I’m so grateful I’ve found sumatriptan. I honestly feel like I got my life back. I haven’t needed to try anything else. I rarely get side effects, sometimes a little stomach acid but that’s much better than the excruciating pain of a migraine.
I hoard my Imitrex and have them in a box just like you. Insurance would only pay for 9 a month. So I go to Mexico to get more, so I’m never without. There were times years ago when I was out of rescue meds and that’s not a good place to be in. Very miserable. I also break my tablets in half just like you do. I hate the auto injections. If I’m honest with myself, I’m rebounding from my Imitrex, so I am trying to wean myself off them and get healthier. Chronic severe migraines have pretty much trashed my life.
Yes always have someone with you when you try new medications! When I tried sumatriptan, I fell asleep for 3 days. Having my family around to make sure I was okay was a REALLY good thing.
Yes, I'm so glad my mom was with me the first time I took the injection. I was freaking out and had to lay down and take deep breath for about 20 minutes until it passed and then I felt the best I had in months
I started taking Sumatriptan low dose in 2019 (side effects feeling really drowsy and body ache) it stopped working this year. This year started having migraines 2-3x week but they last 24-72hrs, dizziness 24/7, tinnitus, brain fog, hypotension (lowest one 88/60), have never fainted that I remember 😅, very neck stiffness, light sensitivity, on July 2020 got diagnosed with lupus ( so have lots of this symptoms came down with my lupus medication) still going on my journey to diagnose what migraine I have, also had physical therapy for my vestibular problems, already OTC meds don’t work anymore like Excedrin, Tylenol, naproxen, was taking ibuprofen until my rheumatologist stoped me, while my insurance accept the new migraine medication what I got to help a little is a mixture of 2 Benadryl and 2 acetaminophen every 12hrs until is gone. I hope I can find the right medication, thank you for yours videos, keep fighting warrior💜💪🏻
I've tried 30+ prescriptions over 12 years until I found something that works. I take a daily preventative med and an abortive along with some otc and other measures to help prevent/abort a migraine. When I was first diagnosed with migraines I started a binder full of my meds, side effects, I kept a migraine diary, a food diary, etc. I took that binder to every appointment. Thankfully here in Canada my work insurance covers 80% of my prescriptions as my triptan cost $18 a pill. I went from having a migraine 24/7 for 2 years with a pain scale of 10/10 to having the start of a migraine once or twice a week. In nearly 3 years I've not had a 10/10 migraine and not a full blown migraine. Thank you for posting these videos! For years I was on my own with very little resources. To anyone suffering migraines research! Ask questions. Keep a migraine diary to find your triggers and what works and doesn't work. I tried every triptan until Axert (almotriptan) worked.
I had the exact same experiences! I started with maxalt then went to all the sumatriptans then went back to maxalt. Maxalt is my main saviour just like you. I still suffer with migraines every couple of days so it's nice to see someone else with similar experiences.
I have taken all these meds as well. I have cluster headaches and they pretty much torment me. These headaches can come on while you're sleeping and when they do you usually wake up with one full on. With cluster headaches or migraines if you can get to some oxygen and breathe the oxygen full on for a few minutes at the onset of one of these headaches it can make it go away. I have researched a lot of things in the migraine and cluster headache field and I can tell you oxygen is my best friend. I really hope this helps someone out there.
That is so interesting I noticed when I would go to my farm job in the country side my migraine wouldn’t come to full fruition, but when I would go to my city job with one coming it would hit me like a brick wall. The clean fresh air must’ve been helping.
I had the same thing with triptans. It felt like it pushed the pain right through my body from my head to my toes. I absolutely hated it when it got to my lungs.... but my feet were the worst! Thankfully here in Australia most Triptans are covered under the public health benefits... so it is eligible for cheaper pricing for the majority of the medications for most people.
Thanks for making this really good video. Wife just self-injected. The new device has a Needle to inject the drug vs the old delivery device which had a large blade to pierce the skin, which was much more painful than the new Sumtriptan injectable device.
It’s so nice to see this. I don’t suffer migraines but my mom does really bad. She actually went from the injections to the pills. I am secretly happy about that because i thought it was awful to give it to her (but i was still super young then). We are also really lucky in Holland the dose you need is covered for and more. Now my mom actually is really good at pin pointing when to take the pill and then most of the time she doesn’t even throw up anymore. Sorry maybe this is to much info but i have never talked to anyone about this and it really helps to see someone explaining things. Thank you for your videos!
What does she do to stop getting sick? I still am and could use a few tips! ♡ Thank you so much for sharing and caring so much for her ~ 💕 it's helping me by seeing this story and feel so much less alone
@@SuuggestionKalaxy How sweet! And how awful that you have migraines. I feel like "having migraines" is just said by everyone lately when most people don't know how awful it is when you really have it. I sympathize with you! My mother takes sumatriptan. I don't know what it's called in English. It works so well for her that if she takes it on time (whenever she feels a headache) she doesn't get nauseous or vomit anymore. She also has something she takes every day for her blood pressure or blood vessels. I just don't know exactly what that is. Lots of love!
@@saffieeeee I just started with sumatriptan, ive been afraid to use it but im glad to hear it seems to help! I will give it a try when the next one hits me! And dont worry english is not my first too :)
Back when Sumatriptan (Imitrex) first came out, it was only available as an injectable. The first time I took it I thought I was having a stroke or some kind of adverse reaction. The tightness in my chest, neck and jaw were terrifying. After I didn't die, I realized the headache was gone. Unfortunately, I developed an allergy and can not take any triptan.
I just tried zulmitriptan today and have the same reaction. It hurts to take deep breathes and my throat hurts. The headache is finally a little bit better after two pills and four hours later, but I am really tired and dizzy. All I can do it lay down. Taking a small amount of codeine is so much better than this and without all of the horrible side effects. Not sure if I really have a migraine. My headache started two and half years ago and has never left, it is just debilitating a couple of days a weak, but I have not been able to function much for over two years. The headache never leaves, not for one minute. The only thing that really helps is codeine and THC. Any thoughts?
Imigran FDT has been my 'perfect match'. I feel super validated hearing that someone else also has 'migraine hangovers' ... and rebounding migraines come thick and fast but better than suffering the primary migraine any day!!
I just discovered your channel last night and I want to binge all your videos! I love that I found a community that understands the condition/medications Sumatriptan made me feel like something was squeezing my throat and my eyes were going to burst. It was awful. Once that sensation subsided, the migraine pain left with it too. I tried it two more times before I told my doctor I couldn't take it anymore. She switched me to orally disintegrating rizatriptan. It doesn't work right away, sometimes I have two take the two doses but it doesn't give me the strangulation/suffocation feeling. From my trips to the ER, I've learned combining Benadryl helps immensely, but I'll have to be at home so I can sleep. I also have Baclofen, but I've noticed it can make me groggy or leave a strange taste in my mouth.
If you wake up with headaches/migraines and Immitrex works to relieve the pain, try sleeping at a 45 degree angle using a wedge pillow at night. If blood goes to my head I get the worst headaches ever so it took me a year to realize my head needs to be above my feet when I lay down. Good luck out there.
Thanks for the video, Rizatriptan (Maxalt) fan here too. A lot of what you talked about resonated (especially the timing of taking an abortive, I'm terrible for delaying, thinking I'll be right, I'll be right... ) Hope you're doing well.
I don't hoard so much as I stash them. One in my main coat pocket, one in my book bag, one in my desk at work, one in my other bag. That way I should always have one no matter where I am or what I'm doing!
Sumatriptan hoarding was my life for so long. We're only allowed to be prescribed 6 a month here in the UK. I found an online pharmacy to buy from too so you can get your regular prescription and some more. 50mg was my prescribed amount so I would get 100mg tablets and have twice as much! I have stopped taking all medication for my migraines now. I feel like our minds have not yet caught up with the modulation of receptors that these potent agonists provide. With more meditation and trying to become more calm and anxiety free in each moment, I find I have far less migraines. I have always been a highly stressed person, subliminally even as a kid. Great video! thumbs up from me. I wish you perfect health for the future.
The stash of meds vs. the anxiety of when you’ll experience the next episode made sense right away. This video is triggering! Thanks for the advice, I’m sorry to hear you have a chronic condition - mine are rare but always doom at the back of my mind when I think about them. I’ve been fine for 3 years and they’ve suddenly come back so that’s why I’m here. I can’t imagine how it must be for you though 😭
@@sweetangiegirl1 I have no insurance either, and I can only get nine. Thankfully I can split mine and only take half or a 1/4th, and it works. Perhaps that's something to try.
Yes! the way the sumatriptan injection feels as it spreads through you the first time you use it as crazy. I used the other company and they were super painful. I use zolmitriptan as my primary now, and hoard eletriptan as backup if I have a mild migraine or run out. But really, what has saved me is using Ajovy as my preventative, it changed my life and has cut my migraine days done dramatically, and no more botox was good too!
I haven't even HEARD of those 2 triptans! Finding a good preventative is such a game changer, right?! I'm not down to try CGRP meds yet (I did make a video about that, so I won't get into the reasons why), but I always love to hear success stories!!!! Good work. Keep on keepin' on!
I have chronic migraines and the rizatriptan pill works best for me. I haven’t found that the disintegrating tablet works better than the pill, for me. Unfortunately, my insurance only pays for ten pills a month. So I can only take about two doses a week.I’m on a preventative and my headaches tend to come in clusters. I have tried many different preventatives in my forty-four years of dealing with migraine. I really appreciate your channel.
Yaaaas girl! Rizatriptan is also my personal favorite. Sumatriptan would often LAY ME OUT, and my migraine hangover the next day was rough. Rizatriptan seems to do better for my average migraines. My Cove doctor recommended it, and I’m so glad.
I’ve had 15 migraines a month, each attack was at least 24 hour.. I didnt want to go self medicating route so thats what helped me step by step reduce attacks to 1-2 a month - remove mercury amalgams and root canals - biofilm breakers and detox( nattokinase, serrapeptase, charcoal, coffee enemas) - histamine and tyramine!!! that was major change for me( high tyramine food apparently caused 70% of my migrane attacks good luck and much healing
Haven't finished this video yet but you are literally the first person ever to say the rebound migraine after taking imatrex. It was horrible. I would feel like my face is burning like i'm about to have a bloody nose and then i'd have rebound migraines for days later. And I was only allowed 9 pills from my insurance. It was horrible. Thank goodness I have a new doctor that prescribed me medications that work now (fiorecet). I miss Midrin. It worked so amazing with no side effects for me.
Definitely love the disclaimer in the beginning and I love that you put the focus of this video on your thought process in order to help others discover their thoughts and help them make a good decision!
In case you have not found this already you can get discounts for the these medications on Good Rx for 30. My doctor lets me get 30 at a time and the use them as I need them because in my experience they would only allow me to get 4 at a time or recently it changed to 2.... so we bypassed the system fully. Not sure if it is helpful but thought I would pass on the knowledge. (also in my experience different manufactures have different effectiveness on these medications. If you guys take these keep track of who manufactured them and how they worked for you)
@@MagicalElf37 I have found the ones with less packaging are less effective. I think it is especially sensitive to humidity/temperature. (which would mean to not keep them in your bathroom and not in a closet which is not as climate controlled) I.E. with only the blister pack.
Just found your channel and it’s pretty incredible to find someone who’s tried all the same meds. It’s incredible how much medication prices vary, my injectable is 50$ per injection, I’m very fortunate to have insurance that covers 80%
I tried imitrex and it almost killed me. I went into anaphylaxis and was in the hospital for 3 days. My doctor and I have tried legit everything but botox and nothing has helped. The struggle for migraine sufferers is legit real!
I have chronic complex migraine and I can’t take triptans so my neurologist and I try to balance side effects and pain with various medications. You have to just try till you find what you can work with. My husband and I are trying to start a family and the migraines and potential pregnancy scare me.
I just had my first Neuro appointment and he prescribed sumatriptan and its a good thing I looked it up because my migraine is also hemiplegic. I'm so mad right now. He didn't listen to me and I read his notes tonight and it was a bunch of crap. He even assumed my race... Which was wrong.
I started with Imitrix before my hemiplegic migraines really started. I'm taking promethazine and baclofen too. Though my first headache specialist took me off and told me not to use anymore triptans. Now I take fiorcet about 1-2x a week with the anti-nausea and muscle relaxer or it doesn't help. Honestly, I take the promethazine and baclofen more because, as far as I know with intractable migraines, they don't cause rebound. Ubrelvy made me way more dizzy which is a feat and is now on my allergy list. When I was on CGRP injections, my husband did them for me. At the end of the month I see a new neurologist after moving and I'm excited for a new set of eyes since the last one literally gave up and wanted me to go to Mayo which was going to cost at least $5,000 (not super possible on disability). If you ever get the ability to, I'd love to hear about your list of preventatives tried and how that is with pregnancy. Thank you for sharing!
I appreciate you taking the time to document your experiences and it is some what comforting to know i am not the only one going through this. I just finally got diagnosed with chronic migraines a few weeks ago, and my neurologist started me on sumatriptan and tizanidine. tizanidine is a preventive that i take once a day at night, and sumatriptan of course as an abortive. my insurance only covers 9 pills a month of the sumatriptan and i am almost out and the month it not over. Also i had to learn (like you said) when to take the triptan. I would start with light headache and knew that it would escalate to a full on migraine, so i tried taking it at the beginning because i knew what was to come. that did not work and was a waste of a pill really. I had to wait until the actual migraine hit to take it and then yes it did abort it most of the time. After watching your csf video and doing a bit of research Im starting to wonder if that is my issue
Sumatriptan has literally saved my life. I personally suffer with the most extreme forms of migraines. I experience all forms of auras, severe pains vomiting. I experienced paralysis over half my body my mental cognitive abilities are almost non-existent when having a migraine speech vision ability to think gone. My episodes last ending from 3 to 6 days. For 40 years I've suffered with these several times a month. The only medication I have found that is effective is sumatriptan nasal spray. I feel it greatly reduces the negative effects I experience.
Just took my first intranasal dose of sumatriptan while listening to your video! I felt way better listening to you talk while taking my first dose🙏🏻🥰 thank you
I have been on Sumatriptan for years. It's the only one I've ever used. It works for ne, but sometimes the rebounds last for days. The dizziness isn't nearly as bad as my inner ear vertigo problems and has only gotten noticeable in the past year or so. I only get 6 pills per refill. Idk why my previous or current doc won't let me have the full 9.
That exact Sumatriptan Succinate injection is roughly INR 33.80 in India. With insurance it costs $15 in the US. So lets do some math here. If insurance is covering 80% of your cost, then the actual cost of the injection would be $75. So the injection made in india is sold in the US for a whopping $75 x 73 = INR 5475, roughly 161 times. The injection cost in any walk-up pharmacy in india is roughly 40cents.
I have just been prescribed this medication here in the u.k after getting bad migraines for the best part of the month, I have always had migraines but recently they have been more often
Ask about Nurtek ODT. It’s safe and doesn’t have the heart issues like the triptans. It dissolves without water. And I’m glad to hear you get neck pain because my migraines came back during the pandemic. I can feel my neck tensing up. It’s almost like tension, sinus, migraine headache.
just got diagnosed with migraine disorder. starting on sumatriptan for daily migraines and it is so frustrating that i can only get packs of 9 a month. I hope with time that the medical industry adapts this medication so that we can get our medicine when we need it.
I'd definitely recommend administering the autoinjector into your stomach, just grab a pinch of fat and use it there. Using it in your arm sounds alot more painful! Thanks for the info I really need to try the dissolving tablets since most of the triptans make me severely nauseous.
I was prescribed sumatriptan for my migraines then my doctor prescribed me propranolol and ergotamine neither worked 🤦🏻♀️ now I'm seeing a neurologist and he put me on rizatriptan and topiramate. Fingers crossed this works this time.
Great video! I agree about Maxalt, I have been hoarding it since 1999! Most insurance companies will "consider" more if the neuro fills out the specific request forms.
Because of my idiopathic intracranial hypertension I have to be on topimax to reduce my excess spinal fluid but I'm also on maxalt! It works WITH the topimax to work better
I was on Topamax for 12 years (different medical reason) & it has the possible side effect (with long term use) of Urinary Incontinence! It was awful. I was having this issue & only found out why from a Facebook page regarding my illness. Luckily once I stopped taking it the side effect stopped! It is a fairly rare side effect but DOES happen.
I have all kinds of health issues that have been going on since 2015, my new Doctor has started the whole process of starting test to diagnose me, horrible headaches is one of my symptoms... he put me on summatrptan pill 100mg repeat in 30 minutes no more than 2 pills a day. I hate taking any drugs, but I took one pill, and weird feeling tired, heavy, slightly uncoordinated, but it did subdue my headache some. Im typing this 1 hour after taking my first pill...
@@ohsochuck1875 I’m sorry to hear that, I’m going to research all I can on possible natural preventatives if there are any out there that actually work. Thank you so much for you’re reply.
Definitely ALWAYS try research for interactions of food, herbs, natural remedies and other drugs! It is not looked at enough and it couldn’t hurt to check :)
I'm an incomplete quadriplegic with an acquired brain injury. Because of my brain injury I have a constant headache that I don't notice anymore (it's been 13 years since my injury). I also get the occasional migraine. I can usually prevent it from getting bad if I take paracetamol when I feel it coming but a lot of the time that does nothing. My migraines usually last about 8 hours but on occasion it lasts a few days. My worst one lasted a week. Taking strong medication like Endone does nothing to stop one. It's one of the things I've just gotten used to. They never get that bad that I'm bed ridden. I can still function when I have one. I just have to do things slowly
I take sumatriptan too. While they don't always get rid of the aura, they usually prevent or reduce the pain significantly. I get the feeling of being hot for a while, as well as the heavy feeling for a few minutes. It was comforting to know that I'm not the only person who gets that heavy feeling, even though I take it in tablet form at 50mg. I'm also on pizotifen (UK name, I don't know the US name) as a preventative. My GP (general pracitioner, UK name for family doctor) is currently trying to get me to neurology (COVID issues) to get back on Botox therapy (I moved 200 miles & into a different health authority, so had to get referred to the neurologist where I am now), which really helped me a lot.
I tried various things over the years. Sanomigran worked or a while, and Inderal was useless. Sumatriptan has been an absolute godsend for me but I'm wary of the long term links to strokes. In the UK we can get otc tablets called Migraleve which contain Buclizine. These worked a couple of times for me but not any more. We also get tablets called Syndol which contain doxylamine succinate, and they're awesome for muscle relaxation/tension headaches
I don't have migraines, but I am an asthmatic, and I totally hoard puffers! My lovely respirologist gives me samples because I don't have medication coverage, and I always feel better when I have a good little stash.
Thanks for the info. The triptans make my body ache so much, and extremely tired. Im still struggling, one thing that helps alot is thc, but I hate loosing my whole day, because I cant function while on that. Sometimes I am so desperate though, because of the pain, and I am a slave to my migraines. I hope I will be able to find something that works better than the thc.
!! You’re the first person I’ve heard of who gets the stiff neck as well as the head pain. I was taking otc muscle relaxers and they’d get rid of my migraines. But they no longer work. My drs don’t seem to want to take it seriously either
I sometimes get stiff neck / shoulders before a migraine and it continues during the headache. Then when the migraine goes aways, it gets back to normal... So weird
I know a migraine is coming when I find myself constantly rubbing my shoulders and rubbing and rolling my neck. The neck and shoulder pain that accompanies my migraines is excruciating.
I tried most of the medications you discussed but Sumatriptan injectable is my brain-saver. I live in the UK and I take Imigran injectable. When I inject the medicine I have a fan blowing on my body as I feel a bit hot. Or I waft a fan to cool down. I take some deep breathes as sometimes I feel a heart flutter. This doesn't cause me concern as it soon clears. Also the right result is my migraine goes away.
I have tried riza, nara and suma tripans. A failed big time on anti depressant controllers but Topomax fits how my brain works! I'm trying Nurtec now as an obortive. I have a feeling you mentioned you don't like CGRP drugs? Can you make a video on your thoughts on them PLEASE 😊💗
I used to take Extra Strength Multisymptom Pamprin for my menstrual migraines. It would knock me out for about an hour, but I would wake up without a headache. It always made me too drowsy to drive, so I can't take it on a work day or I can't drive myself to work.
Thank you for this, I am starting my journey with sumitriptan and in the uk my options are more limited at the moment but this opened my eyes to what I need to advocate for. Cause the sumitriptan dose tablet I am on doesn’t seem to be doing the trick or it just takes to long to be effective for me.
I tried Suma, it made my legs numb. So now I am on Rita which works great! I am on a low dosage, I need a little higher.. what do you recommend is a good dose to be on if you know? My doctor tried me on higher dose on everything but I got very sick so now he’s starting me low.
How did you get he service dog? Do you work? I just started watching your videos since I’ve been trying to figure out what works best for me. I am a mom to 3 kids & my life changed a ton because I have vestibular migraines
So far the triptans haven’t worked for me. Though I was never told I could have that extra dose; I usually end up supplementing it with Excedrine. The only thing that really ever worked for me was darvocet, but they pulled that off the market. I have a new neurologist, so we’re now trying to see what works better for me. Also, I was never told of the other forms of the triptans. I have a narrow esophagus and have trouble swallowing pills, so I may ask if those would be options for me. Thanks for you vids.
Depends on the dose. You must check with your doctor because if you take more than you’re allowed , you can have a stroke because it’s a very powerful vein constrictor.
I am glad that you are doing well with Baclifin, I myself am allergic to Baclifin and Cymbalta so I can't use either of those and I get the spread (my name for that weird feeling you got with imitrex) with almost everything except the new one I'm on ubrelvy. This new drug is wonderful, but I am not pregnant. Thank you again for doing this video for migraine suffers everywhere.
@@MommingwithMigraine I have health issues as well. I enjoy your videos and am amazed at what you and your awesome husband deal with. God bless you and yours! 💖💖💖
Sumtriptan made thing so much worse for my cluster headaches. It would help prevent an attack while I slept but it would leave me with light cluster symptoms all day, which reaked havoc on my anxiety and was still quite painful, all day long i scared that an attack was coming at any second, and then when the attacks would hit they would be 2-10X worse. I went from what I thought was a ten on the pain scale to a 15, I learned the true meaning of a 10 that day. And this has presisted for 5 weeks straight. After doing immense research on the subject I came to learn this is very typical of the drug and that to get better and i would need to stay off the drugs and completely cleanse my brain of the drugs. In the end psychedelics turned out to be a godsend. If your at your wits end and just want relief I reccomend you guys do your research and see if this is an option you might be willing to explore, as it has helped countless people ready to give up because the pain is just to much to bare anymore.
Thank you for your vlogs! I suffer from migraines for over 27 years. I was able to control it up until 10 years ago when it worsen and my neurologist put me on preventative. I’ve tried several abortive meds and most of them did not work for me. We’re still trying to find that one that works.
It's funny that you have such an extensive history with Triptans as I thought they were absolutely contraindicated in case of basilar and vestibular migraines. I was told I couldn't take them since my auras were complex and as such, it was too dangerous to use them. I was also counselled to avoid taking estrogen containing contraception pills, which led me to get an IUD instead. What is your experience with Triptans contraindications and what's your take on it?
GoodRx lowers the cost of my medication and it's just an app I show the pharmacist, plus my Dr. sends a prescription for 36 for Riz. Sumatriptan didn't work for, only made me nauseous and my vertigo worse. The nasal spray was also short lived. Rizatriptan is the only thing that's worked for me, besides Ketorolac injections.
This is wild to me, because I take sumatriptan and I'm only given 10 doses, but not because insurance won't pay for it. It's a legally controlled substance here (Japan) and my doctor is not allowed to prescribe me more than 10 doses per 30 days (he's also my psychiatrist, so I see him at least once every 30 days anyway) but it's interesting that in the US, the limit is coverage, and in Japan, the limit is legal dosing. He is well aware that this doesn't make sense, so I get 10 doses by default with my other prescriptions, even if I still have some left from before, and basically told me to do exactly what you did: hoard in case I need more. He also told me that in an emergency (so if I've gone through all 10 and there's one coming) I can go to another doctor and they can technically also give me 10. There's very little cross checking. *Love* that he, a doctor, told me what contingency plans I would need as a patient, even if it means using a legal loophole *just in case*. He'd rather I be a bit shady than suffering, which I appreciate.
I started on suma but eventually it stopped working. Moved to Riza but it gave me chest pain and my doctor took me off it immediately. I've just been prescribed almotriptan but I haven't had a migraine since I picked up my prescription, so idk how it's going to work.
Thank you for covering such an important topic as migraine abortives, Jen! Happy to hear about your success with rizatriptan! You've sold me on the minty flavor =) I'll need to explore this with my neurologist. Sumatriptan and baclofen were unfortunately not effective for me but the combo of SPG nerve blocks, botox, aimovig, + phenergan have been my lifeline!
I’ve personally only tried the sumatriptan tablet and I really struggled with taking it early enough. I actually only once was able to take it at the perfect time that it actually was able to abort the migraine (though I did feel ‘off’ for the rest of the day, but that’s better than a migraine). I thankfully get migraines less frequently now (previously they were stress related) so I haven’t had to repeat my prescription, and I generally find nowadays that wrapping ice in a tea towel and basically freezing my forehead helps numb the pain the best for me.
I have cluster headaches, I get relief most of the time with sumatriptan, but from what I remember there are 4 different triptans one of them didn’t seem to work, so maybe try a different one.
@@davidrockefeller2007 I’m now on Zolmitriptan and that works wonders for me, but it leaves me with a small lingering headache and eye sensitivity for the next 24/48 hours
I've been taking sumatriptan for the past couple of months and its been working great for me but I definitely have the side effects for the first hour after taking it including the dizziness, nausea and heaviness. But much better than the migraine if I didnt take it. It works much better for me than rizatriptan wagers ever did.. they were about 50/50 for me whereas sumatriptan works for me about 90% of the time
Ahhh I've been watching all your videos, and just finished this one and it's so funny because I have all the same meds in my closet right now. Solidarity, fellow migraine sufferers 🤣
Another crazy way to treat cluster headaches is to rub capsaicin in your nostril.....it hurts but the pain from capsaicin is more controllable than the migraine itself. I hope this helps someone. P.S. i've been having these for 24 years now. Good Luck 👍
Imitrex injectors work on me however it’s a little intense on my body so I’m gonna try Maxalt because since I work in a hospital I want something a little easier to take immediately
I had great luck with Immitrex injection. I had severe nausea so it was the only thing that worked. I started to have so many, that I also couldn't afford them.
I was very fortunate that my insurance paid for 5 boxes of 2 syringes for I believe $12 and I lucked out that my pharmacy carried the sun pharma brand. The reaction I got when I felt the medicine go through my body it worked within 30 seconds and then I panicked at first, I was with my Fiancé for a few minutes in case of a medical issue but instead I had a panic attack.
Have you done research on what the underlying causes of your events may be and try different natural remedies for them?? I have MS and have been through the migraines, extreme dizziness,, blackouts, ect.. and have taken the pharmaceuticals that caused severe side affects.. after having a painful headache for 24 days straight using many meds with no relief I sought out any relief and found it with a more natural way.. massage, chiropractic, diet, vitamins and minerals, excercise ect.. I am now years later doing 75% better..
Hello my name is Maria I just got prescribed intercom tablets and I’m experiencing vertigo for about 4 months now my question to you is did it make the vertigo a lot worse and has your vertigo gone way???
I've never heard of those tablets. Are you asking whether the triptans helped my vertigo? When they stopped the migraine, yes they did help my vertigo, because the vertigo was a symptom of the migraine. I do still have vertigo but it's not as bad as before I figured out some of my food triggers.
When I tried Maxalt, it got so much worse. I went from being able to drive to faint breathing was so as severe movement as running around the house. I was subconsciously holding my breath to not throw up from the movement caused by breathing. Doctor looked at me like I lost my mind when I said I never knew breathing could be voluntary until I explained just how severe the escalation was. I have been to the point my vision was blacking out from pain from migraines, but that med was the only time I ever stopped breathing without realizing it. Usually it's breathing through the pain to not throw up and black out. I had to stay at my parents' house like 10 steps to the bathroom because I could barely go that far. I'd have been doomed had I been alone.
Omg! I try to hoard my triptans when I can but it’s difficult when my insurance doesn’t cover that much. They seriously don’t give enough for as many migraines as I get. The first triptan I tried was Imitrex (sumatriptan) just like you said but it caused my migraine to get worse as well as severe jaw pain and my doctor told me to stop taking it. It sucks because most doctors and insurance companies prefer to prescribe this one and I always have to explain that it didn’t work for me and in fact caused a reaction. I’ve also tried Frovatriptan, Rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, naratriptan and eletriptan. Currently taking Rizatriptan but usually have to take a second sometimes a third dose (the max) just to get it to work. The eletriptan works best for me but my insurance doesn’t cover it.
I don't know if this will help anyone. But I have been a chronic sufferer of migraines for years and thank goodness I have been able to take imitrex or sumatriptan and it has always worked for me. So the 100 mg is what seems to always work the best and it seems to also keep me from getting a rebound migraine. but what I wanted to share was that for a long time I just paid out of pocket for my sumatriptan or imitrex because I didn't have insurance and that was kind of pricey for a while but I was always able to get what I needed because I paid out of pocket so I could have whatever I wanted. Once I got insurance and it was also with one of these insurances that it happened to be State insurance and for whatever weird reason the state insurance would not allow me to pay out of pocket at all for medications so they would cover whatever they were going to cover and if I needed more then I either had to get it authorized to get more or I just had to deal with it so what I learned to do was work the system a little and I found out that because they're are different doses the insurance considers that different medications so as long as it's not the same dose and the same medication they will cover it. So for instance I would get the imitrex or sumatriptan in the 25 mg tablets and also the 50 mg tablets and also the 100 mg tablets and I just basically got whatever they would cover for each one every month. So with the 100 mg they would give me I believe 10 pills a month then with the 50 mg I believe I was able to get 14 a month and the 25 mg I believe it was around 18 a month so even on really bad months that would seem to cover me as long as I had all of that. But it took me a few months to realize that but once I realized it I never looked back and I just make sure every month I get them all filled and that way when I need extra I have it. and what I do know is I have also had regular insurance as well as State insurance and it mainly works the same way so you should be able to get things covered as long as you have your doctor call in the medication in a different dosage and as long as it's the same medication but a different dosage they will cover it. Hope this helps ❤️
No Triptans work for me. I take what I call the holy trinity of migraine relief. It’s what they give you in the ER for a migraine through an IV, but in pill form. Toradol, Zophran and Benadryl. It doesn’t totally give me relief but it has helped the most
My coworker often has migraines just like me, I asked him about sumatriptan and he said he usually takes a pill and goes to bed. My question is, do you happen to know if you can use the autoinjector and still function? I would like it as a 'last resort' kinda medication during work hours so I can finish off my workday without the migraine ruining it for me. Do you happen to know if that's possible? Or does the medication make you extremely sleepy?
When I used the auto-injectors, I would get into a comfortable laying position, have a friend administer the shot, and I'd stay put for 20-30 minutes to let the acute weakness wear off. Afterwards, I was always slow and tired but it was usually tolerable and I could uuuuuusually get back to work in zombie mode. Super stiff neck.
I took one dose of the nasal spray triptan and will never take it again. Within 5 mins of taking it my body rejected it. I projectile vomited for 30min and then passed out. I drug myself to my bed because I was unable to stand and could not stand without passing out for 24hrs. I remained dizzy and sick for 48hrs after. I had a severe migraine throughout all of this. It was horrible. I realized after that I should have gone to the hospital but at that point I just wanted to survive and I couldn't think straight.
I only get migraines once or so a month and I was given SUMAtriptan nasal spray. I asked for the nasal spray because water and a pill will make me throw up. Sadly it doesn't seem to do anything for me. I just asked my doc for something else. I already take 4 shots a day so the injectable wouldn't bother me.
I had the WORST problem with the Maxalt ODT. Took them for years.... Until I found out they have aspartame in them... Which is a migraine TRIGGER for me! No wonder they didn't work! I have never had nausea so didn't 'need' ODT. Sure wish my Dr would have actually talked to me about this issue. Started with Maxalt tablet (not dissolving) and finally got some of them to work on my migraines... And yeah, I only get 12 a month, takes 2 to treat a migraine and I have 28 days of migraine a month...
I’m so grateful I’ve found sumatriptan. I honestly feel like I got my life back. I haven’t needed to try anything else. I rarely get side effects, sometimes a little stomach acid but that’s much better than the excruciating pain of a migraine.
I hoard my Imitrex and have them in a box just like you. Insurance would only pay for 9 a month. So I go to Mexico to get more, so I’m never without. There were times years ago when I was out of rescue meds and that’s not a good place to be in. Very miserable. I also break my tablets in half just like you do. I hate the auto injections. If I’m honest with myself, I’m rebounding from my Imitrex, so I am trying to wean myself off them and get healthier. Chronic severe migraines have pretty much trashed my life.
Yes always have someone with you when you try new medications! When I tried sumatriptan, I fell asleep for 3 days. Having my family around to make sure I was okay was a REALLY good thing.
Oh wow. I didn’t know it makes you sleepy.
@@Crystalnicole500 I don't think it's supposed to but it did for me
Yes, I'm so glad my mom was with me the first time I took the injection. I was freaking out and had to lay down and take deep breath for about 20 minutes until it passed and then I felt the best I had in months
I started taking Sumatriptan low dose in 2019 (side effects feeling really drowsy and body ache) it stopped working this year. This year started having migraines 2-3x week but they last 24-72hrs, dizziness 24/7, tinnitus, brain fog, hypotension (lowest one 88/60), have never fainted that I remember 😅, very neck stiffness, light sensitivity, on July 2020 got diagnosed with lupus ( so have lots of this symptoms came down with my lupus medication) still going on my journey to diagnose what migraine I have, also had physical therapy for my vestibular problems, already OTC meds don’t work anymore like Excedrin, Tylenol, naproxen, was taking ibuprofen until my rheumatologist stoped me, while my insurance accept the new migraine medication what I got to help a little is a mixture of 2 Benadryl and 2 acetaminophen every 12hrs until is gone. I hope I can find the right medication, thank you for yours videos, keep fighting warrior💜💪🏻
I've tried 30+ prescriptions over 12 years until I found something that works. I take a daily preventative med and an abortive along with some otc and other measures to help prevent/abort a migraine. When I was first diagnosed with migraines I started a binder full of my meds, side effects, I kept a migraine diary, a food diary, etc. I took that binder to every appointment. Thankfully here in Canada my work insurance covers 80% of my prescriptions as my triptan cost $18 a pill. I went from having a migraine 24/7 for 2 years with a pain scale of 10/10 to having the start of a migraine once or twice a week. In nearly 3 years I've not had a 10/10 migraine and not a full blown migraine. Thank you for posting these videos! For years I was on my own with very little resources. To anyone suffering migraines research! Ask questions. Keep a migraine diary to find your triggers and what works and doesn't work. I tried every triptan until Axert (almotriptan) worked.
I had the exact same experiences! I started with maxalt then went to all the sumatriptans then went back to maxalt. Maxalt is my main saviour just like you. I still suffer with migraines every couple of days so it's nice to see someone else with similar experiences.
Have you tried NAC? It assists the body to detox via the liver.
I have taken all these meds as well. I have cluster headaches and they pretty much torment me. These headaches can come on while you're sleeping and when they do you usually wake up with one full on. With cluster headaches or migraines if you can get to some oxygen and breathe the oxygen full on for a few minutes at the onset of one of these headaches it can make it go away. I have researched a lot of things in the migraine and cluster headache field and I can tell you oxygen is my best friend. I really hope this helps someone out there.
That is so interesting I noticed when I would go to my farm job in the country side my migraine wouldn’t come to full fruition, but when I would go to my city job with one coming it would hit me like a brick wall. The clean fresh air must’ve been helping.
I had the same thing with triptans. It felt like it pushed the pain right through my body from my head to my toes. I absolutely hated it when it got to my lungs.... but my feet were the worst! Thankfully here in Australia most Triptans are covered under the public health benefits... so it is eligible for cheaper pricing for the majority of the medications for most people.
Thanks for making this really good video. Wife just self-injected. The new device has a Needle to inject the drug vs the old delivery device which had a large blade to pierce the skin, which was much more painful than the new Sumtriptan injectable device.
My doctor will take back sealed medicines and give them out at the free clinics she works in on weekends.
It’s so nice to see this. I don’t suffer migraines but my mom does really bad. She actually went from the injections to the pills. I am secretly happy about that because i thought it was awful to give it to her (but i was still super young then). We are also really lucky in Holland the dose you need is covered for and more. Now my mom actually is really good at pin pointing when to take the pill and then most of the time she doesn’t even throw up anymore. Sorry maybe this is to much info but i have never talked to anyone about this and it really helps to see someone explaining things. Thank you for your videos!
What does she do to stop getting sick? I still am and could use a few tips! ♡
Thank you so much for sharing and caring so much for her ~ 💕 it's helping me by seeing this story and feel so much less alone
@@SuuggestionKalaxy How sweet! And how awful that you have migraines. I feel like "having migraines" is just said by everyone lately when most people don't know how awful it is when you really have it. I sympathize with you! My mother takes sumatriptan. I don't know what it's called in English. It works so well for her that if she takes it on time (whenever she feels a headache) she doesn't get nauseous or vomit anymore. She also has something she takes every day for her blood pressure or blood vessels. I just don't know exactly what that is. Lots of love!
@@saffieeeee I just started with sumatriptan, ive been afraid to use it but im glad to hear it seems to help! I will give it a try when the next one hits me!
And dont worry english is not my first too :)
Back when Sumatriptan (Imitrex) first came out, it was only available as an injectable. The first time I took it I thought I was having a stroke or some kind of adverse reaction. The tightness in my chest, neck and jaw were terrifying. After I didn't die, I realized the headache was gone. Unfortunately, I developed an allergy and can not take any triptan.
Wait how do you know when u have an allergy to it i get all the same symptoms
I just tried zulmitriptan today and have the same reaction. It hurts to take deep breathes and my throat hurts. The headache is finally a little bit better after two pills and four hours later, but I am really tired and dizzy. All I can do it lay down. Taking a small amount of codeine is so much better than this and without all of the horrible side effects. Not sure if I really have a migraine. My headache started two and half years ago and has never left, it is just debilitating a couple of days a weak, but I have not been able to function much for over two years. The headache never leaves, not for one minute. The only thing that really helps is codeine and THC. Any thoughts?
Oh my God I got the same reaction!!!! I thought I was going to call 911.
Imigran FDT has been my 'perfect match'. I feel super validated hearing that someone else also has 'migraine hangovers' ... and rebounding migraines come thick and fast but better than suffering the primary migraine any day!!
I just discovered your channel last night and I want to binge all your videos! I love that I found a community that understands the condition/medications
Sumatriptan made me feel like something was squeezing my throat and my eyes were going to burst. It was awful. Once that sensation subsided, the migraine pain left with it too. I tried it two more times before I told my doctor I couldn't take it anymore. She switched me to orally disintegrating rizatriptan. It doesn't work right away, sometimes I have two take the two doses but it doesn't give me the strangulation/suffocation feeling. From my trips to the ER, I've learned combining Benadryl helps immensely, but I'll have to be at home so I can sleep. I also have Baclofen, but I've noticed it can make me groggy or leave a strange taste in my mouth.
If you wake up with headaches/migraines and Immitrex works to relieve the pain, try sleeping at a 45 degree angle using a wedge pillow at night. If blood goes to my head I get the worst headaches ever so it took me a year to realize my head needs to be above my feet when I lay down. Good luck out there.
This! Yes! I was fortunate in that my physician recommended Riza after trying Suma and not getting a great response. Life changing for me for sure!
Thanks for the video, Rizatriptan (Maxalt) fan here too. A lot of what you talked about resonated (especially the timing of taking an abortive, I'm terrible for delaying, thinking I'll be right, I'll be right... )
Hope you're doing well.
Good job explaining theses. I totally am that migraine hoarder myself.
I don't hoard so much as I stash them. One in my main coat pocket, one in my book bag, one in my desk at work, one in my other bag. That way I should always have one no matter where I am or what I'm doing!
@@HillLeeHill I do that too. I have them anywhere I think I might need one
Sumatriptan hoarding was my life for so long. We're only allowed to be prescribed 6 a month here in the UK. I found an online pharmacy to buy from too so you can get your regular prescription and some more. 50mg was my prescribed amount so I would get 100mg tablets and have twice as much!
I have stopped taking all medication for my migraines now. I feel like our minds have not yet caught up with the modulation of receptors that these potent agonists provide. With more meditation and trying to become more calm and anxiety free in each moment, I find I have far less migraines. I have always been a highly stressed person, subliminally even as a kid.
Great video! thumbs up from me. I wish you perfect health for the future.
The stash of meds vs. the anxiety of when you’ll experience the next episode made sense right away. This video is triggering!
Thanks for the advice, I’m sorry to hear you have a chronic condition - mine are rare but always doom at the back of my mind when I think about them.
I’ve been fine for 3 years and they’ve suddenly come back so that’s why I’m here. I can’t imagine how it must be for you though 😭
2:45 yup! My insurance covers 9 tablets of sumatriptan per month.
No insurance and my doc only prescribes 6 tablets.
@@sweetangiegirl1 I have no insurance either, and I can only get nine. Thankfully I can split mine and only take half or a 1/4th, and it works. Perhaps that's something to try.
Same
Sumatripitan is a pretty dangerous drug if you take too much....i get 6 sparys a month so a tip is to horde.
@@clutch4141 how much is too much? (Generally speaking that is) I've never been able to get a straight answer from my drs.
Yes! the way the sumatriptan injection feels as it spreads through you the first time you use it as crazy. I used the other company and they were super painful. I use zolmitriptan as my primary now, and hoard eletriptan as backup if I have a mild migraine or run out. But really, what has saved me is using Ajovy as my preventative, it changed my life and has cut my migraine days done dramatically, and no more botox was good too!
I haven't even HEARD of those 2 triptans! Finding a good preventative is such a game changer, right?! I'm not down to try CGRP meds yet (I did make a video about that, so I won't get into the reasons why), but I always love to hear success stories!!!! Good work. Keep on keepin' on!
I have chronic migraines and the rizatriptan pill works best for me. I haven’t found that the disintegrating tablet works better than the pill, for me. Unfortunately, my insurance only pays for ten pills a month. So I can only take about two doses a week.I’m on a preventative and my headaches tend to come in clusters. I have tried many different preventatives in my forty-four years of dealing with migraine. I really appreciate your channel.
Yaaaas girl! Rizatriptan is also my personal favorite. Sumatriptan would often LAY ME OUT, and my migraine hangover the next day was rough. Rizatriptan seems to do better for my average migraines. My Cove doctor recommended it, and I’m so glad.
So good! As you said... RIZA IS BAE! 😋
I’ve had 15 migraines a month, each attack was at least 24 hour.. I didnt want to go self medicating route so thats what helped me step by step reduce attacks to 1-2 a month
- remove mercury amalgams and root canals
- biofilm breakers and detox( nattokinase, serrapeptase, charcoal, coffee enemas)
- histamine and tyramine!!! that was major change for me( high tyramine food apparently caused 70% of my migrane attacks
good luck and much healing
systemic enzymes LOOK AT YOU! thanks!!
@@MommingwithMigraine I tried taking half sumatriptan as you suggested and no rebounding headache so far, thx for the advice
@@instasupermamka oh great!! Still effective?
@@MommingwithMigraine not as if I’d took whole pill. But it helped to take the edge off for sure
I take Sumatriptan and it makes my feel like my brain is boiling! But once the boiling systoms stops, I'm good to go.
Boiling??? Does it hurt
Haven't finished this video yet but you are literally the first person ever to say the rebound migraine after taking imatrex. It was horrible. I would feel like my face is burning like i'm about to have a bloody nose and then i'd have rebound migraines for days later. And I was only allowed 9 pills from my insurance. It was horrible. Thank goodness I have a new doctor that prescribed me medications that work now (fiorecet). I miss Midrin. It worked so amazing with no side effects for me.
You got the rebound too??!! So horrible in its own way.
Definitely love the disclaimer in the beginning and I love that you put the focus of this video on your thought process in order to help others discover their thoughts and help them make a good decision!
In case you have not found this already you can get discounts for the these medications on Good Rx for 30. My doctor lets me get 30 at a time and the use them as I need them because in my experience they would only allow me to get 4 at a time or recently it changed to 2.... so we bypassed the system fully. Not sure if it is helpful but thought I would pass on the knowledge. (also in my experience different manufactures have different effectiveness on these medications. If you guys take these keep track of who manufactured them and how they worked for you)
I'm glad you mentioned the different efficacy for different manufacturers! This has been such an issue for me!
@@MagicalElf37 I have found the ones with less packaging are less effective. I think it is especially sensitive to humidity/temperature. (which would mean to not keep them in your bathroom and not in a closet which is not as climate controlled) I.E. with only the blister pack.
Just found your channel and it’s pretty incredible to find someone who’s tried all the same meds.
It’s incredible how much medication prices vary, my injectable is 50$ per injection, I’m very fortunate to have insurance that covers 80%
I tried imitrex and it almost killed me. I went into anaphylaxis and was in the hospital for 3 days. My doctor and I have tried legit everything but botox and nothing has helped. The struggle for migraine sufferers is legit real!
I have chronic complex migraine and I can’t take triptans so my neurologist and I try to balance side effects and pain with various medications. You have to just try till you find what you can work with. My husband and I are trying to start a family and the migraines and potential pregnancy scare me.
I just had my first Neuro appointment and he prescribed sumatriptan and its a good thing I looked it up because my migraine is also hemiplegic. I'm so mad right now. He didn't listen to me and I read his notes tonight and it was a bunch of crap. He even assumed my race... Which was wrong.
I started with Imitrix before my hemiplegic migraines really started. I'm taking promethazine and baclofen too. Though my first headache specialist took me off and told me not to use anymore triptans. Now I take fiorcet about 1-2x a week with the anti-nausea and muscle relaxer or it doesn't help. Honestly, I take the promethazine and baclofen more because, as far as I know with intractable migraines, they don't cause rebound. Ubrelvy made me way more dizzy which is a feat and is now on my allergy list. When I was on CGRP injections, my husband did them for me. At the end of the month I see a new neurologist after moving and I'm excited for a new set of eyes since the last one literally gave up and wanted me to go to Mayo which was going to cost at least $5,000 (not super possible on disability). If you ever get the ability to, I'd love to hear about your list of preventatives tried and how that is with pregnancy. Thank you for sharing!
@@taylorscott7402 thanks for that info. I'll look him up.
I do have multiple chronic Illness playing into it tho.
I appreciate you taking the time to document your experiences and it is some what comforting to know i am not the only one going through this. I just finally got diagnosed with chronic migraines a few weeks ago, and my neurologist started me on sumatriptan and tizanidine. tizanidine is a preventive that i take once a day at night, and sumatriptan of course as an abortive.
my insurance only covers 9 pills a month of the sumatriptan and i am almost out and the month it not over. Also i had to learn (like you said) when to take the triptan. I would start with light headache and knew that it would escalate to a full on migraine, so i tried taking it at the beginning because i knew what was to come. that did not work and was a waste of a pill really. I had to wait until the actual migraine hit to take it and then yes it did abort it most of the time. After watching your csf video and doing a bit of research Im starting to wonder if that is my issue
Sumatriptan has literally saved my life. I personally suffer with the most extreme forms of migraines. I experience all forms of auras, severe pains vomiting. I experienced paralysis over half my body my mental cognitive abilities are almost non-existent when having a migraine speech vision ability to think gone. My episodes last ending from 3 to 6 days. For 40 years I've suffered with these several times a month. The only medication I have found that is effective is sumatriptan nasal spray. I feel it greatly reduces the negative effects I experience.
Oh my goodness baby Buddy picture ❤️
Just took my first intranasal dose of sumatriptan while listening to your video! I felt way better listening to you talk while taking my first dose🙏🏻🥰 thank you
Same legit just did and and playing the video on first dose Edit: ughhh it hit the back of my throat after a couple minutes and I puked. Disgusting
I’m literally in the process of doing this now haha 😂
I really liked the nasal version but it was hard for me to get. It was always special order and a long wait. So I gave up on it. I live in New Jersey.
I have been on Sumatriptan for years. It's the only one I've ever used. It works for ne, but sometimes the rebounds last for days. The dizziness isn't nearly as bad as my inner ear vertigo problems and has only gotten noticeable in the past year or so. I only get 6 pills per refill. Idk why my previous or current doc won't let me have the full 9.
Omg I'm so lucky, watching your videos I'm realising that my doc gave me the best med right away !
Thank you so much. You are really doing so much good with these videos.
That exact Sumatriptan Succinate injection is roughly INR 33.80 in India. With insurance it costs $15 in the US. So lets do some math here. If insurance is covering 80% of your cost, then the actual cost of the injection would be $75. So the injection made in india is sold in the US for a whopping $75 x 73 = INR 5475, roughly 161 times. The injection cost in any walk-up pharmacy in india is roughly 40cents.
I have just been prescribed this medication here in the u.k after getting bad migraines for the best part of the month, I have always had migraines but recently they have been more often
Ask about Nurtek ODT. It’s safe and doesn’t have the heart issues like the triptans. It dissolves without water. And I’m glad to hear you get neck pain because my migraines came back during the pandemic. I can feel my neck tensing up. It’s almost like tension, sinus, migraine headache.
It's a CGRP, I'm avoiding those for now (I have a video explaining why if you're curious about my reasoning). But thank you!
just got diagnosed with migraine disorder. starting on sumatriptan for daily migraines and it is so frustrating that i can only get packs of 9 a month. I hope with time that the medical industry adapts this medication so that we can get our medicine when we need it.
I'd definitely recommend administering the autoinjector into your stomach, just grab a pinch of fat and use it there. Using it in your arm sounds alot more painful! Thanks for the info I really need to try the dissolving tablets since most of the triptans make me severely nauseous.
For the injections that go into fatty tissue, healthcare professionals definitely recommend the back of the arm or the belly. The more fat, the better
I was prescribed sumatriptan for my migraines then my doctor prescribed me propranolol and ergotamine neither worked 🤦🏻♀️ now I'm seeing a neurologist and he put me on rizatriptan and topiramate. Fingers crossed this works this time.
I was put on those a few weeks ago, if you don't mind saying, how's it going with topiramate? Is it working?
Great video! I agree about Maxalt, I have been hoarding it since 1999! Most insurance companies will "consider" more if the neuro fills out the specific request forms.
that’s actually really interesting!!! i started on maxalt, but it doesn’t work for me.
Because of my idiopathic intracranial hypertension I have to be on topimax to reduce my excess spinal fluid but I'm also on maxalt! It works WITH the topimax to work better
Wow. I am very tired. I read this and oh wow this the story as Chronically unique. Then I looked and said oh hey found her. Lol
Oh my gosh, u didn't know topomax reduces IH! Topomax is the only thing that helped me.
We thought maybe I had IH but wasn't sure OH is common in EDS
I was on Topamax for 12 years (different medical reason) & it has the possible side effect (with long term use) of Urinary Incontinence! It was awful. I was having this issue & only found out why from a Facebook page regarding my illness. Luckily once I stopped taking it the side effect stopped! It is a fairly rare side effect but DOES happen.
I have all kinds of health issues that have been going on since 2015, my new Doctor has started the whole process of starting test to diagnose me, horrible headaches is one of my symptoms... he put me on summatrptan pill 100mg repeat in 30 minutes no more than 2 pills a day.
I hate taking any drugs, but I took one pill, and weird feeling tired, heavy, slightly uncoordinated, but it did subdue my headache some. Im typing this 1 hour after taking my first pill...
Did you ever take magnesium as a preventative? I’ve been told to take that. I was just prescribed imatrex (pills and injectable).
I realise you’re comment was a long time ago but I wondered did you ever try the Magnesium as a migraine preventative?
@@suzieg9076 Yes, I've been on M for about two years now I guess. It doesn't really help a lot.
@@ohsochuck1875 I’m sorry to hear that, I’m going to research all I can on possible natural preventatives if there are any out there that actually work. Thank you so much for you’re reply.
I have also found Maxult to be the best. (very dependent on the manufacturer if you get generic so careful with that.)
Definitely ALWAYS try research for interactions of food, herbs, natural remedies and other drugs!
It is not looked at enough and it couldn’t hurt to check :)
I'm an incomplete quadriplegic with an acquired brain injury. Because of my brain injury I have a constant headache that I don't notice anymore (it's been 13 years since my injury). I also get the occasional migraine. I can usually prevent it from getting bad if I take paracetamol when I feel it coming but a lot of the time that does nothing. My migraines usually last about 8 hours but on occasion it lasts a few days. My worst one lasted a week. Taking strong medication like Endone does nothing to stop one. It's one of the things I've just gotten used to. They never get that bad that I'm bed ridden. I can still function when I have one. I just have to do things slowly
I take sumatriptan too. While they don't always get rid of the aura, they usually prevent or reduce the pain significantly. I get the feeling of being hot for a while, as well as the heavy feeling for a few minutes. It was comforting to know that I'm not the only person who gets that heavy feeling, even though I take it in tablet form at 50mg. I'm also on pizotifen (UK name, I don't know the US name) as a preventative. My GP (general pracitioner, UK name for family doctor) is currently trying to get me to neurology (COVID issues) to get back on Botox therapy (I moved 200 miles & into a different health authority, so had to get referred to the neurologist where I am now), which really helped me a lot.
I tried various things over the years. Sanomigran worked or a while, and Inderal was useless. Sumatriptan has been an absolute godsend for me but I'm wary of the long term links to strokes. In the UK we can get otc tablets called Migraleve which contain Buclizine. These worked a couple of times for me but not any more. We also get tablets called Syndol which contain doxylamine succinate, and they're awesome for muscle relaxation/tension headaches
I have migraine whit aura multiple times a day i cant Remember when it startes but many years ago i am 14 now. it get worse every year I feel. 😔
You should ask your doctor to try something like Sanomigran. These are taken daily and can really help
I don't have migraines, but I am an asthmatic, and I totally hoard puffers! My lovely respirologist gives me samples because I don't have medication coverage, and I always feel better when I have a good little stash.
Thanks for the info. The triptans make my body ache so much, and extremely tired. Im still struggling, one thing that helps alot is thc, but I hate loosing my whole day, because I cant function while on that. Sometimes I am so desperate though, because of the pain, and I am a slave to my migraines. I hope I will be able to find something that works better than the thc.
What is thc?
@@millyandmolly6299 marijuana
Have you found anything better yet? Long shot asking you since your comment is two years old but just curious 😊
!! You’re the first person I’ve heard of who gets the stiff neck as well as the head pain. I was taking otc muscle relaxers and they’d get rid of my migraines. But they no longer work. My drs don’t seem to want to take it seriously either
I sometimes get stiff neck / shoulders before a migraine and it continues during the headache. Then when the migraine goes aways, it gets back to normal... So weird
I know a migraine is coming when I find myself constantly rubbing my shoulders and rubbing and rolling my neck. The neck and shoulder pain that accompanies my migraines is excruciating.
thank you, im in the stages of trying the spray and next the pen and i found this very helpfull
I tried most of the medications you discussed but Sumatriptan injectable is my brain-saver. I live in the UK and I take Imigran injectable. When I inject the medicine I have a fan blowing on my body as I feel a bit hot. Or I waft a fan to cool down. I take some deep breathes as sometimes I feel a heart flutter. This doesn't cause me concern as it soon clears. Also the right result is my migraine goes away.
I have tried riza, nara and suma tripans.
A failed big time on anti depressant controllers but Topomax fits how my brain works!
I'm trying Nurtec now as an obortive.
I have a feeling you mentioned you don't like CGRP drugs? Can you make a video on your thoughts on them PLEASE 😊💗
Rizact works for me as well. Lifesaver
I used to take Extra Strength Multisymptom Pamprin for my menstrual migraines. It would knock me out for about an hour, but I would wake up without a headache. It always made me too drowsy to drive, so I can't take it on a work day or I can't drive myself to work.
Thank you for this, I am starting my journey with sumitriptan and in the uk my options are more limited at the moment but this opened my eyes to what I need to advocate for. Cause the sumitriptan dose tablet I am on doesn’t seem to be doing the trick or it just takes to long to be effective for me.
I tried Suma, it made my legs numb. So now I am on Rita which works great! I am on a low dosage, I need a little higher.. what do you recommend is a good dose to be on if you know? My doctor tried me on higher dose on everything but I got very sick so now he’s starting me low.
How did you get he service dog?
Do you work?
I just started watching your videos since I’ve been trying to figure out what works best for me. I am a mom to 3 kids & my life changed a ton because I have vestibular migraines
So far the triptans haven’t worked for me. Though I was never told I could have that extra dose; I usually end up supplementing it with Excedrine. The only thing that really ever worked for me was darvocet, but they pulled that off the market. I have a new neurologist, so we’re now trying to see what works better for me. Also, I was never told of the other forms of the triptans. I have a narrow esophagus and have trouble swallowing pills, so I may ask if those would be options for me. Thanks for you vids.
Depends on the dose. You must check with your doctor because if you take more than you’re allowed , you can have a stroke because it’s a very powerful vein constrictor.
I am glad that you are doing well with Baclifin, I myself am allergic to Baclifin and Cymbalta so I can't use either of those and I get the spread (my name for that weird feeling you got with imitrex) with almost everything except the new one I'm on ubrelvy. This new drug is wonderful, but I am not pregnant. Thank you again for doing this video for migraine suffers everywhere.
Epi-Pen is the same auto injection system. For those who use an EpiPen, it's the same delivery system.
Yes!
@@MommingwithMigraine I have health issues as well. I enjoy your videos and am amazed at what you and your awesome husband deal with. God bless you and yours! 💖💖💖
Sumtriptan made thing so much worse for my cluster headaches. It would help prevent an attack while I slept but it would leave me with light cluster symptoms all day, which reaked havoc on my anxiety and was still quite painful, all day long i scared that an attack was coming at any second, and then when the attacks would hit they would be 2-10X worse. I went from what I thought was a ten on the pain scale to a 15, I learned the true meaning of a 10 that day. And this has presisted for 5 weeks straight. After doing immense research on the subject I came to learn this is very typical of the drug and that to get better and i would need to stay off the drugs and completely cleanse my brain of the drugs. In the end psychedelics turned out to be a godsend. If your at your wits end and just want relief I reccomend you guys do your research and see if this is an option you might be willing to explore, as it has helped countless people ready to give up because the pain is just to much to bare anymore.
Thank you for your vlogs! I suffer from migraines for over 27 years. I was able to control it up until 10 years ago when it worsen and my neurologist put me on preventative. I’ve tried several abortive meds and most of them did not work for me. We’re still trying to find that one that works.
You're so welcome!! Hope you find what works!
Hi can i ask you what preventives have you tried and what worked for you.
It's funny that you have such an extensive history with Triptans as I thought they were absolutely contraindicated in case of basilar and vestibular migraines. I was told I couldn't take them since my auras were complex and as such, it was too dangerous to use them. I was also counselled to avoid taking estrogen containing contraception pills, which led me to get an IUD instead. What is your experience with Triptans contraindications and what's your take on it?
GoodRx lowers the cost of my medication and it's just an app I show the pharmacist, plus my Dr. sends a prescription for 36 for Riz. Sumatriptan didn't work for, only made me nauseous and my vertigo worse. The nasal spray was also short lived. Rizatriptan is the only thing that's worked for me, besides Ketorolac injections.
That's wonderful!! 💜 I'm totally unfamiliar with ketorolac, I'll have to look that up 🤔
This is wild to me, because I take sumatriptan and I'm only given 10 doses, but not because insurance won't pay for it. It's a legally controlled substance here (Japan) and my doctor is not allowed to prescribe me more than 10 doses per 30 days (he's also my psychiatrist, so I see him at least once every 30 days anyway) but it's interesting that in the US, the limit is coverage, and in Japan, the limit is legal dosing. He is well aware that this doesn't make sense, so I get 10 doses by default with my other prescriptions, even if I still have some left from before, and basically told me to do exactly what you did: hoard in case I need more. He also told me that in an emergency (so if I've gone through all 10 and there's one coming) I can go to another doctor and they can technically also give me 10. There's very little cross checking. *Love* that he, a doctor, told me what contingency plans I would need as a patient, even if it means using a legal loophole *just in case*. He'd rather I be a bit shady than suffering, which I appreciate.
In Germany u can Take as many als u need and your insurance will pay, as long as your doctor gives you a prescription
I started on suma but eventually it stopped working. Moved to Riza but it gave me chest pain and my doctor took me off it immediately. I've just been prescribed almotriptan but I haven't had a migraine since I picked up my prescription, so idk how it's going to work.
Thank you for covering such an important topic as migraine abortives, Jen! Happy to hear about your success with rizatriptan! You've sold me on the minty flavor =) I'll need to explore this with my neurologist. Sumatriptan and baclofen were unfortunately not effective for me but the combo of SPG nerve blocks, botox, aimovig, + phenergan have been my lifeline!
I’ve personally only tried the sumatriptan tablet and I really struggled with taking it early enough. I actually only once was able to take it at the perfect time that it actually was able to abort the migraine (though I did feel ‘off’ for the rest of the day, but that’s better than a migraine). I thankfully get migraines less frequently now (previously they were stress related) so I haven’t had to repeat my prescription, and I generally find nowadays that wrapping ice in a tea towel and basically freezing my forehead helps numb the pain the best for me.
I have cluster headaches, I get relief most of the time with sumatriptan, but from what I remember there are 4 different triptans one of them didn’t seem to work, so maybe try a different one.
@@davidrockefeller2007 I’m now on Zolmitriptan and that works wonders for me, but it leaves me with a small lingering headache and eye sensitivity for the next 24/48 hours
I've been taking sumatriptan for the past couple of months and its been working great for me but I definitely have the side effects for the first hour after taking it including the dizziness, nausea and heaviness. But much better than the migraine if I didnt take it. It works much better for me than rizatriptan wagers ever did.. they were about 50/50 for me whereas sumatriptan works for me about 90% of the time
Funny hearing you say you loved the minty taste, that taste almost made me vom every time I had to take one 😅
Ahhh I've been watching all your videos, and just finished this one and it's so funny because I have all the same meds in my closet right now. Solidarity, fellow migraine sufferers 🤣
Another crazy way to treat cluster headaches is to rub capsaicin in your nostril.....it hurts but the pain from capsaicin is more controllable than the migraine itself. I hope this helps someone.
P.S. i've been having these for 24 years now.
Good Luck 👍
Imitrex injectors work on me however it’s a little intense on my body so I’m gonna try Maxalt because since I work in a hospital I want something a little easier to take immediately
Super intense 😳 Hope the Maxalt works for you!
I had great luck with Immitrex injection. I had severe nausea so it was the only thing that worked. I started to have so many, that I also couldn't afford them.
I suffer from migraines I know exactly what your going through.
I was very fortunate that my insurance paid for 5 boxes of 2 syringes for I believe $12 and I lucked out that my pharmacy carried the sun pharma brand. The reaction I got when I felt the medicine go through my body it worked within 30 seconds and then I panicked at first, I was with my Fiancé for a few minutes in case of a medical issue but instead I had a panic attack.
Have you done research on what the underlying causes of your events may be and try different natural remedies for them?? I have MS and have been through the migraines, extreme dizziness,, blackouts, ect.. and have taken the pharmaceuticals that caused severe side affects.. after having a painful headache for 24 days straight using many meds with no relief I sought out any relief and found it with a more natural way.. massage, chiropractic, diet, vitamins and minerals, excercise ect.. I am now years later doing 75% better..
Hello my name is Maria I just got prescribed intercom tablets and I’m experiencing vertigo for about 4 months now my question to you is did it make the vertigo a lot worse and has your vertigo gone way???
I've never heard of those tablets. Are you asking whether the triptans helped my vertigo? When they stopped the migraine, yes they did help my vertigo, because the vertigo was a symptom of the migraine. I do still have vertigo but it's not as bad as before I figured out some of my food triggers.
how are you dealing with migraines during the pregnancy?
When I tried Maxalt, it got so much worse. I went from being able to drive to faint breathing was so as severe movement as running around the house. I was subconsciously holding my breath to not throw up from the movement caused by breathing. Doctor looked at me like I lost my mind when I said I never knew breathing could be voluntary until I explained just how severe the escalation was. I have been to the point my vision was blacking out from pain from migraines, but that med was the only time I ever stopped breathing without realizing it. Usually it's breathing through the pain to not throw up and black out. I had to stay at my parents' house like 10 steps to the bathroom because I could barely go that far. I'd have been doomed had I been alone.
Omg! I try to hoard my triptans when I can but it’s difficult when my insurance doesn’t cover that much. They seriously don’t give enough for as many migraines as I get. The first triptan I tried was Imitrex (sumatriptan) just like you said but it caused my migraine to get worse as well as severe jaw pain and my doctor told me to stop taking it. It sucks because most doctors and insurance companies prefer to prescribe this one and I always have to explain that it didn’t work for me and in fact caused a reaction. I’ve also tried Frovatriptan, Rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, naratriptan and eletriptan. Currently taking Rizatriptan but usually have to take a second sometimes a third dose (the max) just to get it to work. The eletriptan works best for me but my insurance doesn’t cover it.
I don't know if this will help anyone. But I have been a chronic sufferer of migraines for years and thank goodness I have been able to take imitrex or sumatriptan and it has always worked for me. So the 100 mg is what seems to always work the best and it seems to also keep me from getting a rebound migraine. but what I wanted to share was that for a long time I just paid out of pocket for my sumatriptan or imitrex because I didn't have insurance and that was kind of pricey for a while but I was always able to get what I needed because I paid out of pocket so I could have whatever I wanted. Once I got insurance and it was also with one of these insurances that it happened to be State insurance and for whatever weird reason the state insurance would not allow me to pay out of pocket at all for medications so they would cover whatever they were going to cover and if I needed more then I either had to get it authorized to get more or I just had to deal with it so what I learned to do was work the system a little and I found out that because they're are different doses the insurance considers that different medications so as long as it's not the same dose and the same medication they will cover it. So for instance I would get the imitrex or sumatriptan in the 25 mg tablets and also the 50 mg tablets and also the 100 mg tablets and I just basically got whatever they would cover for each one every month. So with the 100 mg they would give me I believe 10 pills a month then with the 50 mg I believe I was able to get 14 a month and the 25 mg I believe it was around 18 a month so even on really bad months that would seem to cover me as long as I had all of that. But it took me a few months to realize that but once I realized it I never looked back and I just make sure every month I get them all filled and that way when I need extra I have it. and what I do know is I have also had regular insurance as well as State insurance and it mainly works the same way so you should be able to get things covered as long as you have your doctor call in the medication in a different dosage and as long as it's the same medication but a different dosage they will cover it. Hope this helps ❤️
No Triptans work for me. I take what I call the holy trinity of migraine relief. It’s what they give you in the ER for a migraine through an IV, but in pill form. Toradol, Zophran and Benadryl. It doesn’t totally give me relief but it has helped the most
My coworker often has migraines just like me, I asked him about sumatriptan and he said he usually takes a pill and goes to bed. My question is, do you happen to know if you can use the autoinjector and still function? I would like it as a 'last resort' kinda medication during work hours so I can finish off my workday without the migraine ruining it for me. Do you happen to know if that's possible? Or does the medication make you extremely sleepy?
When I used the auto-injectors, I would get into a comfortable laying position, have a friend administer the shot, and I'd stay put for 20-30 minutes to let the acute weakness wear off. Afterwards, I was always slow and tired but it was usually tolerable and I could uuuuuusually get back to work in zombie mode. Super stiff neck.
I took one dose of the nasal spray triptan and will never take it again. Within 5 mins of taking it my body rejected it. I projectile vomited for 30min and then passed out. I drug myself to my bed because I was unable to stand and could not stand without passing out for 24hrs. I remained dizzy and sick for 48hrs after. I had a severe migraine throughout all of this. It was horrible. I realized after that I should have gone to the hospital but at that point I just wanted to survive and I couldn't think straight.
What are your experiences in treating migraines with salt water. I use sumatriptan but one teaspoon of salt mixed with water helps better.
I only get migraines once or so a month and I was given SUMAtriptan nasal spray. I asked for the nasal spray because water and a pill will make me throw up. Sadly it doesn't seem to do anything for me. I just asked my doc for something else. I already take 4 shots a day so the injectable wouldn't bother me.
I had the WORST problem with the Maxalt ODT. Took them for years.... Until I found out they have aspartame in them... Which is a migraine TRIGGER for me! No wonder they didn't work! I have never had nausea so didn't 'need' ODT. Sure wish my Dr would have actually talked to me about this issue. Started with Maxalt tablet (not dissolving) and finally got some of them to work on my migraines... And yeah, I only get 12 a month, takes 2 to treat a migraine and I have 28 days of migraine a month...