Achieve Relief from Cluster Headache Attacks with Imitrex Injections

Because cluster headache attacks strike so quickly, many sufferers find that abortive treatments don’t work fast enough to have any real impact on the pain. However, a simple injection of Imitrex and cluster headaches can be relieved almost instantly.

How does Imitrex clear a Cluster Headache ?

Sumatriptan medications such as Imitrex reduce cluster headache pain by regulating the amount of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a naturally occurring chemical that keeps the central nervous system stable, and which often becomes imbalanced before the onset of a migraine or cluster headache.

It is essential that you discuss your condition with your doctor before you try Imitrex. Cluster headache sufferers can often experience side effects including nausea, vomiting, pins and needles, and wheezing. Certain types of migraine should not be treated with Imitrex, and cluster headaches are not always easy to diagnose. Your doctor will check that you are not experiencing hemiplegic or basilar migraines before they prescribe Imitrex.

Why does Imitrex have to be injected to treat Cluster Headaches effectively ?

Classic migraine sufferers can take tablets of Imitrex. This is not very effective for cluster headaches however because the tablets need to be ingested and take some time to relieve the pain. Taking Imitrex as an injection enables it to relieve a cluster headache more rapidly as it quickly enters the bloodstream. For those that really can’t face an injection, Imitrex nasal sprays provide an affective alternative to treat cluster headaches.

Imitrex is injected into the flesh using an autoinjector, and should not be injected into a muscle or vein. The maximum number of doses in any twenty four hour period is two, and you should always leave an hour between doses.

What is a Cluster Headache ?

Although many people suffer from some type of headache, and migraines are also very common, the majority of people can’t answer the question “what is a cluster headache?” Cluster headaches are very rare, affecting less than one in a thousand people and are usually experienced by men. Their cause is not completely understood.

So what is a cluster headache? It is an excruciatingly painful headache, lasting for a period of between five minutes and an hour, which occurs several times a day or week. A cluster headache attack peaks very quickly, with the pain reaching its height within minutes.

Episodic cluster headaches occur over a period of a few days or weeks, after which the sufferer will experience a pain free period with no attacks. Those that suffer from chronic cluster headaches, however, will experience attacks regularly with no break.

What are the Symptoms of Cluster Headaches ?

You should always consult your doctor if you think you are having cluster headaches, but here are a few of the signs you could look for:

• Agonising pain, usually centred on one eye, which peaks rapidly
• The painful eye has a droopy lid and tears
• Stuffiness in your nose
• Attacks that come on shortly after you wake up

• Attacks that occur regularly at the same time each day

Cluster Headache Treatments

The types of painkillers that can be used to treat regular headaches generally have very little impact on cluster headaches. The most effective abortive medications are sumatriptan based drugs such as Imitrex. Cluster headaches can be avoided by taking preventative treatments such as beta-blockers, by undergoing nerve stimulation therapy, or in extreme cases by having surgery to destroy the nerves that carry pain signals from the brain to the face.

Consult your doctor before you consider taking Imitrex and other drugs for cluster headaches. You want to be sure you have correctly diagnosed your condition, and that you are undergoing the most appropriate treatment for your headaches.

Author: Lisa Janse

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