Comments on: Demerol for Migraine in the Emergency room

By: Kitty

Kitty — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:19:37 +0000

I have had migraines for 30 years, been to all kinds of neuroligists, even The Midwest Neurological Institute where I had 3 neurologists at the same time. We figured out that my trigger is the weather. Mainly low pressure systems or extreme quick weather changes, also a 25-45 degree change in the weather which happens in the spring and fall seasons more than any other. I have been through sleep studies(I have sleep apnea but the machine made no diffrence in my migraines), have had botox injections, as as the institute concluded, “I’ve had everything in the closet for migraines.” I was in the health field so I know the different drugs that can be used and have tried everything even in the ER. By the way, you should only go to one ER for your migraines so they get to know you, your specific problems, and what does and does not work. Then, you won’t be judged quickly as a “drug seeker”. Docs cannot really tell if a person does have a headache/migraine and for a while, people went to the ER to get Demerol for the “high.” I did check out the residual effects the doctors are claiming now that Demerol has but the other pain meds have the same if not worse effects in the information I have found. Again, that is just me and I am not a doctor. I have had a liver problem before so I do research meds often for new studies. I am allergic to Morphine, thank God I was in the hospital when I got the injection. My allergies include DHE45, this so called new migraine med, made me VERY ill. I am allergic to Codiene, Newbain, Tordol, Vicodin, and Diloded. I have a verbal pain contract with the hospital since I do have to go a couple of time a month to get migraines broke that I cannot at home. I was getting Stadol, along with a large dose of Benedryl because of the side effects it gave me. The doctor that owns the company that contracts for the ER, I am on a first name basis with, came into my room the last time I was there and we discussed everything that I have had, so now I am back to Demerol with Phernagan(sp?) for nausea, and it also has a good side effect that for some reason does help migraines without boosting the effect of Demerol. Through my many different trials of meds, I am to be on pain killers and muscle relaxers daily. I do not take them daily anymore though, it is to hard on your organs and you build up such a tolorance to any kind of pain meds that when you do go to the ER, sometimes it does not help. I have transformed migraines, which basically means I have a head ache every day and if I get over stimulated wether it be positive or negative, it can turn into a migraine. On the onset of a migraine, I do take the pain pills, muscle relaxers, and one sinus pill(ask your doc about the sinus pill first!). I learned of the sinus pill from the Mayo Clinic when my sister went there.
I live in Missouri and as the old saying goes, “If you don’t like the weather here, wait 15 minutes and it will change.” Germany has studied weather associated with migraines for 60 years and the EDA and docs in North America are finally taking notice that it is very much a problem for some, this is why journaling migraines is important. Write down little notes about the time of day, everything you ingested that day and the day before, what you were doing when it came on, where you were at the time of onset, and the weather.
Anyway Demerol, not used often,such as a couple of times a month as I do, we have found is much more productive and less harmful to my system.
Talk to your ER doc, most of them will tell you that they don’t use it in the ER. For someone that is basically allergic to everything but Demerol, then Demerol is used.
I also save my discharge papers, and I ask the nurse or doctor I want what they gave me and the amounts hand written on them because I do save them. Also, keep them in one place that way if you need to go to the hospital and need something different, you have proof in hand that you have tried what they wanted you to, and you can tell them why you need something else.
Good Luck!

By: Tara

Tara — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:47:08 +0000

In Canada, I have had maxeran with 2 ibprofren and 2 tylenol(please i could do this at home!) the maxeran made me very sick. I have had a migraine now for 4 days. Tylenol 3 and extra strenght liquid motrin not workng-made me very itchy-i threw up the $20 imitrix, i just tried eating now to see if that helps and having some coke-these are menstrual migraines…i feel like i have been shot in the head-i feel suicidal from the pain. I am reluctant to go to ER because it has never helped in the past. I am thinking demerol may help…again don’t know if they will give it to me at ER…they treat you like a drug addict-I really don’t think i can stand to wait 4-5 hours in the ER and not get any demerol…i will hopefully hang in there until tomorrow and maybe I can get in to my doctor and get some demerol…I cannot take this anymore…why isn’t there more help for people with this disablling condition?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:57:52 +0000

Here where I live in Canada when I go to the ER the usually give me IV Maxeran and if that doesn’t work then they follow that with IV Stemetil. Both need to be run at a very slow drip rate to avoid side effects but usually the Maxeran is most effective. Occasionally they will run it a second time if needed.They also have a protical for migraine sufferers. Usually within 15 Min after you arrive in the ER you are hooked up to the IV – you may have to go back out to the waiting area with it but atleast your getting treated.

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:49:37 +0000

I went to our hospital’s urgent care two days ago with a horrible migraine. The PA offered me Dilaudid. I told her that the last time I was in the hospital for migraines, they gave me Dilaudid, and it made my headache much worse. She said she would check on what else they could use. After awhile, a man came in to give me shots–”pain medicine,” Zofran (for nausea), and Toredol (helps boost the pain medicine). The nausea subsided. The headache, oddly enough, moved from my left eye to my right, and only went from a 9 to an 8. When I got my discharge papers (from yet a third person), I asked what pain medicine I had received. They gave me Dilaudid. I ended up being out another day from work because it didn’t kill the headache. Isn’t that kind of malpractice, to give someone a drug they specified did not work for them?

By: Sheila

Sheila — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:32:04 +0000

I was just in the ER on Friday and the hospital I usually go to in Overland Park, KS does not give Demoral, Toroidal, Stadol, or any of the usual pain meds anymore. They are now giving just Compazine with benadryl. I was a skeptic at first but after suffering with a migraine for many days i was willing to try anything and it worked.

By: felicia

felicia — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:34:45 +0000

I’ve used Demerol 100mg IM injections for migraine for 5 years now. Originally I would go to the ER, but once our insurance changed and they deemed a visit to ER as only ‘not breathing’ or ‘bleeding to death’ as the only qualifiying events, my physician and I had to come to new delivery system. The injections are carpuject and you simply use an injector to give shot. I personally was allowed up to 30 injections per month. I have a headache everyday… just never know if it will go down path of migraine or chronic daily headache. The Demerol is used for only HA of 7 or above; migraine specific. I also take Depakote ER, Topamax (400mg daily), propranolol 80mg. Zomig 5 mg is my rescue med however due to crappy insurance. (H). I’m only 3 tablets per MONTH. that’s right, 3 in 31 days. so, my Demerol becomes rescue. I always try to get rid of HA by using 3 ASA and 1 APAP to start. Sometimes it works… my quality of life sucks, i’ve missed a great deal of my children’s life due to try and sleep off a headache. Wish the manufacturers and Doc’s thought about that sometime… I can no longer work a full-time job, and i drive seldom. I’m lucky to get 10 shots now a month. This allows me to work thru some headaches and determine which ones are just not tolerable. I want my life, just not like this! Keep Demerol available for those of us who truly benefit from it and get it from a licensed practioner. Getting it from a pharmacy makes me feel like a criminal, they treat you like less of a person, at least it’s not Oxy and i keep it all for me! let those judging eyes burn a hole in someone else!
good luck to all of us who suffer. God loves us more than anyone!

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:08:44 +0000

I had Dilaudid the last time I was in the hospital. It made my headache much WORSE, and I couldn’t get anyone to pay attention to give me something else instead. When I was finally released, I asked my neurologist (who wasn’t on call that weekend) to note in my chart not to give me Dilaudid anymore. It’s bad enough to end up in the hospital, but then to have to stay there in pain is just unbelievable.

By: Syphera

Syphera — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:56:39 +0000

I have migraines for 29 yrs and I’ve tried meds from anti-depressants to anti pshcotics. I have migraines at least 5-7 times a month and the only thing I take at this point is Vicodin. I have a “pain contract” with the hospital, I can go twice a month for shots for my migraines. Found out I’m allergic to most everything they have. I was in the medical field until I had to go on SSDisability at 41, for migraines. The “cocktail” they give me now is Stadol, Promethazine(generic Phenagrin), and Benadryl. The benadryl is for the side affect of the Stadol. Demerol worked tons better for me than anything. I had a migraine for 31 days, so the docs said. I just tried Dilaudid and had an allergic reaction to it while in the ER.
Sometimes it’s ok to fall back on the old meds, Demerol made me sleep after nights of staying up, never a “hangover” but then the day after I get a shot, I take it very easy. The reason the ERs quit giving Demerol is because if they don’t know you, they can’t tell you have a migraine and allot of people went to get a “high”, messing it up for people like me. Also, if something else is causing your migraine, they like to use Demerol as a first med for surgery. The anestologists are the ones that did the study on residual meds in the system, which are the ones who use it the most. As far as the residual affect, lots of clear fluids can clean Demerol out of your system just as quick as any other pain med, usually 72-84 hrs. So now I’m stuck getting a drug that I have a reaction to and I even need benadryl a couple of days after I get the shot. I’m ready to go to the pain clinic(again) and see if I am a candiate for the electronic stimulation implant. I’ve missed to much of my life due to all of these doctor’s wanting to try different things on me, toxifing my body. I’ve even had surgery, and that didn’t work. Botox just made me look younger, which was a good side affect, but didn’t do anything for my head. I’m at the end of the road basically, if anyone has heard of anything other then prescription or over the counter meds, I would love hear about it.
Just my situation!

By: Christine

Christine — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:50:54 +0000

Just a word about Compazine — some people (turns out I am one) have a *horrible* reaction to Compazine called akathesia. It is defined as “an almost indescribable sense of terror and doom” along with intense restlessness and discomfort. Some people are mis-diagnosed as being psychotic when they come into the ER that way, thank goodness the nurses recognized that my reaction was a result of the Compazine they had given me. I have no idea whether all anti-emetics cause this reaction, but it was the most horrible experience of my life. So I would ask specifically about the properties of the various choices.

By: Bill Wray

Bill Wray — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:44:33 +0000

Demerol doesn’t last long, it also makes a lot of people itch. If you have a REAL Pain Issue here is the BEST Believe me I know pain medicine since I had a cervical fusion in 2000 and as we speak have a prescription for Injectable Pain medicine. Dilaudid is simply the best, taken with Phenergan it s one of the best.I take Nubain everyday, Nubain and phenergan are used in a lot of ER’s for Migraines. Morphine works for some but Morphine usually doesn’t work for SEVERE pain. Any pian Medicine Works better with an Anti Emetic, Like Phenergan,Compazine,Tigan,Vistiril,Personally I like Phenergan best and it is getting hard to get in an ER because, A Woman lost her Arm from some IDIOT giving it to her Un-diluted. If you have severe pain do research on what works best for you, Example, Nubain is NOT a Controlled substance in most states,it doesn’t make you high or loaded like Dilaudid or Demerol. I done research and took it to my Personal DR. I told him it had reallt helped me, He came back into the room and ask if Ineeded syringes. It has almost eliminated my trips to the ER, I feel so fortunate to finally having an MD listen to me and help.