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Anyone use Rizatriptan?


Jara
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I was recently prescribed Rizatriptan 6 months ago. A 10mg pill will abort a CH attack about a half hour after onset. Has anyone else used this medication, and if so, can you share some ideas and experiences with me please.

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Hey Jara, maybe it’s me, but 30 minutes still seems like a long time. Have you ever tried o2? Stuff saved my life, literally. I just got back after being in remission and pf for a few years, but I never ever got rid of my two oxygen tanks. I can usually abort in 15 minutes tops, and when I start the o2 it stops the pain right where it’s at. It might hang for a bit before it dies but it doesn’t get bigger once the oxygen mask goes on. Anyways maybe look into it. I tried sumatriptan for a while. Pills, then the nasal inhaler, finally the injector. I had crazy side effects like skin peeling and a tight chest. Oxygen for the win in my book. 

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[Edit: I was writing this when Capt. K' posted his/her response, which really says it all.]

I have four things to say about this, none of which is directly responsive to your question:

1. Rizatriptan (Maxalt) is not really a CH medicine. I think some people have had relief from CH with this drug, but it isn't first line. Here's what the Mayo Clinic says about rizatriptan: "Rizatriptan is used to treat acute migraine headaches in adults and children 6 years of age and older. It is not used to prevent migraine headaches and is not used for cluster headaches." From another source: "Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT are not approved for the treatment or prevention of cluster headaches." There might be a reason you were given this instead of triptans that are more effective for CH.

2. When you say that a 10mg pill will abort a CH attack within 30 minutes, I assume you are describing your experience.  For a pill, that's pretty good, 30 minutes, but it's not nearly as good as oxygen or even other kinds of triptans.

3. If you are aborting attacks frequently with triptans, it will put you at risk of triptan overuse headaches and a bunch of other side effects. Not recommended.

4. In general, the best way to find out what others' experience has been with something (a medication, in this case) is to type it into the search bar at the top right of the page. That gives you more posts to look at than the number of responses you are likely to get from a single post.  I'm not saying don't ask questions, just saying that in a case like this you will probably get more info from the search function.

Edited by CHfather
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Thank you very much CHFather. I had no idea Rizatriptan was NOT for CH's. Appreciate the reply. I figured if I keep using the Rizatriptan, it will lead to being desensitized to it and cause other issues. I was dosing with schrooms, but they haven't had any effects for me or relief from the CH. I'm thinking that maybe the Rizatriptan is somehow blocking the schroomies from being effective! Think it's time to go back to the doctor! Thanks again.

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Hi Jara! If you go to the Clusterbuster Files, you will find a link titled Playing Well with Others. That will give you a list medications known or suspected as blockers of MM. Triptans are all in there as blockers. so, yes, you have to stay away from it for 5 days prior to busting. 

Verapamil is also listed there, but we have found that a person taking a low dose, say up to 320mg/day can still bust successfully. If you wish to pursue that bit, then please put it in the private boards: Share your busting stories or Theory and Implementation. 

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Hi Jara, I was given rizatriptan wafers years ago, before I got a proper diagnosis. I know it's a migraine medicine but it was the first thing anyone gave me that did any good, I thought they were lifesavers that they could abort in 30mins given my attacks would go for a few hours. But there's a couple of attacks it didn't get, and it always left me feeling a bit foggy and sore. Once I tried oxygen I never went back to them - it's a gamechanger. I carry them as an emergency as I'm a bit nervous of the injections.

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These Clusters are a weird animal, what works for some don’t work for others. For example, Immitrex does not work for me as a matter of fact it makes the hit worse. Zomig nasal spray is by the best abortive med I have ever used. The problem is it gives me rebound headaches. Next best is Zomig ZMT. Maxalt MLT only works some of the time. The key is taking these as soon as you get any sign of a hit. 
I have talked about the rabbit hole that triptans lead me into, at one time I was going through 72 Zomig in 3 months getting hits 3 to 5 days a week. Things just kept getting worse with the triptans. I was at the end of my rope when I found this site and you guys saved my life. Now days I only use triptans when on vacation so that I do not ruin the trip for my wife. After the vacation I have to quit triptans cold turkey and take the hits until they stop. O2 helps.

If it works for you use it, just keep in mind that it may make things way worse. Keep notes.

Sorry for the run on reply.

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I second the idea of keeping notes. I think at this point most of us have a routine. Half full of crazy strangeness and the other half honest citizen science. Whatever works for you works for you.

My go to is the o2.

After that I’ve tried most stuff. Some works, some doesn’t, but that seems mostly individual. I’ve yet to hear of oxygen not working for someone. Not to beat a dead horse, but I’ve gladly paid for oxygen out of pocket. My insurance doesn’t cover it. But it’s super worth it in my book. 

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11 hours ago, Jara said:

Capt.Crispy:. I have not tried the O2 yet, but will be getting a tank of it soon from the doc. 30 minutes is way too long to wait for relief. Thanks for the info. 

yup OXYGEN! 5-8 mins typical abort with an energy drink/heavy caffeine dose "helper". i second the life changer comments.....30 mins is a brutal long time, especially for multi hit days.  Zomig nasal spray as last resort abort only...i preferred to ride out the occasional hit(s) when O2 didn't work rather than risk the rebounds from oversue of triptans. 

....read the oxygen use files here...important to do it right from the start so you do not get discouraged and figure the very saddest and frequently incorrect phrase in clusterville "O2 doesn't work for me". the basics are: 12-15 lpm flow, a non-rebreather mask, proper technique (hyperventilation reported as most successful, breathe and hold or slow breath worth trying), starting IMMEDIATELY when a hit felt and staying on for 5-10 min after abort, an energy drink/caffeine on way to tank. i kept e tanks at work and in car, m-60 at home. don't let them give you a concentrator...

Basic non-busting information - ClusterBuster Files - ClusterBusters

 

10. - OXYGEN INFORMATION - ClusterBuster Files - ClusterBusters

 

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2 hours ago, Cpt. Krispy said:

What’s a kinetic type personality?

I saw an article aboyt navy seals. Admin said they called em in and knew things would happen because navy seals had kinetic personalities. They like to bliw stuff up, get in and do....

I laughed because a loong time ago? Sone ppl thot i was super great. When i asked for an explanation? I got a long story abt how most female rookies wont *DO* anything, very passive.... t.o."d have to say. Did u see that car bust the red light? She'd go...yes.. T.o.'d say do u want to go give him a ticket and shed say okay... hed say, then maybe u cld put ur lights and siren on & go after em? Look both ways before u go... and then she wld go slo. I got told i was different from all the other women. ( i thot - this is just another version of comin on to me).  But they'd discussed it and felt i didn't need t.o.s any longer- because i wld just - go and do.

And that general guy? He kinda nailed it when he laughingly spoke abt navy seals having a kinetic personality because they liked to just go and do.

See? 

I think it was wash po or nyt last week, maybe up to 2 wks back? Maybe politico or NYT news, or usa today. Love wash po cause they came out w rpt that was pulitzer prize of century - right before the world got rocked w covid.  Like usa today cause after i got back from.. sigh... ♡♡Lexington, Kentuck? I was in Cheyenne & saw usa today w headline abt kentuck att gen refusing to honor cases of h sec chasing narcotraficantes from Obama's open mex border w cell ph warrants... to Lex.  Read it & it helped fill in sone blank spots along w articles i read abt texas racing scion... and more along that line... altho that was up to nw illinois - my ol stompin grnds ;) i just see stuff, hear stuff, read stuff. And i just go and do. Most ppl never understand me. Sigh.~~   the stories i cld tell u abt N Illinois! And hallucinogens!!  LoL LoL 

So. Kinetic personalities - they like to just Go and Do...!!!! Made petfect sense to me. I cld try to find it... 

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