Migraine

Hi all,
I'm still struggling with headaches and have a question about the dosage most of you take for your abortives. I have tried Frova, with some success until recently. My doc changed me to Maxalt, which I have used twice. His instructions were to take it at first onset with 2 Advil. However, here's the part I don't understand, I can't take another dose until the next day if the migraine persists. It generally takes a shot of toradol within 2 hours of the Maxalt/Frova to completely abort the migraine.

I keep reading posts about some of you being able to take a second dose of your abortive 2 hours after the first if the migraine persists and I'm curious what your differend dosing instructions are. I have no other med. conditions except a pituitary tumor that is all but gone. I have no effects from it and am tapering off the parlodel. Because I take it, my doc is watching for seritonin syndrome if I take too much of either. I am down to 1/2 tab every other day of that med and he still won't allow me to take a second dose of my abortive. I'm tired of having to try and get a shot or dealing with a migraine that lasts for days. Without the triptin+Advil+torodol shot, they simply won't go away.

Thanks for any information you can give me!
Lynn

I know for some of the triptans - I'll speak on the one's I've tried, Frova, Imitrex, Zomig and Axert - that if you still have a migraine after the first dose - usually you can take another....with Frova - my current triptan - mine actually states I can take up to three if I need to (2 hours apart) if pain continues and migraine does not abort.

Maybe because of your past history your doctor is worried?

Serotonin Syndrome - to my knowledge is not as common as doctors make it out to be. We have a link about it Here.

Also we had an Ask the Clinician about it as well - there were two - this one links the other.

I am able to take imitrex twice in a 24 hour period, no closer than 2 hour together. I have no other medical conditions.

I will tell you that a few years ago I did have a heart problem secondary to a thyroid problem. I wanted to go off the heart medication since it limited activities (I had to be on an anticoagulate/blood thinner). My doctor would not stop the medication even though the heart problem appeared under control since it could re-occur until the thyroid disorder was fully under control and until the medications were in line, it was not considered under control. This really annoyed me. I missed a whole season of skiing with my kids. But she was right. The heart problem could come back and I had to behave.

I guess what I'm trying to say that until you are completely off the one medication for the pituatary tumor and you are cleared you really need to work with your doctor, if that is the reason he does not want you to use the second dose of the abortive. If that's not the reason, he needs to be very clear on what that is so you know, you should not have to second guess what the reasons are.

Cindy

I take both of my abortives - Imitrex and Frova - with 400 mg of ibuprofen and repeat the abortive + ibuprofen in 2 hours if the pain is not sufficiently reduced. For me it's pointless to expect my abortives to completely abort my migraine. They don't, and my docs have told me not to expect them to. I can take the Imitrex twice a day, 4 times per week. Same with the Frova, unless I'm flying - then it's twice a day, the day before and the day of my flight. Sometimes this is as many as four days in a week, which usually gives me MOH along the way, but the MOH is not as bad as the migraine I'd have on the plane otherwise.

I would definitely talk to your doctor to find out *exactly* why he wants you to follow those dosing instructions. I'm not saying he doesn't have a good reason - he probably does - but if it were me I would feel uneasy until I knew what that reason was.