There are many medications used as migraine prevention medication, meaning that they have to be taken every day, whether your head is in pain or not. You cannot take a migraine prevention treatment once a migraine sets in. You have to take other medicine for that. One of the most popular migraine prevention medications is Imitrex (sumatriptan) made by GlaxoSmithKline.
Only Part Of Overall Treatment
There is no magic pill for migraines or cluster headaches (they are different, but often treated with the same medications). Dont expect to ever just take any migraine prevention medication and you will never have a migraine again. Sorry cluster headache and migraine treatment is just not that simple.
Imitrex or any other migraine prevention medications are only just one part of an overall plan. Yu have to play even more of an active role than your doctor or neurologist. You need to keep a headache journal. You need to note if your body send you any migraine warning signs like auras or pressure on one part of your head. If you are a woman and menstruation, you need to know if you get a migraine along with PMS. All of this will help you live a less painful life.
Taking Imitrex
Unlike many other migraine prevention medications that doctors and neurologists prescribe, Imitrex has always been a migraine medication. You can get it in three forms, as a pill, injectable needles or as a nasal spray. The nasal spray is considered the fastest means for the body to absorb the medication. You must wait two hours in between doses if you get a migraine. Generally, more is NOT better with Imitrex.
Imitrex has many serious side effects for some people who take it as a migraine prevention medication. You need to call your doctor or an ambulance immediately if you get chest pains, convulsions, massive confusion, dizziness or if one side of your body goes numb or tingles.
Painful Cost
The pills are just a little cheaper than the nasal spray or injectable needles. Still, at the time of this writing, about nine Imitrx pills cost over $100 (US). You must check with your health insurance company to see if they will cover Imitrex, or at least cover part of the cost. You can also check with GlaxoSmithKline to see if you qualify for a free to low cost prescription plan they offer. A generic version is supposed to come out by December 2008.
