Ended up in the ER again last night. This time they gave me toradol, dilaudid and thorazine (never had this drug before). I didnt like how it made me feel....and of course the headache is still present.
Anyone have any info on this drug and what it did or didnt do for them??
Thorazine is a drug from the 60"s, rarely used anymore. It was given for Chronic depression and/or Bi-polar. Never heard of it being used for "pain". It's use is to keep your "mood" stabilized.
Note: Please read the comment following ths one for more accurate information.
A drug's age doesn't mean it's not used any longer or that it's not effective. DHE 45, a Migraine abortive, was developed in 1945, and is still in use.
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)O is FDA approved for and prescribed for psychosis, nausea and vomiting, preop sedation, intractable hiccups, and porpphyria.
It is classified as a "typical antipsychotic." Chlorpromazine and some of the atypical antipsychotic meds such as Seroquel, Zyprexa, and Risperdal are sometimes prescribed for Migraine patients either to help with nausea or to be used as a "rescue" medication when their first-line abortive medications fail.
Hope this is helpful to you.
Teri
It was given to me as a rescue medication once. Did nothing at all for me, so it was never given to me again. This type of medication is sometimes given either to help you rest or to help with nausea when your regular meds aren't working. I can't remember anyone who has had it saying that it helped much, but a couple have said that it helped a bit. Since it was given to you with Dilaudid, maybe it was for nausea. Did they say why they chose that drug?
Teri
first of all if teh ER doc is re /mis diagnosing.re bound fro migriane
and you have had a specailist neuro workup.
this is possibly a problem that could be reported.
maybe you could get a second opinion from a neuro confirm your diagnoses?
your neurologist or another neurologist/migraine can be consulted for emergency care.
its never good to have constantly changing ER docs or pa's provide most of your care.
and if your ER treatment failed you should be in to see your neuro the next day.
Yes I have been given thorazine along with compazine and vistaril in the ER for status migraine. It actually helped me. The combination broke my migraine. In fact those three medications in oral form are now my home meds for migraines. They are the only things that break my migraines. I am quite greatful to the ER doc who first prescribed them. It is the only cocktail that ever worked. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I hope you find something that works for you soon.
Michelle, can I ask you what dosage you use, regarding the thorazine? Is it something like 10-20 mg. every 6 hours or even more than that? How much do they use when they use it for pain? As I have daily (status) migraine, I am wondering if I could take it as an alternative to other pain meds, perhaps two days out of the week.
Thanks for info, Franco
I was given injections of Thorazine and Compazine in the mid to late 70's. They told me it had the longest half-life so it would stay in my system longer. Sent home, when I had to go back this was on the menu, started noticing my tongue felt funny, airway swelling then I started throwing up and dislocated my jaw the bone got hooked on a wisdom tooth, with my mouth closed, ? Can we say aspiration? The effects of the meds were cumulative, so now I have beside the Rx extra-pyramidal effects and they have to ask, to make sure I haven't picked this up in book so I can get different drugs. My husband & I both insist on knowing the meds given and what to expect, since I've had these since age 7, it's any and all Rx that comes down the pike. The two meds above are in the phenothiazine group, so if you have a problem with one chances are you will with the rest of the group. As, for feeling worse that's a given, anxious, almost paranoid and somnolence that seems out of control.
Toradol is a syntetic man made "pain reliever". No chance of addiction, but given in conjunction with the other Rx you should have been in LaLa Land. When the synthetics came on the market I was told they would alternate with the narcotics. Because if they gave a synthetic and you were hooked on narcotics this would throw you into withdrawals. Gotta love that check and balance! Toradol for me produces blisters and itching all over my body, a little effect the Dr. didn't tell us about. And with the vomiting, dehydration factor it worsened every symptom I had and didn't know I had!
Good luck to you and hope you are far,far away from the next attack, and when you are in it, may the Dr.s and staff treat you like a real person.
Thorazine, ah yes. When I've ended up either in the hospital status migrainus or coming home from day 3-4 from IV infusion, that has been a workable rescue.
Greetings,
Yes, I have been given Thorazine for migraines. The nurse would give me a 50 mg injection, which knocked me out for about an hour. Then, I would get up - migraine free - with lots of energy to spare. I don't know if this is typical or not, but it worked for me.
I haven't been given Thorazine for a migraine in several years. Nowadays, I do well with Propranolol and Cymbalta for prophylactics. The benefit from the Cymbalta was a much welcomed surprise. I was originally prescribed Cymbalta for depression, but it was amazing how my migraines decreased in number and severity. I continue to take Cymbalta, primarily for migraine prevention.
Propranolol has worked fairly well for me for the past several years.
Good luck to you!
Wishing you pain-free days,
Kay
Unfortunately I have had migraine since childhood, and as is typical with women they have worsened with age. I go for medical intervention about 4 times per year when Imitrex, phenergan, Vistaril fail or when the headache lasts 3 days.
Northside (Atlanta) hospital doctors have been excellent to listen to my history then proceed quickly with the appropiate (for me) IV fluids, Benedryl, then phenergan, then a narcotic (usually Dilaudid, sometimes morphine), then a corticosteroid. This is the correct and compassionate ER treatment for status migraine. The narcotic alone will not alleviate the migraine, but at least it takes the murderous edge off the pain until the steroid and your own body can get rid of it.
To the Thorazine question: since I am 53 and have had headaches (refractive to all first line preventatives so far) which required medical intervention since I was 45, I am familiar with a different hospital which is Emory Adventist. I used it because I had been dry heaving from the migraine for longer than usual and it was closer. The ER doctor for some completely inexplicable reason, ignored my explanation of what works and proceeded to give me IV fluids and Thorazine. Nothing else, just fluids and Thorazine. I had a terrifying reaction which has since been explained to me by my neurologist (James Keily-Atlanta) as acute dystonia. Basically the Thorazine caused a faux Parkinsons-like syndrome. I felt as though I had had a stroke, could not speak to call for help, right side of my face drew down and my right leg began spasming in a downward motion. The headache was untouched though I did stop vomiting. The paralysis lasted about 20 minutes before anyone came to check on me. The doctor admininstered Benedryl as an antidote to the Thorazine and I slowly recovered my ability to speak and move normally over another hour or so.
The crux of this long post is this; giving Thorazine in a small amount for nausea associated with migraine might be okay. I have never heard of it relieving a severe migraine. Some inconsiderate anti-narcotic doctors assume that the anti-dopamine properties could conceivably help migraine pain. I feel great sympathy for anyone with this disease. The most horrid part is that the acute dystonia caused by Thorazine can become permanent in certain women my age, and it is not infrequent.
Migraine is so misunderstood; not only do the sufferers have to endure all the suggestions of loved ones friends and well-meaning people, but it is becoming the rage to blame the sufferer if the current preventatives don't work for some. I find it frustrating to hear from "headache experts" that there are more than 120 possible preventatives, therefore if you still have uncontrollable headaches it must be due to non-compliance.
The triptans are a God-send and still work for me about half the time. My poor mother spent weeks on end admitted to the hospital dozens of times in the 1970's and 1980's prior to Imitrex availability. I asked her if she had ever been given Thorazine for migraine and she said no and that her neurologist told her it was totally contraindicated in women over 40 for migraine treatment due to potential complications.
Another note: Kaiser has been quite good about treating acute migraine in the office. As those of you with severe migraine know, oral narcotics almost never work for migraine but demerol and phenergan in the muscle can sometimes prevent going to the ER. I have only met with one doctor in acute care at Kaiser who "wanted to try" Toradol with phenergan. Of course I left that visit with a level 8 headache and vomited my way on over to Northside for some appropiate and effective care.
As to Thorazine, I would just say no way.
Barbara
Have you ever receieved a shot of demerol for your migraines in the ER?
Demerol is probabally the best pain killer as far as receiving one in a shot. I have gotten it before and its completely tooken my headache away within about 24-48 hours. I have had headaches for a while now and the one shot that has worked for me is Demerol. Toradol doesnt really seem to help and im personally allergic to stadol. I dont know if you have tried Percocet but that works too its a very strong pain pill and its higher that vicodin and maybe even Norcov im not exactly sure on that but that also works really well but the shot I would recomend to get is Demerol although it makes you very sleepy and you sleep for Quite sometime after you get it but that is one shot that works the best that I know of. As far as medication at the onset of a Migrane what is a Medication that has worked well with you because I havent found one and Ive gotten them quite frequently lately and toradol hasnt been working and the only thing that has helped is Percocet because where Im at the moment i cant receive Demerol shots because Im waiting to come home from Basic Training in Fort Jackson, SC but im actually going back home tomorrow July 25 and im hoping that when i Return to the doctors they can figure something out. I didnt even make it the first week because I had passed out and had a migraine for over 2 weeks. Although i have had migraines for the past 4 years i still dont know exactly what is causing them and why i sometimes get them so often??? Is there anything that you could suggest to for me to do???
I am so sorry for your pain; I can relate very well. Have you tried the triptan category? That would be Imitrex, Maxalt, etc. They usually really help you younger sufferers, and you will be less likely to get rebound headaches than you will from the pain pills. In my long experience with these headaches, I think the longer you suffer without appropriate relief the more likely the headaches are to become chronic.
If you have insurance, get your doctor to refer you to a neurologist. You need to try to find a preventative medicine (taken daily to miniminize the number of headaches) and the rescue med that works best for you.
I didn't get from your post if you are male or female. My sons outgrew their migraines in their mid-twenties which you could possibly do. If you are a woman, the headaches will likely get worse unless you get help.
Barbara
Well they do have me on a preventive and its Verapmil. I am a 18yr old Female. I have tried Imiitrex, maxalt, midrin, naproxen, butalbital which is fiorcet. neurontin, and nortriptyline along with a few others that i cant recall. They havent really found a steady medication that works to help prevent them. The nuerologist that i currently see is the one that pre scribed the verapmil and i actually have an appointment to go back and see him on aug 5 or 6 im hoping that more test will be ran and hopefully something will come across on what i have. The doctor that i see is through kaiser and he seen my mom many years ago for the same thing and was the same doctor that found out she has MS and she has had that for 24 years she also has brain tumors and and many other medical problems. Does anything that she has could that have an effect on what i could may or possibly have? I also get really bad nausea when i get the migraines so they had pre scribed me phenegren pills to help try and control that.
Samantha
Hi Samantha,
I am not in the medical field, just a lifelong migraine suffererer from a family of the same.
Part of your first medical workup at the neurologist will probably include ruling out tumors, etc., and verify that you have "only" migraine. That might put your mind at ease that you don't suffer what your mom has; you will still have to go through the sometimes long process of finding the right preventative for you.
In the meantime, read all the supportive migraine pages you can, consider Teri Roberts your migraine saint, and the Robins headache clinic has wonderful links to recent studies. Dr. Robins has lists of 1st 2nd and 3rd line preventatives, along with a category of "what to do when nothing else works".
Frequent migraines like you are describing often lead to depression. When you start on a trial of a preventative, give it some time, keep a record of any improvement and only stop if it causes dangerous side effects or you have tried it for about 6 weeks. Your docs have probably already told you these things, but it is hard to be patient when you are in pain. Don't forget, a preventative's success is measured by improvement of the headaches; preventatives rarely will totally stop the HA's- if they are reduced by half that is considered a success. Keep a headache journal-really.
I am a difficult migraine patient as well with poor success with preventatives. My best success has come with the herb butterbur, sold as Petadolex. It reduced my migraine frequency. You can Google it and find reasonable looking data on its effectiveness.
When you are looking for migraine help online, please avoid any sites where the author infers that treatment resistant migraine is your fault. It isn't. Go ahead and try the weird stuff your loved ones and old people suggest: heat, cold, pressure points, chiropractic and TCM, aromatherapy, injections of numbing agents into trigger areas in the neck (done by the doctor obviously). You never know what might be your magic bullet.
Good Luck
I was given Thorazine last nite in the er and let me tell you. Today now that I can half way function, When I looked it up and read it. I was mad as hell. I am not a drug seeker, depressed or psychotic. I had a severe allergic reation to it with the tripping, talking out of my head, and legs moving uncontrollably from the pain. The nurse says to my daughter, Oh my, I have heard of this but never seen it. She tells the Dr he says, give her Benedryl immediately. But doesnt bother to come in himself. Got home, dont know when, who or how. Wake up the next morning still drug induced, and dazed. Weak and unstable on my feet from being lightheaded. It has now been over 24 hours and I am still dazed. My response is slow and everything seems to be hazy and moving. It should be taken off the market for sure.
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Thorazine aka chlorpromazine can be used to treat nausea.
Any Migraine pain lasting longer than 72 hours without a four-hour pain-free break while awake, could be Status Migrainous and needs medical attention right away. Some doctors (neurologists and pain doctors) are set up to do IV infusion therapy in their office. We have information on that HERE and HERE.
Let us know how you are feeling, ok?
Thorazine is very effective not only in relieving migraine pain, but also breaking up
the chain of migraines that I seem to experience. For example I will have migraines for
9 days at a time. I cannot take triptans and firocet is not effective in managing
my pain. I have also had some sucess with Dramamine.
I've had an ongoing migraine for 15days, and was given everything imaginable. Nothing worked. No breaks, no relief....
Yesterday I was given thorazine...BAD IDEA!!!!! I was nauseaus and dizzy and in pain BEFORE the thorazine....thorazine made it worse....made me pass out for 4hrs and not remember a damn thing....but guess what??? Migraine and nausea and dizziness still there and continuing.....
I will never take an anti-psychotic for nausea/dizziness again.....all my dr's seem to want to prescribe is anti-depressants and nausea meds. I'm not depressed! I'm irritated! and I want to get rid of the migraine that's causing my nausea and dizziness...not the nausea alone!
HELP!!!!! Any suggestions on what to do????
-Anna-