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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> Imitrex Tip question
        
(Message started by: BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Jan 23^rd, 2005, 10:50pm)

Title: Imitrex Tip question
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Jan 23^rd, 2005, 10:50pm

After you take apart the auto-injector, is it ok to empty the contents into an empty vial? Then I could use a regular needle to get the quantity I want.
Has anyone ever tried to fill a vial with the auto-injector?
Thanks and PF wishes
BMonee

Title: Re: Imitrex Tip question
Post by Redd715 on Jan 24^th, 2005, 7:54am

all the time....

Title: Re: Imitrex Tip question
Post by Chrx on Mar 6^th, 2005, 6:27am

After three years clear I'm back in a cycle but I have been using a technique for delivering partial doses. Apologies in advance if someone's already come up with this idea.

I found DJ's tip about extending his imitrex by disassembling his auto-injector very useful. I can often get a headache to abort by using only 3mg of Imigran (sumatriptan) - half the auto-injector dosage. However, when a headache strikes I am rarely in a fit state to see or judge how far I've depressed a syringe plunger, so I came up with a way to make sure I only inject half the 6mg dose in the syringe automatically.

(This is written from England. You should check your own syringes against these measurements in case there is any difference! Also, please take the usual caveats as read. I am not a doctor. I am only passing on what works for me!)

In a full glass syringe the distance that the bottom of the rubber plunger will travel to deliver the entire dose = 18mm. Therefore pressing the plunger in by 9mm will deliver half a dose. The distance between the TOP of the plunger and the top of the syringe is 13 mm. Add 13mm to 9mm (half a dose) = 22mm

Cut a piece of 6mm diameter wooden dowel approx 60mm long. Smooth both ends. Mark a point EXACTLY 22.5 mm from one end of the dowel and drill a 1 mm hole at 90 degrees through the dowel. Into this pilot hole tap a 20mm long panel pin (nail) so that it protrudes evenly on either side of the dowel. Cut or file off the nail point.

That's it. Using the shorter end of the dowel to push down the plunger in the syringe will inject half a dose before the nail stops you injecting any more. To inject the remaining half dose later on, simply use the longer end of the dowel or the auto-injector.

A bit of simple math could be applied and used to make a dowel plunger which would inject any fraction of a dose, but it does seem ridiculous that we have to go to these lengths. Surely sumatriptan could be made more widely available in vials so that we can give ourselves the amount of drug we require, or provided in auto-injector refills of varying amounts? GlaxoWellcome are obviously the Henry Ford of pharmaceuticals: You can auto-inject any dosage you like as long as its 6mg.

Hope that's of some help

Chrx

Title: Re: Imitrex Tip question
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Mar 6^th, 2005, 8:31pm

It's easily done as long as you have access to sterile, rubber-topped vials. These are readily available on-line from veterinarian supply stores - but maybe you have your own source.

Swab the top of the vial with alcohol, and very simply pretend the rubber stopper is your skin. Hold the autoinject firmly against the rubber and push the injector. Then with your TB or insulin syringe, pull nearly all of the medication out to see how much 6mg is, then (without pulling the needle out of the stopper) push it back in and pull out what you need (1/3 or 1/2). Easy, pleasy, etc....

Good Luck!

Kris