Another thing that makes me go hmm

Back in April I finally asked my doctor for some kind of migraine medication. It was an act of desperation. I've suffered from these headaches off and on for 30 years but I finally got sick of having a four to six day headache once a month.

She prescribed Imitrex. She wrote me a prescription and gave me some samples to try.

It was a couple months before I actually took one. I was afraid of the possible side effects, (which could include death, which would really suck if it occurred, say, in front of a group of kids...) and since I did not know if I would have an adverse reaction to it, I could not take it if: I had to work in the afternoon, had to drive, had to be awake and coherent for any reason... well, I couldn't find the right time to take it.

Finally one night the time was right. I didn't have to go anywhere the next day and I had a screamer of a headache.

Cue the announcer with the deep voice.
"The rest, as they say, is history."

I got a pill and washed it down with half a bottle of water.

I laid down and started waiting to die.

Within an hour, the headache was gone.

There are some side effects for me, though. I feel a sense of energy and well-being about an hour after taking a dose. I get a little shaky and things are a little surreal. Then, about two hours after I take it, I get a cold sweat. (I know, eww). It's still worlds better than spending six days taking Excedrin every few hours, holding my eyeball in when I cough, and wiping weird, thick tears from the corners of my eyes when the headache is really bad.

Now in the last four months or so, I've learned that it's usually one migraine, two Imitrex. Take one, and twelve hours later, take one more because the headache is coming back.

That's usually sufficient until the next (deep voice again) ATTACK OF THE HORMONES.

If you've been reading here long, you also know that Imitrex is prohibitively expensive. When I finally filled the prescription, it was $222.00 for nine doses. Too much for me. A huge dent in our budget, and one I don't want to make again.

Now the company that manufactures Imitrex still holds the patent in the US. This means they can set the price as high as they want to, and that no generic will be available. This is set to change in 2009, but I'm not holding my breath.

So I decided to order the generic form from Canada. I can get twelve 100mg doses of Sumatriptan for $127.00. A lot less than buying the actual brand name drug here.

I finally ordered it this last week, but it won't be here right away.

I was down to one yesterday morning when I woke up with a headache. As the day wore on, it got worse and worse. I ran to the bathroom twice, thinking I was going to barf but (yay) I didn't.

About 3 in the afternoon I couldn't stand it anymore. I got out my last tablet. In my reading on the internet, and in the prescription literature, it says not to cut them in half, but doesn't say why. I did a search and tried to find out reasons, but could not.

So I cut my 100 mg dose in half, took half, wrapped the other half in foil and went to bed. Two hours later when I woke up, the headache was gone... and get this... I didn't get the sweaty side effects! I don't know if the euphoria/surreal thing hit me since I was asleep, but I don't have that weird and washed out feeling I usually get after taking it.

So if my headache comes back, I'll take the other half and hope for the best.

So do me a favor and search, will you? Maybe you're better at it than I am. Why does the literature say not to cut the pill in half? And I'm guessing here that perhaps the full dose is too much for me?

Meanwhile, send good thoughts to the postal service. I want my medication in time for next month's attack of the hormones.