I got two samples of Maxalt from my doc and they worked fine. After getting a prescription filled the first three I have used have failed miserably and I have had some of my worst headaches yet....after 18 years of survival. Imitrex injection used to work but my insurance does not cover it anymore and my appeal failed with their appeals board.

Has anyone else had any success or failures with maxalt? :-[

What insurance company is this?  I've heard of dosing limitations but not outright refusal to cover it.

-Dennis-

BCBSGA

I have BCBSMA and used their Quality Care Dosing Override process to gain access to up to 12 shots per month.  This was up from the 4 shots they originally limited me to.

This required my Neuro to fill out and sign a form which I then faxed into BCBS.  The process took about a month but it worked for me.

What process did you use and was your Neuro involved?

-Dennis-

I'm on BCBS alabama, and they cover ten shots a month.  I am on appeal to have them cover more.  Are you on a group policy or an individual?  Seems like they should cover at least some of the shots.  I had to have my Neuro write a letter to get more shots covered.

Good Luck.  

Malcom

Thanks, Dennis. My FP wrote to them on my behalf and we were shot down around 18 months ago. Our insurance is BCBS but we now have Caremark for drugs, do you as well? The pharmacist at Walgreens told me it was no longer approved. This is helpful information as I can go back to them for my next episode as this one only has a week left.

Thanks for the help and advice. I know BCBSGA is a different than yours but it is worth another try.

I'm not sure how long your remission is but I would not wait.  Get this paperwork out of the way so the override is on file.  That way you have all your weapons available right at the start of the next cycle.

Of course I hope you never get another one  ;)

-Dennis-

Thanks guys. I'm already on it and found out that Walgreens was wrong. I get 4 per month and have a call into my doc for the prescription. Of course, I need about 15 -20 to get me through a regular cycle so a trip to the neuro for the future cycle is planned. I also hope that neither of you get anymore. They started about 18 years ago for me and came in cycles of very three months for two weeks. Over the years, they have become more spread apart and now I went 2 years till this cycle. One can always hope that this will be the last.

Good luck to you both...and thanks.

Ken

Ive been on Maxalt before, both the tablets and the one that dissolve on ur tongue. After taking them for a period of time it didnt not reduce any attacks and from them i went onto oxygen and Imi injections. ;)

My insurance won't cover Imitrex either.  But it will cover Maxalt.  I've had decent luck with Maxalt.  But I try to avoid any triptan as much as I can.  I did discover during one cycle that something might work for the first week or two of hits and then it is like I become immune to it for the rest of the time.  I don't understand it, but I don't understand these ignorant ass headaches either.

I just got a prescription for my imitrex after I found out I am now allowed 4 per month. Also, i found some imitrex that expired 9/2006. I know I wasn't supposed to take it but I did and it still worked. it got me through till the prescription is filled.

Now that you've got your Imitrex situation partially sorted out I've got to nag you about Oxygen.

Imitrex is hard on your vascular system and, many say, can make your CH symptoms worse if not used sparingly.  At four doses a month you'll not be able to do too much damage.  However...

What about Oxygen?  I haven't heard you mention it.  It is my primary abortive.  I use 15lpm on anything below K6 and 25lpm on the bigger ones.  Only if this fails, which doesn't happen often, do I pull inventory from my precious Imitrex stock.

I use it at home, in the car and at work.  Once you get the hang of it you'll learn to love those green tanks more than is natural.

My latest cycle started in July and I haven't taken a shot yet.  O2+an occasional energy drink have taken care of everything that's gotten past the Verapamil.

Stepping off my soap box now...

-Dennis-

Thanks, Dennis. I'll check into that too with my neurologist.

Ken

DO try Oxygen seems to be a good silver bullet for alot of us!! ;)

Maxalt melting tabs was the first abortive prescribed to me, and it didn't do a thing for me.

Now I use 02 and it's a beautiful thing.  As long as I get there quickly, it works 90% of the time to abort in around 5 to 10 minutes.  There's a lot of info on that kind of stuff here.

Good luck with the insurance company, I'm struggling to get them to cover my 02 right now  :-/  jerks.  Wish I could let them see me w/out the 02 just once, then maybe they'd get it.

for me max-alt sucked!!  1 hit drove me to take 3 tablets, when i got no relief i washed those down with 6 advil migraine and even that didnt help so about 50 mins in i puked from all the pills and the ch gave in a little, me personally i did better with zomig untill the beast figured those out. before i got my 02 and imetrex shots there was nothing that would work for me more than 1 time, so after awhile i just gave up and rode out the hits, that was untill i found this site!! i have not had anything in the way of a kip 8 or 9 since then, its almost as if the beast knew i found you guys and packed his bags. Here is hoping he stays gone ;D!!  coach bill

O2 it is. I have my appointment scheduled with my neurologist next week for the next round--hopefully not until 2009. Fortunately, the worst seems to have passed with this one and I am down to one a day. Thx.

Ken

BCBS but we now have Caremark for drugs,

I have Caremark for my rx they are funny that way.  But once you learn there system there ok.
1.  Get your Dr. too write a script for a three month supply.

2. Call the Caremark phone # on the back of your ins. card(if you dont have this # I can give you the # I have.

3. Ask them to send some mail in rx forms,  They only filled rxs three or four times at local pharmacies after that it needs to be mail order.

4. If your in need immediatly when you call ask them to make an exception for one more refill at a local pharmacy.  So you will need to ask your doctor for two rxs one for 3 months and one 1 month.

Hope this helps, it happened to me too when my ins. switched to caremark.
take care Phil