How many Triptans?

Just as an addendum to my other post.
How many Triptans are you allowed?
How many are considered too many? It seems to vary.

What else helps as a rescue?
I dont want to take the whole 18. Dont even want the 12.
But I do need to get through this holiday period as best I can without stressing myself out.
Just pray two bad months isnt going to cause rebound or worse.

Hope you all have the best Christmas you can.

I get 9 a month but seldom use them as they don't work well for me.

I use vicoprofen and toradol injections as rescues.

Charlotte (formerly Joan)

It seems the number of pills in one package is usually what a doctor or insurance company will allow. That depends on the triptan, too.

I was on Treximet and was allowed 9 and now am on Imitrex and am allowed the same, 9. By the way, Treximet is Imitrex with Naprosyn. There are about 6 more triptan brands out there you might want to consider.

£eslie

With the new neuro, I"m allowed 2 triptans a day no more than 2 times a week. No other rescue meds. I'm scared out of my mind what I'll do the rest of the time. She seems sure I won't need more than that if I follow her plan. I think she's nuts. LOL

My insurance only allows 6 triptans a month. I need at least 12; the neuro prescribes the 5mg zomig and I split the pills, so that gives me 12 doses of 2.5 each. The dr. has tried to get my insurance to approve more and they won't (and I have pretty good insurance coverage actually) which annoys me no end. Would they deny an epiletic their medicine? Or a heart patient their meds? A few times a year I need more then 12 a month and I have to get samples to hold me over. My neuro is calling in a script for Maxalt to see if they will give me more then 6 of that.

i get 48 per month. 30 maxalt, 18 amerge. i have an awesome drug plan now, but they always change it at the first of the year, so i'm crossing all fingers and toes, hoping they don't either dump me from the plan, OR start charging huge co-pays.

and yes, i take them daily. 2 a day, if needed. i'm still alive. i know this isn't the best idea in the world, but i haven't any other drug which works at all. so i'm grateful to have a doctor who has stuck with me through the years, and understands this awful scenario of
"chronic daily migraine". dianne

That is a lot of triptans to get. I am jealous! I don't get why my insurance won't cover more. Maybe it's the cost? I don't know how much zomig costs, does anyone know how pricey they are? I have read various places that too many triptans are not good, and I know when I read the prescribing info it can be scary (can cause heart attack, etc.) but they work for me and thank goodness the side effects are the typical ones...tiredness, feeling warm, etc.

My insurance now lets me have 12 a month for the co-pay of $25.00. I formerly received 9 a month for a co-pay of $25.00. I did not receive a notice from the ins company that I would be allowed more and my doctor didn't mention upping the prescription. I am happy about the increase and I'm not going to rock the boat by asking questions. 12 is usually more than enough but not always. When I was getting 9 I often ran out. So it seems that 10 a month is about right.

The odd thing is I will sometimes go for several weeks and then get migraines 4 or 5 days in a row. I have never been able to discern a repeatable pattern.

Chris

i cost my insurance company many hundreds per month. since all triptans except generic imitrex (which doesn't work for me) are at least $25 per pill, naturally they hate people like me who have to use so many.

of course, i feel very fortunate to be able to get what i need, but for years and years, i begged for samples everywhere. since the drugs have been on the market so long now, samples are very hard to come by. the drug reps just don't load up the doctors' cabinets with them anymore, and this is very sad for those who need them. dianne

ladies,

next time you take a trip to your ob/gyn ask them for a sample or two of your fav. triptan. they might have it.
my mom works at an office and often passes them off to me, which is why i know so many DONT work for me.

they usually have tons of them there since not many people ask

SEB wrote:That is a lot of triptans to get. I am jealous! I don't get why my insurance won't cover more. Maybe it's the cost? I don't know how much zomig costs, does anyone know how pricey they are? I have read various places that too many triptans are not good, and I know when I read the prescribing info it can be scary (can cause heart attack, etc.) but they work for me and thank goodness the side effects are the typical ones...tiredness, feeling warm, etc.

Triptans are VERY expensive. I haven't paid attention to the price now that Imitrex is generic, but I did last year when my insurance company started paying only 60% for my non-generic meds. Of course, the price differs from store-to-store/region-to-region, but if I recall correctly Zomig was about $24/pill.. So I was paying about $10 per pill.. (used coupons from the drug companies to help with the costs).

To the OP of this thread, my doctor doesn't want me using too many triptans either. She said she didn't know about what effects it would have me later in life. I am able to get by with 9/month, but there was a time when I was barely squeaking by w/that many.. (I am taking Xanax and propranolol, which seems to have helped w/my headaches and migraines).

do you get told how many is too many?
The limit here seems to be 15 regularly.
But 12 seems to be the neuros limit.
Is it the same stateside?
Dianne takes way more & as she says, still here. Are they harmful, or is it cost?

I get 24 Axert but DHE is still my drug of choice for an abortive. The Axert works well for a preventive in stressful migraine situations though.

linda how many of those 24 might you take in a month? Ever had them all?

Pen - They automatically prescribe 24/month so I pick them up (my cache for the future). I have only used maybe 5 in a month though so I don't know about taking them all.

I do use caution with my medications but will break rules if that is what it takes to break the pain. I personally believe a migraine is worse for you than over stepping boundaries of medication (within reason). I wouldn't go overboard but if I need just a teensy bit more than prescribed, I take it. No harmful effects yet and everything "so far" has worked as good for me now as it did the first time years ago without increasing doses.

No rebounds either. I listen to my doctor but then go home and take his advice and "the knowledge I have of MY body" and come up with my own treatment plan. Some of the stuff I have been prescribed has been so horrible, I have learned that it is up to me to come up with a workable plan. So far, it is actually my GP that has prescribed the best for me. My neuro, who I would think would be more knowledgeable is more into prevention which would be fine if any of the stuff really worked. The only prevention that has worked for me is taking an abortive for prevention (on occasion). None of the "so-called preventatives" have worked. In fact, they have been a disaster and have costs the insurance company plenty.

This is just my experience. Everyone here will have different advice. Sorry I can't help you with taking the "maximum--whatever that is" amount of triptans.

Just succumbed to number 8. Gutted, but couldnt stand the pain and now nausea any longer.....it will help in time, how much, don't know, but this is how it gets me, I must be getting very weak, but I did endure yesterday...

9 was my number allowed by insurance. i bought mine from canada which have been direct shipped from germany , england , and india . they were triptans on label. i have daily chronic leading to M four times a week. Started on CLONIDINE hcl.1mg tab 45 days ago no chronic or M since ,and im a childhood sufferer, and 6 years as adult . hope this is the one. its also not to expensive.

So going to bed. Managed a no med day today.....hard, but my daughter did IHM for me and that seemed to knock ity back a bit.
I anticipate day two of yesterdays migraine to come in the night.
I pray it doesn't...
Night all.
P

pen wrote:So going to bed. Managed a no med day today.....hard, but my daughter did IHM for me and that seemed to knock ity back a bit.
I anticipate day two of yesterdays migraine to come in the night.
I pray it doesn't...
Night all.
P

It did, that's 10 already this month, I am gutted and scared, but just cant stand the pain....
NEVER had this many this time into the month...
Lousy day all together.
Hope others are doing better...

SEB wrote:That is a lot of triptans to get. I am jealous! I don't get why my insurance won't cover more. Maybe it's the cost? I don't know how much zomig costs, does anyone know how pricey they are? I have read various places that too many triptans are not good, and I know when I read the prescribing info it can be scary (can cause heart attack, etc.) but they work for me and thank goodness the side effects are the typical ones...tiredness, feeling warm, etc.

Hello All, I have belonged to migraine support groups in the past, and it's nice to get involved again. I was told by one migraine group moderator that an insurance company cannot dictate how many triptans you can have each month. My insurance company has turned me down, but my dr.'s office then fills out a form, makes a call, etc. and it's always been approved. I get 18 100 mg. pills per month, I split them in half, taking 50 mg. per day on average. I am trying to get away from them because I must be rebounding if I am taking them daily. But putting them down isn't easy.

Thanks for your input. They are allowing me 18 a month now too, and I dont want to take that many.
As for rebound....I do worry about it, i wish they would "prove" it.....
But I get a bad spell and take one every other day for a while and then I get 6 days off....
That makes me doubt the rebound, but I dont think I understand it really and do like to have evidence of things.
I dont blame you for wanting to cut them down though...me too. Hard isnt it....
I cant cut mine in half they are Migard/Frova, and too tiny...
P

I had a neck surgery last month (disk degeneration, they put an occipital nerve stimulator in me) and a doctor was reviewing my meds. When I told her that I took imitrex daily, she said, "What are you looking to have a stroke?" I think I didn't want to think about it, depending on my neuro to know what he is doing re: rebound, stroke, etc. But now I'm more concerned than ever. Actually, talking about it again now is prompting me to write my neuro an email to help me wean off of them. I've been taking daily imitrex for years, so I must be rebounding. I have stopped rebound from meds in the past with a prescription of steroids, which I use for about 7 days. I think it's time (gulp!).

Some doctors seem to believe that too many triptans can lead to a stroke, others don't. Did your doctor explain the mechanism whereby triptans could cause a stroke?

Chris

I have never heard thi.s.
makes me angr.
How much more Scareing and blaming are we supposed to cope with.
All I want is to get out of pain .
Faced with another triptan toda.y.
Scared to take it... But pain is 10. Third day in row . I am losing my grip here.

Unfortunately, I had to switch doctors, and my migraine history is long and complicated, probably like many others in the group. I had a nasty experience with my previous doctor who prescribed methadone for my pain, which turned into a nightmare for me. I had to get off of it and the dr. wasn't being supportive or helpful. He wanted me to look for another doctor. I weaned myself, even though I was warned several times not to do the withdrawal on my own. I had to, I couldn't take one more day on methadone - I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but I'm not sure I'd be here if I stayed on it one more day. So after the difficult withdrawal, I notified the AMA and reported him. Then changed hospitals and doctors. I adore my doctor now, but it seems each dr. has their own plan and thoughts on how to treat pain. We don't talk about what I use, really. He just asks if it works and prescribes it. Sounds weird, but he is the director of a pain center in Boston and he is excellent in many ways, but not as helpful in others. I can't take opiates, so it gets tricky. I have reactions, even to the synthetic ones. And I don't want to be drugged all day. Yes, a lot of info which is frightening. I read qan article not long ago about how just having migraines is a major risk factor. I think that's why I moved away from support groups in the past, too discouraging. I struggle to stay positive and try not to whine, except when to do so will save my sanity Jane