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(Message started by: Tom_Thumb on Aug 29th, 2007, 9:15pm)

Title: Back again
Post by Tom_Thumb on Aug 29th, 2007, 9:15pm
It's been a while since I've been on this site, sorry.  I started a new cycle on July 8th.  After almost 3 years of remission.  I have been doing a lot of reading from you guys and just like 3 years ago, you all are wonderful people!!  For the past 7 weeks, I have had KIP 7-10 from 3-10 attacks a day.  For the past 4 days, every 2 hours.  For meds, I am on Neurontin 300mg BID, Verapimil 240mg, Imitrex injections, imitrex nasal spray, zomig 2.5 and 5 mg, and so far 12 bottles of O2. I have tried red bull, lots of caffiene, and so far nothing has come close to breaking the cycle.  WHAT NEXT??  
Went to DR today and he gave me some new samples to try:  Maxalt 10 mg and Frova 2.5mg.What is FROVA??

Title: Re: Back again
Post by MR_FLOOR on Aug 29th, 2007, 10:18pm
Hey Tom,

            Sorry to hear about your latest bout with the beast sounds like a dandy.Have you asked your doc about a Prednisone taper to break that cycle.

       Sorry I can't help you with Maxalt or Frova but I'm sure someone else can.

          Good luck breaking that cycle.



Dave

Title: Re: Back again
Post by Ray on Aug 29th, 2007, 11:49pm
FROVA® (frovatriptan succinate)
MAXALT® (rizatriptan benzoate)

They are related triptans to Imitrex (sumatritan succinate).  They work in much the same way.  Since they are oral medications, they take longer to work than the nasal sprays or injections.  I have not tried Frova, but Maxalt comes in a quick dissolving lozenge and it works in about 30 minutes.  

In my humble opinion, 30 minutes in hell is too long.

Good luck to you,

Ray

Title: Re: Back again
Post by Batch on Aug 30th, 2007, 2:32am
Tom,

Sorry the beast came back and has been so pesky...  Neurontin (gabapentin) worked for me but I needed to titrate up to 900-1200 mg a day to get any relief.  On a few days it took 1500 mg to get any preventative effect.  It almost sounds like you are now in a state of polypharmacy with that many preventatives and abortives in your system at the same time.  It's real hard to tell what's working when it finally works for you.

The good thing going for you is that it sounds like you've got a doc that's willing to work with you to find what works best.

How are your aborts going with O2?  We've got some heavy hitters able to knock down high Kip scale attacks in 15 to 20 minutes at 15 LPM...  Some of us are using a high flow rate O2 therapy at 25 LPM and it appears to shorten the abort times considerably.  I was aborting  attacks in my last high cycle at 25 LPM in 5-7 minutes.

We've got an O2 User's Support Team on the OUCH website at the folloing URL:

http://www.ouch-us.org/medications/oxygen/o2info.shtml

There's a link in there under O2 Information to a User's Guide that many come in handy.  There's also a link to send in comments or questions.  If you'll respond over that link I can send you a copy of the Preliminary High Flow Rate O2 Procedures.

Take care and hang in there...  Even though you've been through this in the past, cycles do roll off and eventually end.

V/R, Batch


Title: Re: Back again
Post by sandie99 on Aug 30th, 2007, 4:30am
Hi Tom,

I'm sorry that the devil found its way to your house.

About Maxalt; is yours one of those melt-in-your- mouth meds? (sorry, cannot recall the proper word for it)

If yes, then I had success with it in the past - it killed my hits within 8 minutes. I did get narcoticly tired and some other side effects, though.

PF days,
Sanna




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