[Mari]

Hello, Everyone,

How are you doing?
Do you have some plans for the weekend?

My plans are the same --- catch up on sleep and go to the gym once.

I also have to help my friend finish her unpacking.
She moved in Jan and is getting tired of her boxes.

M.

[befuddled2]

Mari, you sound like you'll be busy this weekend.

I don't have much planned except to go to church, recuperate from all I've been through, and get stuff done around my house.

befuddled2

[Pamster]

I am in misery, have a terrible migraine AGAIN, have had one for four days ever since I was forced to end abilify. No racing thoughts thank God but the withdrawel off this CRAP is HELL. My poor head, I have had to take an Imitrex a day since I didn't have any lower strength abilify to wean off it with and they wouldn't cover it saying it was not covered. I am so upset! THis is so UNFAIR! I also feel more prone to being angry, but that might be related to have a freakin' headache from HELL going on Day FOUR. I hate insurance.

I'd cry if I knew it wouldn't hurt my poor head. I see there is a lot of activity going on and I wish I could reply to everything but I can't bear to sit here at the screen too long, I hope everyone is doing better then I am. Mom is coming over today and we're going to walmart to do some shopping. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good day in spite of having to take yet a fourth Imitrex.

[Dmom3005]

Pam

Call your primary see if they have any samples of the abilify or if
they have something besides the imitrex that you can take also.

I know that you need to be taking something else too.

I am saying prayers and keeping you in my thoughts for the headaches.
Take yourself to the hospital if it doesn't get a lot better. There is
a shot that supposedly is a lot better of imitrex.

I took a friend to the hospital last night her foot is really swollen, she
has soft tissue swelling. And is on antibics. I'm worried she isn't
going to get this foot a lot better. But if she doesn't listen and take
the meds right its not my fault.

I am getting ready to take some time to myself, not sure what I'm going
to do. Tomorrow I think we will go to the gym and also swim. Me
and Derrick.

Donna

[Pamster]

I called the pharmacy and talked with the phamacist and was told this could go on for two weeks as Abilify has a long half-life or something. I can't imagine having a headache that long, but it wasn't a 8 today, it was more of a 6 and it's gone now, I hope I wake up and it's not back. I am so sick of pain in the head behind my eye. *sobs* It's killing me that I have a toothache too on top of this, it's just awful for me right now.

Jackie and I had a great day with Mom today though, and we came home and washed the car, it was awesome, the weather was bright and sunny. I HATE that we spring forward here tonight, I just hate it. It will probably trigger another headache. *sigh*

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

[Dmom3005]

Pam

The toothache, is also probably helping contribute to the headache.

Try taking some tylenol or something for the toothache tonight before
you go to bed. And if you should happen to wake up during the
night and can take more, do so. Because this should help.

I hope you feel better in the morning.

Donna

[waves]

and Beth thinks she's bad... i can't even take a freekin' BREAK!!!

Pam

I looked up your drugs (ehhh, pharmacology always grabs me... )

Yes, Abilify has a long half life (about 3 days). steady-state - and therefore clearance, would be in about 2 weeks time. THIS IS NOT BAD NEWS.

the longer the half-life of a drug, the less abrupt the discontinuation syndrome will be, if one presents.

Now. the migraine looks indeed possibly to be related to the Abilify withdrawal, as Abilify "agonizes" (not a good word here, LOL, but that's the tech term - it just means "stimulates activity at") one of the same receptors as your Imitrex. Imitrex works primarily via another receptor subtype, but still talking 5-HT (serotonin) receptors here.

a bit more on halflife. the half life of a drug means: the amount of time it takes HALF of the drug in your system to be eliminated. rule of thumb is about 5 half-lives to steady-state in regular dosing, or for total clearance with abrupt suspension like you did.

it is kind of like the puzzle about walking to a door, going half of the remaining distance each time you move. so say you have 16 feet to the door. in your first jump you will travel 8 feet. in the next jump, you will travel 4 feet... then 2, then 1... the 0.5... etc... (theoretically you never get there, but in practice, dems few molecules lefts gets trown outtt in da end!

translate to drug. Abilify. You are moving in 3-day shifts. In the first 3 days you get the biggest "drop" in blood level - down by half. in the next three days you lose half-of-what remained (so a quarter of the total)... so ... like the moving to the door, you lose less and less each time.

my point is, the WORST SHOULD BE OVER!!!!

The imitrex actually works directly by compensating in areas the Abilify was affecting. You were used to it, and since you are a migraine sufferer, while many ppl may not get them when they stop, it makes sense. But use the Imitrex only as long as you really need it.

Donna is right about the toothache augmenting the migraine because the tooth ailment is inflaming the same area (trigeminal nerve). However, if you can tolerate them, i would suggest an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen (brands Motrin or Advil). This is because Tylenol is purely analgesic - i.e. relieves pain but does not reduce inflammation.

If you do chose to use an NSAID, do so in the evening, but do be cautious... i would take it with your last substantial meal. important is to take it with food, and at LEAST one hour before lying down to avoid tummy trouble (don't need any more trouble, do we!)

If you cannot tolerate NSAIDs, Tylenol in the evening/night can still be beneficial in that less pain means also less overall stress... which can help overall.

There should not be drug interactions between these and the Abilify... i checked the Imitrex too. However i don't know what other meds you are on, so if you are unsure about using an anti-inflammatory or even Tylenol, do call the pharmacy to be safe. ok?

i would counsel against taking anything stronger than Imitrex (there is Frova if you go to hx they may give you that) but the idea is to get your brain back used to not having 5-HT-agonists running around, not to give you stronger ones.

the worst should be over though. really. and the fact that your pain level has subsided kinda confirms that, huh? i hope tomorrow you wake up with no headache!

((( hugs )))

~ waves ~ who shouldn't be here (bad bad waves!)

[waves]

Let me just wish everyone a good weekend...

Especially you Barbara, i hope you get stuff done and keep feeling much better. Mari you too, hope you can de-stress some... And Donna... swimming? Wow, i guess that means you are doing well with the post-surgical recovery. Go easy now though. Swimming will work your abs, but also distend them... should be good... therapeutic.... long as you don't take on an olympic workout, LOL!

I SHOULD GET OUTSIDE TOMORROW.

I SHOULD NOT USE "SHOULDS" but i did purposely because i keep saying i need to go outside etc and it makes no freakin diff... do i go... NOOOOOO! sigh.

right! i'm off. for ... as long as i can. i neeeeeed too beee awaaaaaaaaaaaaaay from here. arrrrrrrrggggggghhhh. (and off the 'puter in general) i did bookmark some job ads tho tonight. development tho. nothin else available. market is dead as doornail.

ok ... bye for now!



~ waves ~

[Curious]

Do you want me to log you off?



I'm going to close my eyes so I won't see if you are still here and reading this.

[waves]

ummmmmmmmm.... thanks for the offer... ehhh, not yet...

(but i may take you up on it if this keeps up.) as it is i'm up which is bad enough.

I am just observing that... since we don't spring forward till next week...

i am doing time travel with this post... whooohooo!!!
it's only 5.31 here, but the forum adjusts for my local time as though the forward had sprung....
so the post is marked 6.31 or thereabouts... but i ain't there yet!!!

hehe, i just had to do it...

(and yeah, i'm talking A.M., and yeah, i'm STILL AWAKE too. tho haven't been on forum whole time... just can't sleep arrrghhh made hot milk ... too hot... got back on internet... argghhh.

okkkkkkk.......... goingggggggggggggggggggggg!!!



~ waves ~