Questions for Vets- relatively new migraineur

Hey! I'm new to this forum. I'm 20 and for the last two years I've been getting 1-5 migraines w/o aura a month. I also had them a few times when I was younger, but I never knew what they were. As far as I can tell (still new to the game) my triggers are light sensitivity and hormones around my cycle. Normally if I catch it early and take two excedrin migraine/wear sunglasses with the lights off/drink crazy amounts of caffeine it'll go away, but I've also been prescribed immitrex. When I take immitrex (or the off-brand) I always get very dizzy and a little nauseous but the migraine goes away enough so I can hopefully sleep it off. They've never lasted more than 2 days.

I was wondering...

-Should continue to take the immitrex even though I get the side effects? Are there any better medications I could/should be using?
-Should I be concerned about any kind of bc I would want to use even though I don't have an aura?
-Do most people's migraines get worse over time?

Thanks! I tried talking to my doctor and he just googled migraines and read me an article on one of those medical pages... :/

First make sure you are going to a neuro. Not just any old doc will do. Migraines meds due tend to have side effects with them, thinking it has to be strong enough to get rid of the pain. If you can handle to side effects, being that they don't last a long time and your pain is becoming less, I would say give the meds a chance to work for ya.

I am a long time migrainour, tension and cycle related migraines. With my experience, I learned the hard way that BC pills were not for me. The added hormones in the pills just made my pain worse.

Ya, my migraines have gotten worse as I have gotten older, 35, but were are all different.

I also know for me that I had to give up caffeine. All kinds. I did a self test on me like 15 years ago, I ate a candy bar, during one of my good runs, not having a migraine for like 2 weeks. Within 30 mins I was in full blown, 1o scale of a migraine attack. Took four days to go away. Three months later I did it again, why i still don't know, but thats when I knew that caffeine was not good for me.

Studies have shown that too much caffeine, during a short time period can help to prolong a migraine or at least cause rebound headaches. Thats what it does to me.

Don't me affraid to try different meds, until you find your right one. Most important, find a doctor that will listen, care, and treat you. Remember he works for you, firer a doc thats not willing to work on helping you get well.

I am on my sixth doctor. Its a sad fight but you have to fight.

If the Imitrex works well for you, but the nausea is bothersome, perhaps you could try the injectable form. I got nausea from the tablets and they didnt' work as well. The injections work within 15 minutes and never bothers my stomach because you don't need to digest it.

You might also want to try different triptans. They all seem to be a bit different. Ask your doctor.

Welcome!!! First thing - get a new doc: A neurologist that specializes in migraines - your new doc will probably schedule for some diagnostic tests ( if he's worth his salt!), such as CT Scan, MRI, MRA - all of which are pain-free. As some of the others in the "club" have stated, the Imitrex injections many be a better route for you - it's quick, just a pinch, and you start to feel it working within 15 minutes. Also, as stated previously, there are MANY triptans (which is the med family that Imitrex is in) that may have better results for you - everyone is different. Also, because your M's tend to happen around your time of the month, they are SO much easier to control - your doc can put you on a daily med (called a preventative) which will help to prevent them from even coming.

Best of luck with finding a neuro - that'll be your first & most important step to becoming pain free. Take care & I wish you many pain free days!!!

Janice

Yeah, I got nauseous with Imitrex (sumatriptan) too, both pill and injection.
Try switching to Relpax (eletriptan). That worked for me.
.
Also, try messing with the dosage.
For non-aura migraines I take 10mg or 20mg of Relpax (I quarter the 40mg pills).
For the full aura migraines I take 40mg of Relpax and try to sleep it off.
.
Yes, my migraines have gotten worse as I get older, but the medicines have gotten better. Right now the medicines are winning the race.
Others have talked about being "pain free". I don't want to sound too depressing, but you may be happier if you lower your expectations (a general comment about life).
Don't try to be "pain free" and just try to manage your migraines instead.
I know the last thing you want to hear when you're 20 and immortal is that you have a chronic condition, but unless you're really lucky ... its chronic.
And, get the MRI/CAT tests done. Chances are they'll be negative, but you don't want to mess with a brain tumor.

Migrainegirl wrote:You might also want to try different triptans. They all seem to be a bit different. Ask your doctor.

Ya, I get side effects with all of them, but the effects are WAY worse with Imetrex. While the side effects didn't last as long with the nasal and injectable forms, they had a stronger initial reaction which was absolutely horrible and I'd have sore muscles for days after taking one.

As far as meds, you do have options. I have had way more luck with Maxalt and Frova than I ever did with Imetrex. But, everyone is different which is why their are different meds. For me, Frova has the least side effects, even though it's a pill I have to digest. I just have to be sure to take it at the right time (before I get too nauseous).

Maxalt and Zomig both come in wafers which dissolve on your tongue, which are a little easier on the stomach.

tdu wrote:

Migrainegirl wrote:You might also want to try different triptans. They all seem to be a bit different. Ask your doctor.

Ya, I get side effects with all of them, but the effects are WAY worse with Imetrex. While the side effects didn't last as long with the nasal and injectable forms, they had a stronger initial reaction which was absolutely horrible and I'd have sore muscles for days after taking one.

As far as meds, you do have options. I have had way more luck with Maxalt and Frova than I ever did with Imetrex. But, everyone is different which is why their are different meds. For me, Frova has the least side effects, even though it's a pill I have to digest. I just have to be sure to take it at the right time (before I get too nauseous).

Maxalt and Zomig both come in wafers which dissolve on your tongue, which are a little easier on the stomach.

If aspartame (nutrasweet) is a trigger for you, do NOT use the Maxalt or Zomig wafers. They both contain aspartame. Such a bad move on their part since so many of us are sensitive to it.

On the birth control topic-All the research I have done has shown that without aura, the pill should be fine. That said, you should really go off hormones for at least 3 months to see if your migraines reduce (keep a log). People can be better, worse, or the same while on the pill. Non-permanent options in that time are kinda low effectiveness barrier methods or the copper IUD (can cause heavy bleeding but lasts for up to 10 years)...not much out there unfortunately! I got the Paraguard copper IUD when I went off the pill for a year to give it a fair shot.

Since I don't have migraines (I found out later), it made no difference for me. I had a horrible experience with the thing with bleeding & cramps, but there is a small percentage of people who love them as its cheap in the long run and takes no effort and is hormone-free. Don't get the Mirena IUD (or the ring or shot) because they still have hormones. Also keep in mind if down the road you get put on a preventative, the anti seizure meds can interfere with the pill, so you might want to keep that in mind. There are some gyn doctors out there who are very well versed in migraines. Might help you to find one. If you do get migraines more around your cycle and going off the pill doesn't help, there are some options to try to prevent them such as taking a triptan like Frova ahead of time, or wearing a hormone patch. Good luck and best wishes.

Brenda wrote:

tdu wrote:

Migrainegirl wrote:You might also want to try different triptans. They all seem to be a bit different. Ask your doctor.

Ya, I get side effects with all of them, but the effects are WAY worse with Imetrex. While the side effects didn't last as long with the nasal and injectable forms, they had a stronger initial reaction which was absolutely horrible and I'd have sore muscles for days after taking one.

As far as meds, you do have options. I have had way more luck with Maxalt and Frova than I ever did with Imetrex. But, everyone is different which is why their are different meds. For me, Frova has the least side effects, even though it's a pill I have to digest. I just have to be sure to take it at the right time (before I get too nauseous).

Maxalt and Zomig both come in wafers which dissolve on your tongue, which are a little easier on the stomach.

If aspartame (nutrasweet) is a trigger for you, do NOT use the Maxalt or Zomig wafers. They both contain aspartame. Such a bad move on their part since so many of us are sensitive to it.

That's interesting info, thanks. On the topic of ingredients, does anyone know if there is anything different in Imetrex that could cause my reactions? It's a similar drug to the others isn't it? I get pins and needles, foggy head, insane muscle stiffness and neck pain when I take it. Not anything disabling, but just horrible feeling. I don't get side effects like that from any other drug in that class I have tried.

Although the Triptans are all in the same class, your reaction to each can really vary (side effects and relief). Thats why its recommended to try all of them before saying you don't respond to them. Even the different forms of the same Triptan can give you a different reaction (pill, dissolving, injection, etc). But no, I'm not able to answer your specific question on why Imitrex is different for you. Maybe someone else will know? I do know it was the first formulation so maybe one of the others improved on the side effect profile. Some of the Triptans are known to be "stronger", some better for menstrual migraines, some better if you get a large profile of symptoms, some better if you need it to act quickly, etc. I'd ask your neuro, primary doctor, and gyn for samples as they may get visited by different reps. Also check if your insurance has preferred brands, as some may cover one or a few for lower cost (or only cover those). Best wishes.