Imitrex for Migraine User Reviews (Page 4)

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 8, 2019

"I had a horrible reaction to Imitrex, due to a possible drug interaction with Wellbutrin. I had gone to the E.R., worried that I might have been having a stroke. It was clearly stated in my chart that I was on Wellbutrin, but they prescribed Imitrex for me at the E.R. anyway, after presenting with what they concluded to be a complex migraine. I took an Imitrex pill when I got home, and almost immediately after taking it, I experienced the most horrendous and oppressive, burning headache. It felt like the most painful and unbearable sinus headache I had ever experienced. So, I didn't try to take Imitrex again. Then, at my follow-up visit with my doctor, he asked me how the Imitrex was working, and I told him that I couldn't take it because it actually gave me a worse headache than I had started with. He said, 'Oh yeah, Imitrex is known to have a negative interaction with some antidepressants, like Wellbutrin. I wish someone had noticed that when they prescribed it to me."

• Kim...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 25, 2017

"I have been using Imitrex 5 mg injections for several years as an emergency migraine abortive. While it did instantly relieve the head pain and nausea, I had to then wait out 30-45 minutes of side effects. Those side effects were: upper jaw pain and overall body aches (like when you have the flu), such as super sensitive skin, even my hair hurt. But for a long time, this was the only option available to me through insurance, and the side effects were more bearable than the migraine. But recently the injection stopped working, and I ended up having to go to the ER. Now I have been given Zomig nasal spray. I have not had a reason to try it yet, but I am worried about side effects."

• ste...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 12, 2017

"I avoid taking Imitrex if I can because I experience so many side effects from it. I get jaw and shoulder pain/stiffness, pain in the back of my neck and scalp, headaches, drowsiness, and I just generally feel weird and awful after taking it. After 2 hours or so, my migraine goes away and the awful-ness of the Imitrex lessens, so that is why I do take it occasionally. Every time I take it, I'm reminded of how badly I need to find something else."

• Gla...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 22, 2017

"Lifesaver! This med has helped give me my life back. I occasionally had 3 days of lights off, ice pack, cool and quiet bedroom time for the pain, often to the point of vomiting. I've been on it for years and take the injections with warm and tingly side effects, but completely worth it. I crash for an hour with an ice pack, and when I get up, I feel fantastic. Love ❤"

• uns...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2013

"Before Imitrex, I had migraines that would last 2 days. I finally went to emergency to get a shot of Demerol, and then sometimes it would not work. I would be right there with my bowl and sunglasses on, waiting my turn. I was put on Imitrex when it first came out, and the long-term effect was not for sure on people. Anything is better than a migraine headache. I started taking the shots, and at first, it made me feel a little funny for the first 2 minutes, then it cleared up, and within 15 minutes, my migraine was gone. After using it for a while, I developed an immunity to it. I then had to use 2 shots. My doctor at the time had me stop using it. It was a great medication for migraines back then."

• Lau...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 13, 2017

"Started having debilitating (not able to take my head from under the pillow and nausea/vomiting) migraines after having my daughter. I get about 4-6 a month, most of them are menstrual migraines, but I was lucky to find Imitrex soon after I started having migraines. I used to take injectable or nasal spray, but have been on 10 mg tabs for a few years now. Nothing else but Imitrex works, and it works for me every time. I am not a fan of the side effects at all, which are muscle tension, mostly in the jaw and neck, as well as feeling drained for several hours after. I will take it over the horrible migraines any day though."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 8, 2013

"I have been on Imitrex for years now, and when my migraine starts, Imitrex takes care of it. Only a couple of times, I had to take the second pill. I'm on 100 mg, as for side effects, I have not had any. My doctor has me on Topamax to help control them, and I keep my Imitrex with me when I need it."

• Anonymous
• December 27, 2010

"The magic migraine medicine! I'm 47 years old and have suffered from moderately severe migraines since I was 11. The list of different drugs I've taken over the years is too long to recite, and the only other drug that has been effective in any way is Fioricet/Fiorinal, but I develop a tolerance to Fiorinal. I was skeptical when I first tried Imitrex, but have become a believer! I have taken both nasal spray and tablets, and both work quickly and thoroughly with NO SIDE EFFECTS. Truly the magic, miracle migraine medicine, for which I am sincerely grateful."

• ply...
• March 24, 2008

"This medication is by far the best migraine medicine that I have used. The only thing that works better is a trip to the ER, and then you have to suffer for hours and hours waiting on the doctor and have an extremely high bill. Imitrex always works for me."

• lif...
• April 29, 2008

"The first few years I was prescribed Imitrex, I thought it was a miracle drug. Now, after ten years, I find that I need to add Excedrin Migraine with it, and I still have residual pain. Still...it sure beats a full-blown migraine."

• Hea...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 6, 2020

"I've been taking Imitrex for over 20 years. My migraines began during my first pregnancy but then continued. At my worst, I was having at least one migraine a week. My experience is that within 30 minutes to an hour, I am relieved IF I eat after taking. I get sleepy most times, and my neck gets very heavy. Sometimes my whole body feels heavy, but that goes away as soon as the relief begins."

• H S...
• June 1, 2016

"My migraine headache started when I was 16 or 17 years old. Now, I am 53 years old. I have migraine headaches about once a week unless I am on vacation. Usually, I have them on Monday afternoons because it's the first day of work, and I think my eyes get tired or maybe I have more stress. But, I can get migraines for a number of reasons. Last night, for the first time, I used Imitrex. I had awful feelings. I cannot describe them, but after a couple of hours, my migraine was gone. I got very sleepy, but it felt very good. The best part is that the next day I had no headache either. Because my headaches usually take 2 days to go away. I hope that it works next week as well."

• Anonymous
• December 31, 2010

"I am 51 and have suffered with migraines since about age 20; didn't get Imitrex until my early 30s. It has saved my life; without it, I was worthless for a day. Fortunately, I can cut 100 mg into 3, and it works for me. I would lay down for 20 minutes, and the headache was gone. Recently, I have had to use the generic and didn't think anything of it, and have found I need to take 100 mg, and now I get side effects I didn't have before. Just the weird feelings from vasodilation in my chest and sometimes my legs. Sometimes the 100 mg doesn't take it completely away. I am a nurse and will look for another alternative because I would have to pay $600 for 3 boxes out of pocket if I want the brand."

• smt...
• January 12, 2016

"I'm only 16, and I was prescribed it at 15 and told only to take it when my migraines were unbearable. Every time I have taken it, I usually get a really sick feeling, such as hot flashes, weakness, nausea, and dizziness. There's always a feeling that my brain is being frozen over from where the migraine mostly is. But I always take it and go straight to sleep, except for last night. I stayed up, and I was seeing and hearing things that weren't there. I couldn't do simple tasks, I forgot where my room was after my boyfriend told me to drink some water. I cried over everything, I was scared of everything. Staying awake for me was horrifying."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2016

"I only take the lowest dose of this drug, though I'm sure it's time to upgrade to the higher dose. But even with the lower dose, I am totally relieved, all the aching head stuff, all the swimming nausea, gone, it's like total relief! Now, this took some time, didn't work the first few times, but then when I put faith in it and finally it did, boy, did it!"

• Anonymous
• March 27, 2012

"My first experience with Imitrex was taking it at work... Well, that was not a good idea! I started to feel the migraine coming on, so I took it at the first symptoms like I was told and went about my day. I'm a technician for an ophthalmologist, and I started to get a hot flash. I stood up, and my arms and legs went totally numb. Since I'm on Topamax too, I expect a little tingle, but this was a RUSH. All this aside, about 30 minutes later, most of my heavy-duty migraine symptoms were thwarted. Not gone, but a lot better. I feel they would have been much better if I had been able to lie down rather than been on my feet working. I also still had a pretty decent headache and photophobia the rest of the day."

• Anonymous
• November 8, 2011

"Imitrex took away my migraine, but I could not function on it. I had to lay down completely still and go to sleep because it made me so nauseous I felt like vomiting every time I moved. I was extremely dizzy, and it made my skin painful to the touch. Even after the migraine went away, I still felt out of it the rest of the day. I would definitely ask for samples before paying for the prescription!"

• Anonymous
• November 19, 2009

"My doctor gave me a sample of Imitrex when it first came out. It was a miracle drug for me. Up to that time, nothing I took helped the headaches I got. I've used it since. Over time, my headaches have gotten less - maybe with age? But I keep it with me all the time just in case. I don't leave home without it!"

• Anonymous
• August 4, 2010

"It keeps my migraines from blowing out into severe migraines, but it takes close to an hour to kick in, and when it does, I feel extremely sick, very fatigued for two hours after. Then I have just a mild headache, but I feel like I have a hangover and become forgetful and weak. It is definitely a trade-off, but as severe as my migraine can get, I'll take this until I find another type of medication."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2018

"This was the first time I took it, got a migraine 2 days in a row after getting auras, worked for me, I still had pain but very, very minimal compared to the past. I haven't had a migraine in 19 months before this."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 6, 2012

"Imitrex works for me even if I let it get to the really bad headache--hate to take it because of the tightness in my chest and achy throat afterwards. But they do the job, and I always say later I should have taken it in the beginning."

• Anonymous
• April 14, 2010

"I'm 59 years old and have experienced migraines since age 5. Imitrex is the best drug I've used. I take 100 mg at the first sign, and it prevents it 80% of the time. If taken after the headache starts, it stops the pain within 1 hour and much faster if I lay down. Yes, there are mild side effects-drowsiness, sensitivity to hot and cold, but it sure is better than a headache."

• Cri...
• January 5, 2010

"Imitrex makes me more nauseous than I am with just the headache. My neck and shoulders get very stiff, and it takes more than an hour to feel any relief. As others have said, however, if I am able to take this medicine and lie down, it does wonders. Life just isn't that practical, though, so I can't use it anymore."

• SFG...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 17, 2024

"I've been using Imitrex for 30 years. I started with the injectable and then changed to the pill when it was released. It has been a lifesaver. It does give me soreness in my legs as a side effect, but that is much better than the pain and other symptoms with the migraine. I'm a Nurse Practitioner, and I only take it as prescribed by my healthcare provider, and I'm not worried about reactions. All drugs have risks, Imitrex has a low-risk profile, and your own medical history should always be taken into consideration."

• HRo...
• November 7, 2017

"I have used Fiorinal for years and had no problems, however, my migraines have gotten worse over the last few months. I took a 100 mg Imitrex yesterday, and the side effects were terrible. My neck, head, throat, and shoulders all became tight and felt as though I was 'high,' per se. I finally had to go up to bed and calm myself. I slept for 5 hours and woke up feeling groggy. If I need to take it again, I will break it in half. It was a scary feeling. They only gave me 6 pills, thank goodness. I will stick with the Fiorinal and a cup of coffee."