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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Urgent imitrex question - bubbles in syringes?
        
(Message started by: otakuhouse on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 5:23pm)

Title: Urgent imitrex question - bubbles in syringes?
Post by otakuhouse on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 5:23pm

Like a lot of people I try not to even think about clusters while I'm pain free and luckily I have been for the past three years. So please forgive me as I couldn't find this with archive search and have been inactive for that long.

This is for everyone but maybe mostly for those who use the Imitrex tip, and remove the interior syringe from the housing for the statdose pin...

I do not use this method but one night in the grips of the beast I fumbled and accidentally screwed the wrong way and ended up with a dissassembled statdose. I've noticed that if I do so and I look at the syringe capsule within there is an air bubble that sometimes will elevate itself to the tip of the syringe below the needle. I reassembled the thing and tucked it away. On a second occassion this happened - the same thing.

I'm totally naive here but from the little I know - isn't this a really bad thing? Couldn't then the air bubble be pushed into your veins? Is it occuring because of the dissasembly of the device? Or do all imitrex syringes have this bubble?

Also, I dropped a cartridge on my concrete apt floor pretty hard the other day - anything I should do to check it's safe before using?

I really need this dose to hit the Kip 9 I get like clockwork two hours after going to bed tonight, and thanks to the vagaries and humiliations of health insurance, it is all I have left for the weekend. Is this one safe to use?

Which also begs the question - if you prep a statdose shot and then decide not to give it to yourself, can you rescrew it into the kit and it's still safe to use? I only hit imitrex when the headache hits above an 8 because of how horrible it makes me feel and sometimes I'll sit there bewildered at 4am with the needle above my leg for half an hour until it passes... What do I do with the precious, not very often approved expensive solution in my hand ready to go?

And one final perhaps stupid question...

On two occasions during this bout I ended up giving myself shots without swabbing with alcohol or cleaning or even washing my hands while I was in public due to, um, fear and lack of control and desperation. I only ever use the statdose pen, etc. Does this ever lead to any danger - can anyone get infected randomly through public transmission of god knows what this way?

Can you tell I hate needles? But I hate the beast more...

Just want better information on what's safe.

Title: Re: Urgent imitrex question - bubbles in syringes?
Post by jpa on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 7:00pm

I looked at 2 syringes out of my statdose kit and they both had small air bubbles in them. If you put an unused syringe back into the kit you should be careful not to bend the needle, I've noticed some of my used ones have bent needles if I take them out again.

Title: Re: Urgent imitrex question - bubbles in syringes?
Post by vietvet2tours on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 8:22pm

Oxygen might be in order.

Potter

Title: Re: Urgent imitrex question - bubbles in syringes?
Post by rolo65 on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 9:32pm

The bubble won’t cause any problems. My nurse clinician told me that it’s good to have a little bubble in the syringe because the air bubble helps prevent the medication from coming back out the injection hole after the injection.

It takes 10 cc of air injected directly into the carotid artery to cause an embolism, so don’t worry about it.

Get you doc to prescribe the imitrex in 6 ml vials and use insulin syringes. Better yet skip the needles and get the O2 setup, it works faster and no rebounds.

PFW’s,

Rolo..

Title: Re: Urgent imitrex question - bubbles in syringes?
Post by Ray on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 9:55pm

I will back up Rolo on this one. You are putting this injection under your skin, not in a vein or artery. A small amount of air will cause no harm whatsoever.

I prefer imitrex that I can draw up myself, again as Rolo suggested and use Oxygen first as an abortive.

Ray

Title: Re: Urgent imitrex question - bubbles in syringes?
Post by otakuhouse on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 11:37pm

That's all my paranoid, fried brain CH head needed to relax a little. Thanks much for the info....

Can't wait to get my oxy prescription filled.

Imitrex is so odd. Hate the stuff, hate needles, hate how it makes me feel, but such a help.