Jan

19

Migraine and Imitrex - My Scary True Story!

Filed Under Migraines 

My name is Geri and this is a story everyone needs to hear.

Migraines come suddenly, I rarely have more than a fifteen minute window when my partial blindness alerts me to the wave of pain that is coming.  Before I had children I took over the counter drugs with little or no effect.  I remember one migraine was so painful I told myself at that time that I could never have kids because if the house was on fire I would not be able to get them out with that much pain pinning me to the bed and only able to make out the outlines of everything around me.

 I did of course have my wonderful boys later, and I live aware that if a migraine cannot be contained I may have to call someone to help me or if I’m driving pull over and wait for my sight to return.  I carried Imitrex with me for eight months before I had to use it.  I was at Chuckee Cheeses with my husband and kids when the flashing lights from the games disappeared and the laughter from kids turned into ringing in my ears.  These are my tell tale migraine alerts and I ran to the car and took the Imitrex immediately.  It worked great, minimized pain, no nausea and my sight came back within half an hour.

 The next afternoon at home I was surprised by another attack of blindness, my entire right eye went dark and my left was more shadows then light.  I took another Imitrex immediately as directed, hoping for the same results I had had the day before.  I knew within a few minutes this migraine would be very bad and called my sister in law to come watch the kids.

 The pain was escalating more quickly then I had ever experienced, the blindness was unrelenting and I began vomiting but there was something new that I had never experienced with my migraines.  I was beginning to feel pain in my chest, shakiness all over, and hallucinations.  My sister in law called my mom as it was becoming evident I would need more help.  My mom nursed me through hours of what became the scariest experience of my life. 

 I spiraled into a hellish nightmare of panic and hallucinations that still seem real to me today.  By the time my husband got home from work I was curled in the fetal position, my hands tightened into fists I could not release and I was hyperventilating.  All this was secondary to the pain of the migraine which was unbearable.  Even in this no doubt pitiable state I refused to go to the doctor hanging on to the belief that it would pass.

 My mom called the pharmacist and explained what was happening.  He asked her if I was on antidepressants, which I am.  He explained that Imitrex can have this effect on persons who take serotonin reuptake inhibitors.  What I was suffering with was the fine print.  The less likely side effects of a medication prescribed to me by the same doctor who prescribed me the antidepressants.

 I still do not remember the four or five days after the incident.  A sort of eerie amnesia came over me soon after the pain began to subside.  I do not know how I spent those days recovering, if I was in pain or if I seemed normal to others, if I played with my kids or laid on the couch staring at a wall.  I wish I did, I wish I could remember but wishing won’t give me back those days or make the sharp memories of pain and fear go away. 

 But there is one wish I can make a reality, and that is sparing others from this terrifying experience.  Please do not assume that your doctor remembers what he prescribes you.  Whenever someone offers you a new prescription always remind them of every other drug you are on.  To be even safer ask your pharmacist, they know better what can and can’t be done with your medications.  Never assume that just because you pay someone allot of money that they are automatically intelligent or capable.  There is nothing a doctor knows that you cannot learn yourself from a book which means they are not gods.  They are not infallable and we should not expect them to be.   If I had taken the time to look up my medications in the book my doctor had sitting next to him I would not be missing a week of my life today.  Please take care with my regards,

Geri Rene

Comments

One Response to “Migraine and Imitrex - My Scary True Story!”

  1. K2Dreamin' on January 23rd, 2009 1:32 pm

    This is freakin scary! I have a friend who had a similar reaction but not as severe sounding at this. I would have gone to the hospital and sured the doctor! Good Luck!

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