Migraine management and Triptans

Hi Jennifer, that is interesting, I keep being told my migraines are down to medication over use ...

I probably have 1 Naratriptan a day, as soon as I get the symptons I take half in the hope that that will be enough..

if the pain comes back I take the other half

If it is medication over use, last year I went 3 week's without a Triptan, so what triggered the pain for me to be on them every day since

latest specialist said I have Psychological problems with the Triptans , gave me striod injection to help me come off the Triptans nut no luck

I'm trying to stay positive

I see well in comparison I take very few, up to three triptans over three days as my migraines last up to three days. I have 2-3 episodes of migraine per month so 3 - 9 triptans a month. They are the only drugs that reduce the pain and sickness, I couldn't do without them.

Ahhh, that's good

we shall plough on as they say

 

Yes, I have migraines sometimes two a month and each time migraine lasts about 3 days.  If I take the Rizatriptian right away at the onset it has taken the migraine away if I lay down and able to sleep.  If it comes back I have taken another and if still an issue I have had to take three.  Never had to take over 8 a month....mostly 6 and under.  If I didn't take the Rizatriptian I would be in trouble and would need to go to the ER. If Rizatriptian doesn't help go all away I take a Nausua medication and between the two helps me sleep the migraine off.  I am not able to take OTC as I have Chronic Urticaria and cannot take NSAIDS.

Thank you all for sharing!

Wendy

Yes that's what worries me !!

 

I disagree, they are addictive. They cause medication overuse headaches and this causes the addiction. If you keep taking them then your body invents more pain to get the drug, that's addiction. I've been through it and I know what I experienced in coming off them, it wasn't pleasant. My neurologist backed this up and said that more than 12 a month is a really bad idea and ideally it shouldn't be more than 6-8 to avoid medication overuse. I have stopped taking them and I feel so much better now! I tackle my migraines in other ways now but I rarely take medication for them...

Okay, well when  you have tried everything possible to stop your migraines and nothing else works except the Triptan, some people like myself, and my older sister have no other option.  I have read countless literature about Triptans, if you do not have a heart condition or uncontrolled blood pressure there is no clinical studies that say triptans at times daily are bad for your health.  Excedrin Migraine, Advil, opiates, Aleve can all cause rebound headaches.  But triptans are not herioin where you go through withdrawal to the point you cannot function , my nephew was a heroin addict for 10 years.  Dependance is the right word not addiction.  To get off the triptans you must go through a different type of process by going cold turkey and having your pain treated by a neurologist or pain management doctor.  This could mean being out of commision for more than 3 weeks.  When you work have a husband and children you can't just check out.  So if you have found other means to treat your migraine pain, then thats great. But the majority of people can't get rid of them without certain meds.  It's just the way it is.  Sometimes i have a headache everyday for 2 weeks.  Then I don't for 3 or 4 weeks and don't take the triptans.  So addiction is the wrong word.

Yes, I would agree, my actual GP was quite happy to keep prescribing Sumatriptan, as he said if it was a case of being able to function and lead a normal life and the fact I wasn't in any of the other risk factors of getting a stroke. Most months I wasn't taking anymore than 6-8, for the last 18 months I have been on Pizotifen and have found that although the frequency of migraines hasn't decreased the intensity has and now most of the time I can get away with just taking paracetemol/aspirin, if this doesn't work then it straight back to the Sumatriptan but I most definately don't feel addicted to it.

Actually Jennifer, addiction may not be the right word for you, but it is from my perspective... I didn't work for over a year due to migraines and chronic daily head pain, hence my reliance on Sumatriptan. I have a friend who is a GP and as soon a she realised how reliant I was becoming on them she took me to task and warned me of the medication overuse pain and how this is essentially addiction, my own GP backed this up. As for what I went through in coming off them, you don't know so you can't and shouldn't really judge that. I have had over a month of hideous withdrawal and guess what? I too have 2 young children, a husband and am also in the process of retraining. I have gone through hell and back, some days I was unable to stand up and function properly but I was determind to suceed and not be reliant on drugs anymore. I had a pain management doctor by the way and saw a neurologist who advised me the best way to go. Both agreed to stop the Triptans was the best way forward.

I appreciate that a lot of people rely on Triptains, but relying on any kind of drug long-term is not good, even if they help. They all have risks, just take a look at the leaflet in the box... I've talked to lots of other sufferers of medication overuse headaches and they have agreed with me that the only way is to stop. If you've ever truly get the overuse head pain you'll understand, if you don't suffer from that then you can't really comment.

Me too Kath have been taking triptans for over 20 years, they are the only thing that works for me. I certainly am not addicted to them I try and have tried everything imaginable to Not take them but I have no choice.

I hear what your saying, I've heard of chronic daily head ache caused by overuse of pain relief and other related drugs but how are you treating migraine now or were your migraines only caused by overuse of meds ?

I guess you didn't read my last comment, I do suffer from chronic daily headaches and chronic migraine disease.  But some of us need the meds to survive.  I have tried to stop, nothing else works for me and a lot of other people.  Why don't you stop writing how bad the meds are for people and have some compassion, sympathy and empathy.  Some of us have to take meds because I have tried every natural and homeopathic alternative and nothing else helps.  I don't need to keep hearing how I am poisoning myself with meds, they have given me my life back.  Open your mind and be more conscious of other peoples feelings. I don't wish to communicate with you any further.

They were exacerbated by it for sure. I used to have one a week, but these started to go on for several days at a time. I reached a point where my body couldn't just have one dose of Sumatriptan, it then had to have more and more, hence the increase in my prescriptions and my GP got very concerned. I have to say she's been really amazing. Where I live there is very little support in my PCT for alternative therapies so I'm on my own. I am trying Mindfulness out to help combat the pain and I only take odd dose of Co-codamol if it gets bad, no Asprin as that also makes them worse. Oh and rest, I take regular rest when it's bad as I find lack of sleep is a trigger for me. When I'm earning again I'm going to try acupuncture and I may go and see a herbalist as I've had success with that before for other ailments. At the end of the day everyone is different and if I've learned one thing from the array of prophylactic drugs that I've tried is that some people are more susceptible to side effects than others, and I imagine the same goes for overuse of medication. I have been told I have to be clear of the drug from my system for 3 months, after that they may try me on it again but I'm reluctant unless it's a low dose or if the bad attacks return...

I have every empathy with other migraine sufferers Jennifer, hence why I'm on this site. I am happy to cease commucation with you though.

Yes everyone is and there response to meds is different. 

Ive been having migraine for over 20 years, the pattern hasn't changed and I don't take any more Triptans than I always have but I do think my body becomes used to them and so over time the current one becomes less effective and I have to switch to another one. That's what's happened lately so that I take the triptan and have to take pain relief on top. 

I have a different triptan to try now so I'll see how I get on with that one. I'm afraid nothing else has any effect on my migraine, I've tried every drug and every therapy going to no avail.

I agree we are all different, I guess are bodies behave differently, when I tried to wean myself of Triptan I had to go A&E as I could not tolerate the pain, that has made me more reliant on Triptans...                                                                                                           No one wants to take medicine we do co we have too                                                                                                                  at least we a are not taking for pleasure, I do feel I get withdrawl symptons for triptans when I do not take, we need more medical advice                                                                                                                      

Yes, I know so many people find that Triptans work and that's the point they do work (which lets face it is just as well as so many people suffer from migraines) and not everyone gets rebounds from them. My sister takes them (she's also a sufferer, it's hereditary) and she's never had the issues I have with them. I hope your new Triptan works for you!