question for topamax users

Estre, it's pretty subjective, though, isn't it. Alot of the time, I can get instant relief from triptans, while I could use 3 vials of migranal and get nothing but a super-stuffy nose and NO relief at all. So to answer the question, "how many on this forum can get instant relief from a triptan?" count me as one. Not for every single migraine, but does everyone get relief for every single migraine from their primary abortive? I do have a rescue med for those migraines the triptans don't give me relief from, and am happy to say, 9 out 10 migraines, don't need anything other than the triptan. It was opposite for me when I was on migranal - maybe 1 out of 20 migraines actually got relief.

I totally agree with you though - my goal is to live migraine free too. I also have a very high tolerance for pain: a life with migraine does that too you, doesn't it? It's more the quality of life we choose to sacrifice. We demand the best possible, and why not? If medication will give that to us, we deserve the best QOL possible, just like everyone else. If migranal gives that to you, triptans to me, and whatever else to everyone else, then that's all good

AuntieBubbs - Do you take the triptans by pill or nasal spray? If they had a nasal spray, I would try them again. Pills don't work instantly for me. I need something to go straight to the brain. It isn't that I can't wait. It is the anxiety that they might not work.

estre004 wrote:AuntieBubbs - Do you take the triptans by pill or nasal spray? If they had a nasal spray, I would try them again. Pills don't work instantly for me. I need something to go straight to the brain. It isn't that I can't wait. It is the anxiety that they might not work.

They have a new sumatriptan needle-free injection. Here's a link for more info.

They also have maxalt and zomig MLT which is a meltable tablet that disolves under your tongue as well as an imitrex needle shot.

The one you probably want is the Zomig nasal spray. Here's a link to their product info.

Thanks so much. Nice to have a back up.

lovegia wrote:

They have a new sumatriptan needle-free injection. Here's a link for more info.

They also have maxalt and zomig MLT which is a meltable tablet that disolves under your tongue as well as an imitrex needle shot.

The one you probably want is the Zomig nasal spray. Here's a link to their product info.

Are the new needle-free injections on the market? I read the article and it seemed kind of vague. These do work for me, but I don't particularly like the whole needle thing - anticipation almost as bad as the M and removing the darn thing.....

Yep I was offered them at my last appointment because they always try to push sumitriptan on me. I react to it badly in all forms both imitrex and treximet. Google it up. I'm sure you can find better articles than the one I gave ya. I didn't really inspect it, I just googled no-needle injection sumitriptan and picked the first relevant one that came up. The pamphlet that they have at the doctors office is excellent so if you can find that, I'd definitely look at it.

Estre, LG is a font of information, much better than I I know imitrex comes in a nasal spray and in injectible form. LG knows even more than I do, LOL, as I didn't know about the needle-free injection form. Needles don't bother me so that's not a big deal to me. Cost bothers me more, so I just take the pills because they are cheapest.

But if migranal works for you, there's no need to switch unless you're worried about the side effects. I wouldn't take it again because of my own worries about the side effects, and that's only because I do smoke, and my blood pressure is a bit on the high side (high normal rather than normal normal, and that's only in the last year, I used to always be on the low side). Add that to the fact that migranal never worked for me, and I just wouldn't find it beneficial to try again. Of course, I was prescribed migranal about 8 years ago, so who knows? It might work again, but I'm still freaked out about the side effects. I take triptans (when I can afford to) on an almost daily basis, and I'd be afraid that I'd have to take migranal on the same somewhat regular basis as well, and that would be too much of a risk to me.

Of course, I COULD - ahem!! - quit smoking LOL

The melting Maxalt tablets never worked for me, but again, I tried them like 8 years ago. People change, and what works changes too.

Triptans seem to work best for me, as opposed to ergots, and hydrocone, vicoden, etc. Stadol works as a rescue, while demerol and other strong pain killers don't. I never tried fioricet though.
and some triptans (zomig) don't. Prevetatively, topomax works, but nuerontin (another anti seizure med), antidepressants, calcium channel blockers and beta blockers don't.
I guess it's also what you're used to, too.

Thanks Auntiebubbs - Yes, the Miganal works great (had me some this morning--and some hydrocodone--bad morning--but it enabled me to get to work ). I might give the triptans another try just to have another alternative. I've tried the pills and they didn't work but they do work as a preventative for me if I take them before a migraine (when I'm having a high risk day).
By the way, where did you come up with that name?

The needle-less sumatriptan injection is indeed available -- and very, very cool! -- but it's prohibitively expensive. I haven't been able to get it yet because my insurance won't cover it. It's a shame, because it sounded like such a godsend for people like me who are terrified of needles.

In addition to Migranal (which does nothing for me) and injectable DHE, ergotamine is also available in pill form (such as Cafergot).