Tripans only for migraine with aura.

Has anyone heard this. Who on here has no aura and takes Triptans.
Me

Me - I have one every great once in a while but they aren't general characteristic of mine.

A lady on our MAA page on Facebook insists her neuro says only aura patients should have Triptans.

She said:
. Her Neuro said only aura migraine sufferers should use a triptan, other kinds of "migraines" are supposed to have other treatments you are not supposed to use Triptans unless you are suffering from aura migraines which are different from tension related migraines and that aura migraine sufferers are to never touch caffeine based meds.

I also found out you can suffer from both, you can get aura migraines which is where you are to use things like Zomig, but the other headaches that are constant and never go away are actually Cluster headaches that can progress into a full blown migraine for those who suffer from migraines.

Anyone been told this?? If she is right we are all getting the wrong med....

Pen,

I was not told that. I do not nor have I ever had aura. The triptan I take, Maxalt-Mlt, to my amazement, worked for me the first time I took it. That was over 10 years ago. Maxalt doesn't just reduce my pain. It totally wipes it out along with my other migraine symptoms. Thanks to triptans, I can work fulltime and have a life. I know that's not the case for many on Ronda's. Therefore I am extremely grateful that I have found a medication that truly helps me.

I would like to not get migraines at all ever again. In lieu of that, I'll gladly take relief. (Jury is still out on cayenne.)

Chris

I have never been told this either Chris, she has caused a bit of a stir over on the discussion.
I told her I would just check out here in case it was just me didn't know this....

. Her Neuro said only aura migraine sufferers should use a triptan, other kinds of "migraines" are supposed to have other treatments you are not supposed to use Triptans unless you are suffering from aura migraines which are different from tension related migraines

I will be succinct- what an idiot...

I have M without aura and triptans are the only meds that will help.
Granted, by now my M evolved to the point that a triptan alone is too weak or the painkiller alone is too weak to be of help (although not always) but before it came to that the triptan was the only medicine that stopped my M in its track.

sheesh what a quack.

As for tension related M?? what's that????
M is M, regardless of what triggers it - period -IMO.

Risa

To be honest I was a bit concerned, she is just a youngster.
I did gently dispute this, but she is adamant that we are all on totally the wrong medication unless we have aura.

I just wanted to be able to go back to her and tell her it isnt that England is different...she is in NC.
I guess its not hurting her, but who the Hell is this idiot that has told her this...

What about the caffeine thing....I dont have aura, is that a problem...

Pen, remain calm. That was just a Dr. passing bad info, or thier own opinion. Thousands of people
with M but no aura have been perscribed triptans by thousands of Drs. we will be ok. Take what works for you.

Indeed. But what of this kid who has a nut for a neuro......

I wonder if she misunderstood....if I'm not at 100% I can misunderstand what a doctor told me (I either walk out with written instructions or repeat it verbally so I understand).

Well my response to her, no one's symptoms are the exact same. A triptan is standard abortive for anyone with a migraine. When I had them in my early 20's, my neuro at the time gave me Maxalt. Granted it didn't work perfectly but it helped. My headache specialist gave me a triptan knowing I have no aura and he's been working in this field over 15 years, treating patients and doing research. I think he knows what he's doing with the supportive therapies (still working out the preventatives). I was also okayed to have my 2 cups of coffee per day. At this point it helps to get the fog off and function. However, more than that is a no-no and no OTC with caffeine. Trying to eliminate a possible rebound due to the caffeine.

This could just be a gp's theory on treating migraines as well rather than a neuro. If they aren't sure about prescribing something they won't and these can be buggers especially if misused. I know my gp has no clue about really treating migraines...his solution was to refer me to a specialist and gave me fioricet to battle the bad ones.

Just my 2 cents.

As I understand it,she went with her Dad who also has migraines,and this was her neuro, so he should know better.
But maybe this is what he really thinks.
God knows the second one I saw, I might as well have talked to the dog....

Yeah..look at me. I've run the line on triptans with only one left to try and I have severe aura. The only thing that works for me is Fioricet with codeine (caffeine product) and Stadol. I always try other things but I don't know why, they never work. If I were to stick with that plan, geez I probably would have stuck a fork in my eye by now.

Her Aunt has migraines without aura so she had to change her diet , no caffeine or certain substances, takes prescription strength Ibuprofen with a sleep aid and an anti-nausea pill.

Her father and her who have auras tried excedrin, but they didnt work... Now they both use zomig (different strengths) and manage much better.

She says its odd people with no aura are the only ones who get rebounds.

????????????????????

Pen,

I looked up the prescribing information for my triptan, Maxalt-Mlt. The next line after "Indications and Usage" says,

"MAXALT is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura in adults."

I didn't look up all the other triptans, but I would be surprised if they said anything different.

Oh, this person is way off and I think you should write her off, at least when it comes to migraine knowledge. I don't get auras and I don't get rebounds.

Chris

When Treximet first came out I got a sample. In the little booklet it says "Do not take Treximet without talking to your doctor first if you have migraines with aura."

I believe this has changed, there is no mention of it on their website and googling it says it can be taken with MWA and MWO. I'm not sure why it said that but I had to go back to my OB/GYN who gave the sample to clear that up before trying it.

Well I guess this gal is entitled to her opinion. I think her doctor must be 100 years old and doing his meds from 50 years ago (exaggerating here). I haven't had a rebound and I don't normally get auras. I've also been careful about taking meds.

Whatever...she's entitled to her opinion but as long as she doesn't try to preach it as truth. Anyone who's looked up any information regarding migraines is better informed than she is. Which is sad. I guess post links to triptans that give the indications....

What about the caffeine thing....I don't have aura, is that a problem...

No Pen- again, it's the individual response that counts.
Some people are helped by it, some don't.
I don't think there was ever contraindication for caffeine for M. Otherwise why would I ever be Rx-ed all those meds that contain caffeine for my M all those long years?

Risa

Yaya and even mighty Excedrin MIGRAINE has caffeine in it!!!



Sorry, had to throw it in there.

I don't get aura, except maybe once I might have had a single one over fifteen years ago, before I was ever diagnosed with migraine, but I am not even sure if it really was an aura or not.

After I was diagnosed, I was prescribed injectable Imatrex, but could not tolerate the injections. Then I was prescribed Zomig-zmt and Fioricet. Summatriptan and Zolmatriptan, apparently, are the only triptans in the VA formulary.

The only med I have gotten rebound from was Ibuprofen, perscribed for pains other than migraine.

Many members of the general public believe that ALL migraines are preceded by visual aura. Which, of course, we know is not true.

Maybe this girls neuro falsely believes that only headaches with aura are true migraines, and if the headache is without an aura then it is not truly a migraine, but rather only a tension headache instead??? And Triptans are only for use with true migraines. Therefore, according to his/her spurious reasoning, Triptans cannot be used on "so called" migraines without aura, because they are merely tension headaches masquerading as migraines, and not really migraines at all. Anyway, that is the best explaination that I can come up with for their nonsense.

Since the Zomig-zmt only works sometimes, and usually makes me nauseated due to the artificial orange flavoring (on top of the nausea from the migraine), maybe I should skip trying to get a new prescription for it.

I have no comment on this but it does bring up something I have always believed, and that is that not everything your doctor prescribes for you is necessarily good or safe for you. We have to do our own research. A lot of us have been trying multiple medications, sometimes all at once. I question everything I am prescribed and come to my own conclusions. We only get one body!

P.S. to my above post - When it comes to drugs, your pharmacist is a better judge of medication than your doctor. I've even had my pharmacist point out drugs that I shouldn't be mixing that my doctor never bothered to mention.

estre004 wrote:P.S. to my above post - When it comes to drugs, your pharmacist is a better judge of medication than your doctor. I've even had my pharmacist point out drugs that I shouldn't be mixing that my doctor never bothered to mention.

I totally agree with that in my experience so far. Give anti bios last year which are not for people with renal probs.
Also my neuro was giving me Topamax when again. Renal contra....