Can I take Generic Imitrex Every Day?

Hi - I'm a newbie. I've lived on Excedrin for years, but going through a bad string of headaches lately and dr said the excedrin was probably causing rebound headaches. Dr. prescribed generic imitrex a few days ago. I've had migraines 4 out of those 5 days. I really don't want to go on Topamax unless absolutely necessary. Wondering can I safely take the generic imitrex pretty often until I see if this spell subsides? I know what the doctor said, but I want to know what experienced migraine sufferers think. Also, can I take Imitrex some days and then Excedrin on others? Thanks.

If it were me...I'd ditch the excedrine period. If you suspect it's causing problems then stop taking it. I personally haven't had rebounds but watching those with it, if you take it while your system is detoxing is only going to make it worse.

As for taking the imitrex daily....short answer is yes. There are folks on here that do just that but be careful if you've not taken a triptan before as the side-effects can be scary and unpleasant. If you have heart issues, it is not advised. And if a M lasts more than 3 days, talk to your doctor about getting something to break it.

I really don't want to go on Topamax unless absolutely necessary.

If you needed to live on Excedrin before, and now on Imitrex, chances are you do need Topamax.
I fought off T for many many years, and now I think it was really unfounded.
The trick is, start very slowly and on the smallest dose, no higher than 25mg in the beginning.
Do not increase more often than once a month or even less often, and you should be fine.


Of course if you wish, by all means do try Imitrex every day (just do not exceed the daily dose limits) and see what happens.
Good luck with the either way!

Risa

Thanks so much. I just found out that my insurance plan only pays for 9 Imitrex pills per month, even for the generic. UGH!

is the imitrex a triptan? im not too up on the usa names but triptans daily and i quote a top consultant neurology who specialises in headaches and headache drugs " DO cause rebound headaches" less is always best for all of our body and long term if triptans havent affected the liver WILL affect the heart.

yes, it is a triptan, I appreciate your advice.

Dawn Imitrex is Imigran.

I know what you have been told but other drs say there is no evidence that Triptans effect the liver or the heart.
I may be mistaken but I think our Dr Larry Robbins has an article about this on his web page.

Pen

We do have some articles, based on studies, on our site about daily triptans, but they are not generally recommended, and one would have to be willing to accept possible side effects..Larry Robbins,M.D. http://www.headachedrugs.com

Thank you for clarifying that. I did think I had read something on your site.

can you run this by your doctor.....i think he or she knows you the best.

good luck!

all drugs have side effects. just because i have never felt one during my 17 years of use doesn't mean there aren't terrible things going on in my body.

BUT i haven't any other choices if i want to be a functional person, so i take one or another almost every day. i've just had a thorough physical done, at age 70, and everything checks out fine.

i seem to be getting away with the daily triptans, now about 8 years' worth, i think. i certainly wouldn't do this if there were other options. as dr. robbins says, one needs to be aware of the possible effects of every drug taken. there are no perfect drugs. dianne

any long term affects aside and youre looking more short term you dont want to get the rebound headaches that triptans give daily and there plenty of evidence of that with daily users, i used to be there and mercifully detoxed from them and now only use them as and when i need them and have got rid of that daily maigraine!! good luck!

Dawn,

I don't believe triptans give rebounds. They aren't good for other reasons (ie you build a tolerance and they quit working as well) but not rebounds. Personally I wouldn't take them every day unless I was 100% desperate just because I don't like the side-effects but I would if I absolutely had to.

Becky

The doctors are divided as per to whether or not triptans cause rebounds.
Some believe they do, some they doesn't.

Risa

I'm not making light of anyone's illness. Migraine disease is a hard row to hoe. But I have to inject some humor occasionally. I remembered an old song and I think it fits us perfectly. Although, I think the artist had something else in mind.


I Want A New Drug by Huey Lewis

I want a new drug
One that won't make me sick
One that won' make me crash my car
Or make me feel three feet thick

I want a new drug
One that won't hurt my head
One that won't make my mouth too dry
Or make my eyes too red

One that won't make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I'm with you
When I'm alone with you

I want a new drug
One that won't spill
One that don't cost too much
Or come in a pill

I want a new drug
One that won't go away
One that won't keep me up all night
One that won't make me sleep all day

One that won't make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I'm with you
When I'm alone with you
I'm alone with you baby

I want a new drug
One that does what it should
One that won't make me feel too bad
One that won't make me feel too good

I want a new drug
One with no doubt
One that won't make me talk too much
Or make my face break out

One that won't make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I'm with you
When I'm alone with you

Chris

I gather Huey Lewis has some experience in the field as well

btw I want such drug, 2 !!!!

thanks, Chris, it's quite a nifty poem!

Risa

I would be more concerned with building a tolerance to it than having a rebound effect with a triptan. I would highly advise going off the Excedrin though ....I know because I took it for a long time and it made things a nightmare. The best thing is to find a good base preventive medication that works for you....whether it's Topamax or one of the other many options is your choice (I personally would not recommend that because it can cause kidney problems although it is a good drug for many people in controlling things.) Nonetheless, finding a good base preventive medication and then just taking a triptan as needed is probably your best and safest way of handling things. Best of luck.

Agree with what others have said, it sounds like you need a preventative, not just an abortive. If not topomax, something else.
I'm on topomax, have been for a while now. Started with 50mg and am now at 200mg a day. Never have had severe side effects, though everyone is different and I know some on here have experienced some unpleasant and severe side effects, while others are more like me and have experienced only mild side effects that have gone away after a while.

As far as rebound goes, it's probably very likely that the excedrin is the culprit. OTC's often can cause rebound; I've had problems with every OTC I've tried except for advil (ibuprfen): tylenol, aleve (ie., naproxen), and excedrin. I never, in 15 years, had a problem with triptans causing rebound, and I've been on just about all of them - imitrex has been the most effective for me - until I started taking Treximet. Treximet is a blend of imitrex and naproxen, and I think what is causing the rebound is not the triptan in the Treximet, but the naproxen. I think the imitrex is fine.

As for the problem of your insurance not paying for mre than 9 tablets a month, yeah, most coverage plans have that stipulation, I've found. I don't have insurance at the moment, so I pay out of pocket for my meds. When I was paying for generic imitrex, I did some research to find the least expensive place to fill my script for generic imitrex.
It was very interesting to discover how prices varied from pharmacy to pharmacy. What I found is that a script of 9 pills cost me approx. $160 out of pocket at CVS pharmacy. I switched to Wal-Mart because I heard they had the best prices, and paid $80 for 9 pills. A big improvement ... BUT, Wal Mart filled my script with a generic brand that was the absolute worst generic brand I have ever used (not all generics are created equal). That brand is Dr. Reddy's. The side effects were awful, and made my migraines worse. I did some research on this brand, and overwhelmingly, the reviews online for Dr. Reddy's imitrex were negative.
I then checked with CostCo's pharmacy, and their prices are amazing. $20-25 for 9 pills, they don't use Dr. Reddy's, and you don't need a CostCo membership to use CostCo's pharmacy. If you have a membership, the prices are even lower, however. But anyone can use their pharmacy.
So, if you need more than 9 pills a month, you can consider paying out of pocket for them, and filling the script at CostCo. You won't pay much more than the cost of of your copay.

Hope this helps!