am ouch ! that is not good at all ! I suspect a few may consider a trip over the ditch mike rather than the alternative of being without ! I don't use injections, Yet ( touch wood) but that would be horrific for someone dependant........... colin
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midwestbeth

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Re: New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available
Reply #4 - Feb 16^th, 2016 at 11:30am

This has been happening in the US for awhile now. Summer of 2014, I went through a horrendous cycle where nothing worked except the dreaded trex. I had to call all the Walgreens pharmacies in the surrounding cities to get my Rx filled. I got every trex injection all of them had and it still wasn't enough. Hope you can find another treatment that will work for you.

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Dum vita est spes est

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Mike NZ

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Oxygen rocks! D3 too!

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Auckland, New Zealand
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Re: New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available
Reply #5 - Feb 17^th, 2016 at 1:36am

I'm lucky to have enough sumatriptan injections to last me quite a few months for my current migraine pattern, with more than enough of the tablets to last many more months, so I'm fine. However there will be thousands of people who don't have injections who will be going through the pain we all know from personal experience.

From what I can tell the issue is that the generic form was manufactured in India but the plant hit a "manufacturing issue". The problem isn't just impacting NZ but multiple other countries, so I'm not sure if a trip over the ditch to Oz will help.

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Joshua CH.com Alumnus Offline Posts: 264 x0\|New York\|USA\|\|0\|0\|NY,New_York Gender:	Re: New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available Reply #6 - Feb 25^th, 2016 at 12:11pm Seeing a similar issue in the US (New York) for Sumatriptan Nasal. Am able to get injects all day long, but not the spray. Reverted to Zomig.
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Bob Johnson

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Re: New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available
Reply #7 - Feb 28^th, 2016 at 2:08pm

Fast and low price in the U.S. At least ask if available.

==
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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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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Bob Johnson

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DerikPelser CH.com Newbie Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 13	Re: New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available Reply #8 - Mar 11^th, 2016 at 4:34am Same issue in South Africa. I used it for the nasal sprat the first time last year. However only had 2 in stock. Was not able and still not able to get it again
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DerikPelser CH.com Newbie Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 13	Re: New Zealand - no sumatriptan injections available Reply #9 - Mar 11^th, 2016 at 4:35am And the cost of it was very high. Roughly 40 US$
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