Migraine

hey guys-

my doctor is having me try midrin to see if that can abort my headaces....

has anyone tried it, and had good or bad experiences? i know its a controlled substance, and has risks for addiction and rebound headaches.

Hi Kate,

I took Midrin years ago. I think it was a pretty standard treatment for years - at least I knew a lot of people who took it for migraines.

It never worked particularly well for me or stopped working over time, but of course, all of our bodies are so differnt and unique, you never know how it will be for one individual!

Hope you have a lot of success with it!!

Cyn

I'm taking Midrin now. I love it at the moment. That is until it stops working. My pain sometimes needs something else. But Midrin has been working very well and it gives me a little more freedom over my migraine pain.

When I feel the first sign of pain my doctor has said to take 2 and if I still hurt I can take 1 per hour. But the Relpax I can only take twice a week. I don't wish to overdo it but to me it's the idea there is something I can take eases my mind. To me that's freedom.

I hope something works well for you if not Midrin. Good Luck!

Dutchess

By the way yes I'm getting me time

my limit is one per day. i took one today, and it didn't work all that well. i also have the option to take toradol. but i have taken that way too many days than usually allowed (although i have gotten the ok from my doctor). i'm hoping that this med will steer me away from the toradol use.

best.

I've tried Midrin. It might as well have been a "tic-tac". It did nothing for my pain.

Midrin and droolie are close buddies. droolie owes a good deal of sanity to Midrin in it's various generic incarnations over the past few years.

Yes, it's a controlled, category IV substance, but that's primarily because in 2001, one of the key ingredients was branded a category IV substance. Here's a bit Teri wrote in another post on Midrin a couple of years ago.

"In 2001, the DEA placed one of the ingredients, Dichloralphenazone, under the Schedule IV controlled sustances category. That makes Midrin Schedule IV. Dichloralphenazone is a compound that containes chloral hydrate."

What is interesting to note is that dichloralphenazone is considered to be a non-addictive sedative. The other two ingredients of midrin are the vasoconstrictor and acetaminophen, neither of which are addictive, either. I've always heard that Midrin is non-habit forming. I've certainly not ever had any issues with it in this respect. This is the first time I've heard of it being referred to as potentially addicting. That said, it can leave one feeling rather mellow, which I can find quite annoying. And I know that there are people out there in the world that might decide they like that oogy feeling and would misuse the drug to get that feeling. But...there's a big difference between a chemical addiction and choosing to misuse a medication recreationally in this manner. My thinking is that with all three ingredients being touted as non-addicting, those that are crying "addiction potential" are actual confusing addiction potential with misuse potential. It's not really hooked on a drug as it is hooked on a feeling.

Back to the how well it works discussion, that's going to vary from one of us to another. The only way to find out what it's like for you is for you to try it. It doesn't do any good to compare notes, because the notes essentially mean nothing on the whole. There's no way to predict how you'll do based on how someone else does with it, because we have different body chemistries.

droolie-

thanks for clearing up things on the additvie/habit forming end. i actually questioned it myself because on the warnings it said things but my doctor said nothing and didn't really set a limit on how many days/30 i could use it because of the potentially habit forming so i was a bit confused when i read CVS label and RX number showed it as controlled.

I would call your pharmacist and question the one a day dose. And then maybe call your doctor and double check the order. I have Midrin in my toolbox and my prescription is take 2 at onset, may repeat in 2 hours if needed. 4/day This works for me because by two hours I usually know if I am going to need more. This does make me sleepy and I usually only use it after the need for driving (or opened eyes) is done for the day.

I alternate Treximet and Midrin for the weeks I have more than one migraine, which is most weeks. Both are written for maximum of two days/week.

and Droolie I bow to you for another well written, informative, thought out response!

good luck Kate!
lisa

You're too much!

quote:

Originally posted by lisa ebk:


and Droolie I bow to you for another well written, informative, thought out response!


lisa

One other note on the dosage thing is that I've had all kind of dosing instructions on the bottle over the last several years. It seems every time it's different. I've had one cap at the first sign of migraine. I've had two caps at the first sign of migraine. I've had one every four hours for migraine. I think the latest one I have is one every hour for migraine, which is way excessive. I can't imagine taking two Midrin at once.

Usually, I start with one Midrin and stick with one. If I need a kicker, I find that for me it's more effective to add a half tablet of Lortab as a rescue than to take a second dose of Midrin. I keep the regimen I've always done, despite the "what's the dosage gonna read this time lottery".

gave midrin another go, and it worked. ahhhhh (good ahhhhh)...... relief. although, feeling a bit weird, and i have class in about a half hour. lol

I tried Midrin on a few occasions. I too had the tic tac experience. It bummed me out too because I am still struggling to find something that helps my TTH - not only to take as needed but also preventively.

I am glad to hear it worked for you, Kate! I love when we have a success story with all these trials and meds that don't work. Good for you! At least now you have something else to add to your arsenal!

My experience was disappointing. A sedating tic-tac that didn't abort my Migraine.

Oh well. Guess I'll have to stick to the more expensive abortives!

so i called my doctor after 10 hours in the ed and asked him about taking more than 1 midrin. he said i could take more than 1. he wasn't that specific. i am now going to try 2. how do you guys space your doses??? my doctor wasn't very specific about doses, and spacing doses in his message, so i'm not sure if its like take 1 give it a couple hours and take another or take 1 give it 12 hours and take another.

thanks for the input.

best.

Again, my "X capsules every Y hours" always varied greatly from scrip to scrip. I think I usually had two hours, four hours, six hours, or twelve hours. The few times I've taken a second Midrin I usually did so four to six hours later, but I really don't do a second Midrin very often, because for the most part, if one didn't work, two is just a waste of precious Midrin. I don't really ever find a second dose to be effective. My regimen right now is to take the Midrin first, and if it hasn't helped in say, four hours, I switch to rescue and comfort measures. But that's me and my regimen. Your doc is going to have to help you to determine yours. You might find a second dose of Midrin works splendidly. If your doc wasn't clear in his message, then by all means you should call him back and let him know you still need more clarification.

Eek. This is so individual... As much as I'd love to give you "the correct information," with Midrin dosing that would be appropriate for you, i don't think it's possible for anyone on here to give you a satisfactory answer to your question!

It seems like everyone's dosing is different= all depending on how (and why) your doctor wants you to take the medication!

Unfortunately, it's saturday now. Is there a doc on call that you can call? If not, this might just have to wait until monday. Definitely let the doctor who prescribed the Midrin know that their instructions weren't clear!!

After you get the correct prescribing directions, you'll be able to see how effectively it works for you.