Midrin is somewhat similar to Fioricet, includining a pain reliever (acetaminophen), a depressant to help relax you and help with the emotional element of the pain, and a stimulant for affecting the blood vessels like caffiene does.
Butalbital is just the depressant part only. Would that be Rx'd by by itself? I don't see how that would be effective by itself, and with extended use could be habit forming.
One of the most difficult issues in dealing with headaches comes with correctly utilizing appropriate terminology!
Most of us here and on the Headache MessageBoard (of course) understand that there are vastly different types of headaches. People who don't spend the tragic amount of time required to appropriately study headaches (or, worse yet, suffering from them) often misuse the term 'migraine'. 'Migraine' headaches are specific types of headaches that differ in sources and symptoms from 'tension-type' headaches. So, I get worried when products use the term 'migraine' in their name!
The public--when not educated on this subject--tends to use the term 'migraine' to simply mean "a bad, bad headache that really hurts".
While there are always certain exceptions and possibilities, we generally deal with these two types of headaches: muscle-tension headaches and true 'migraine' headaches. I'd also be negligent not mentioning sinus headaches that can be just as incapacitating as the other headaches!
The best place to get all of these things straight? You guessed it! Go to the Headache disucssion board. Experience is certainly a Superior Teacher, and there are a great many posts in that section dealing with almost any kind of headache. Just for the record, I had tremendous success with Stadol Nasal Spray back when I had Migraine Headaches. There has been a great deal of bad press about Stadol (butorphanol) because people have abused it like anything else that gets misused. Fortunately, I rarely get true migraines any longer. However, I use Fioricet and Fioricet w/Codeine for my muscle tension headaches--with great success. I'm fortunate that I do not suffer from the sinister pain inflicted by sinus headaches! Since there are so many reasons for headaches, don't ever take a headache lightly!
Hey Jon: Just a quick question re: migraines. I suffered from migraines years ago when I was in my early 20's and at that time there were not a lot of meds out there specifically for migraines. The doctor would just give me pain killers and I would go into my bedroom, shut the door and pull the shades, put a cold cloth on my forehead and hope for a couple of hours of sleep.
I now am at that lovely stage of life that every woman dreads and I am getting hormonal migraines. My GYN prscribed Imitrex, and by the Grace of God, it helps. Is this the brand name for Fioricet? or is it something different.
[QUOTE=cmpgirl;3482531]My GYN prscribed Imitrex, and by the Grace of God, it helps. Is this the brand name for Fioricet? or is it something different.
Imitrex is completely different. It contains Sumatriptan Succinate and I do not really know much about this medication except that it works well for people that have migraines. Thankfully I have never had a migraine headache although I have had sinus headaches which hurt lik he**.
Brian is absolutely correct! Fioricet has Butalbital (a barbituate, by the way), Tylenol (APAP), and Caffeine. The Imitrex contains a type of medication called a "triptan". Imitrex has Sumatriptan Succinate, which is available in several preparations. You can get it in the form of a shot, tablets, and--at one time, at least--a nasal spray preparation.
Cmpgirl, I'm glad this works for you. It is not an opiate/opioid. It does not contain a barbituate like Fioricet does--which can be "habit-forming". Frankly, my opinion on this whole "habit-forming" thing is that it really doesn't matter if it is habit-forming if it gets rid of a hellacious headache. My point of view probably strays from others on this issue. Don't get me wrong. I don't want people misusing the medications we pain people work so hard to just have legitimately Rx'd to us. But, when I'm in pain that's pushing me into oblivion...I really don't care about the "habit-forming" part of it. OK...I guess I'll step off of my soap box (this particular one) for now!
I to suffered migraines in my 20's & early 30's, I have a couple sisters & my father who suffered them also, as did my neice, my doctor said at that time anyway they could be genetically linked. When I would get one it would last almost a month at a time. I would get the auras, vomiting & the whole package, light & noise really bothered me. I swear at that time I tried everything on the market. Including an antidepressant they were experiamenting with & a BP med which dropped my BP to low. Ended up in the hospital with them a couple times with the doctors trying to "dissolve" them.
Any way I was on midrin which worked for a while, & the Imatrex nasal spray which at times worked, fioricet caused rebound headaches. I feel sorry for anyone who suffers them, they should not even be called headache, they are torture. Caffiene would help me at times. ONce you suffer a migraine you live in fear of getting one, I used to say that they were worse then child birth. I was always told to catch them during the auro stage if you can in order to prevent them from becoming full blown. No pain meds helped me. The last one I had gave me stroke like symptoms & I pray never to suffer another one. There were two know meds out at the time & they worked better, I wish I could remember the names, one souned like Maltex & can't remember the other, but anyone who suffers with these has my sympathy. I used to put lavender oil on my pillow to help me relax. Sounds corny but I swear it helped. Good luck, Sammy
