Since receiving a prescription last month, I’ve now had the "opportunity" to take Imitrex for two migraines. One struck while I was on vacation; I’d packed a single tablet, just in case. The most recent struck yesterday evening — unusual timing for my migraines, which usually hit me mid-morning and not generally during a menstrual period.
Verdict? I think it helped. Both times I was able to swallow the tablet within five minutes of the onset of symptoms, i.e., as soon as I realized that the speck-sized blind spot was more than just dazzle from reflected sunlight. The blind spot didn’t go away. Just like every other one, it grew into a crescent, expanded to fill half my visual field, and swiftly passed beyond the periphery, lasting a bit more than an hour. But it wasn’t followed by intense sinus pressure, crushing fatigue, and debilitating nausea. The only symptoms that remained were a significant, but non-crushing, tiredness (I needed a nap) and a residual craving for carbohydrates (a butter-and-cheese sandwich did the trick).
In other words, each time I still suffered a migraine, but one that was similar to the mildest of all the migraines I have suffered previously. It still would have prevented me from driving or operating heavy machinery, but it might have been mild enough that I wouldn’t have had to call Mark to come home from work and take over the children while I huddled in bed with the drapes drawn.
So I think I’m going to keep it around.
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