Strategy for medications

While feeding the dogs and making dinner, I was mulling over things I had read. Some seem counter intuitive to what I've been doing and I wonder if I've been my own worst enemy. Most days I wake up with some symptoms, can be pain, pressure but whatever it is is usually very mild...wouldn't even consider taking an aspirin for it. Normally, mornings are the best with my symptoms escalating throughout the day (this can vary but if it's horrible I go straight for the drugs as it's only gonna get worse from there). It's the normal days, I guess I try to tough it out...kind of waiting to see how bad it gets. By the time I concede defeat, I'm normally miserable. The meds help at this point but never give me complete relief. My weapons are gabapentin, promethazine with naproxen and imitrex injections. I try to reserve the imitrex for the ones that I'm completely unable to function. I guess I've been told to not use more than I absolutely have to and this is why I tough it out, but I'm miserable. I've also been told not to take gabapentin before imitrex but it's okay after (why I'm not entirely sure but it sort of makes sense). And the warnings about rebound HA...self preservation there trying to not make things worse.

Am I looking at this wrong? I don't enjoy toughing it out but I've also been told not to use the imitrex more than 1-2 times per week so there are times I don't take it when I probably should just because I'm afraid tomorrow will be worse and I won't be able to use it then if I really need it. Did I misunderstand how to use them?

Any insights or suggestions are appreciated.

Well your using them as prescribed, but is that helping you live your life better?
I take my scripts however I get the most relief. I had a stress test of the heart before starting Imitrex.
After that the Dr. wrote my scripts so I could obtain alot of tablets. He also told me he takes it several times a week.. If you read the posts here you will find alot of people taking meds as needed which may be more
doses than recomended. Since I had 4-5 M a week and daily headache I was only concerned with relief.

My rule of thumb is a story I read here at the forum.

You have one bucket of water.

A small campfire starts.

The campfire sets a shed aflame.

The shed sets a barn aflame.

When do you use you bucket of water to put the fire out? On the campfire? The burning shed? The flaming barn?

When will your bucket of water be the most effective?

I try to use my medications on my "campfire" whenever possible. It works for me.

Smart analogy, Richard. I liked it a lot. If you don't mind I'm going to steal it when it comes to explaining my medication situation to family and whatnot.

That's a great analogy Richard! And is very true - if you don't head it off at the pass it only gets worse. The only question is which weapon...but that is sort of answered based on the symptoms. I know no one is a pharmacist but has anyone else been told not to take gabapentin (neurontin) before a triptan? This was something I was told at one point and a reason I wasn't treating things because if it got horrible I wanted to be able to use it. If no one has heard of this I will call the pharmacist and ask - they should know if it's safe. This may make things more bearable and able to function a bit better.

Thanks for the input...this really has been helpful.

When I was taking neurotin my neuro did not tell me not to take triptan. He had prescribed both and seemed
more competent than others.

Have you tried to take anti-inflammatories at the very first symptoms of the morning?

heeler lady-
dh and my neuro have told us both to take the neurotin with the triptan, because it'll cause it to kick in better. According to her neorotin will help ANY pain reliever/triptan to help us more, which is why we're prescribed to take them together.

I thought I had sent this so if it comes out twice, sorry.

Richard said it perfectly!! Head it off!

I take care of mine even if I just have an inkling or a feeling that I may get one. I feel that letting them go does damage to your head. Sure feels like it does anyway, and I'm taking no chances. However, I am fortunate to have plenty of medication to do this. I get 24 triptans a month and 8 vials of DHE. Since I head them off during the "camp fire stage" it only takes one squirt of DHE sometimes so I pretty much depend on that. I save the triptans for an occasional preventive during particularly stressful migraine triggering situations. There is no way I would wait before taking medication. Life is too short. There may not be tomorrow.

I generally "head mine off at the pass" too. But, I'm also usually short med's at the end of the month and suffer horribly for 2-4 days.

Not sure if it's a willpower thing or what, but if I'm in pain and I have something to take for it, I CANNOT just put up with the pain.

Charlotte

Of my weapons, I use the naproxen/promethazine combo the least - in my trials, I didn't find it effective but I also could have been using it at the wrong stage. Timing can be critical to taking some of this, too late and it doesn't help. I am thinking that I really do need to change my strategy about using them - just to function. I'm at work now, really don't want to be here but have no choice today. Not so much pain but I have a feeling it's going to be an injection day - all the other lovely symptoms are making an appearance. I have meetings I have to go to and I'm just hoping to be able to function through them...I seem to be developing a case of CRS (Can't Remember S***) and I'm having a harder time focusing. Not sure if it's the new preventative or just a progression - time will tell I suppose.

Thanks for the info on the neurontin and triptan use. I think I must have misunderstood (gee that couldn't have happened ) and will stop worrying about not mixing those. If they work better together, yippee! I might be able to be my old self if even for an hour or two.

Thank you all.