I have had migraines over 40 years and they got worse after my hysterectomy thirteen years ago. I take Indral for preventive. Aleve at first sign of a headache, then Fioricet then Imitrex. I sometimes go through a stage of having a migraine every other day for a week or two then one a week or less. Seems a weather change will trigger the every other day. I also have RA and disc problems in my back and neck which I feel are a trigger too. My question is how many Imitrex per week is safe? The Imitrex works very well.
- Find
- Manage
- Resources
Q: Imitrex, How much a week is safe
Answers (1)
12/ 4/09 3:23pm
Hi rbcool,
Sounds like your preventive medication may need to be re-evaluated. Anyone who is suffering with more than three Migraine attacks a month (not week) really ought to think about a different plan of attack (so to speak) if the medication they currently take is not working. Don't lose hope - there are plenty of other preventive medications that are available, in fact over 100. Take a look at this article and feel free to bring it to your next doctors appointment to discuss it with him: Migraine Preventive Medications - Too Many Options To Give Up!
While it is important to take medication at the first sign of a Migraine attack to abort it, if one takes abortive meds such as triptans or any kind of pain med more than two or three days a week, another problem can occur called Medication overuse headache(MOH), aka rebound. See Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires for more information on this.
Medication overuse been shown to be a factor in 80% of cases of transformed Migraine. Stopping the medication overuse is key to stopping the transformed Migraine. You can read more about this in Stopping Medication Overuse Can Halt Transformed Migraine.
ANY use of opioids or barbiturates and frequent use of triptans and NSIADs are associated with increased risk of transformed Migraine. See Transformed Migraine - Risk Increased by Some Medications for more information on this.
I hope this helps,
Nancy
Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of The HealthCentral Network. The HealthCentral Network does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Thanks for your information. I saw my nuroligist on Thurday and he again felt that the cause of my migraines are my back disc and neck that triggers most of my headaches. I agree as again today my back is hurting really bad and the pain has traveled up to my neck and head. I have noticed that when my back does not hurt I don't get a migraine. The pain medication overuse can be a problem because of my RA but the headache is different from a migraine. My doctor told me I could safely take six Imitrex a week which I never use that much so I feel better. I think I now need to work on my back and neck problems to control my migraine.