Menu

migraine nasal spray

The Top 12 Mistakes People Make With Nasal Sprays

, 2

Medication isn’t cheap.  So when you’re using a nasal spray, make sure you’re making the most of it by using it properly!

Here are the top 12 nasal spray mistakes that people make.  Learn from their mistakes!

Nasal Spray Mistakes
Photo courtesy of Kristina
  1. They don’t blow their nose first:  Don’t rush!  Gently blow your nose before using a nasal spray.  You don’t want the medication to get stuck, or just come out again.
  2. They tilt their head too much:  Sometimes it’s recommended that you tilt your head slightly forward or back, but leaning way over can make your medication less effective.  And remember, keep your head up for a while after you’ve taken the medication.
  3. They point the spray the wrong way:  The nozzle should not point toward the centre of your nose.  Point it up, and slightly out (away from the centre of the nose).
  4. They keep both nostrils open:  Close the other nostril with your other hand.  You don’t want the spray just to go out the other side.
  5. They hold their breath:  Breath in gently as you spray.  
  6. They snort:  Breath in gently, like you’re smelling a flower.  Don’t “snort” the medicine.  The spray could end up in the wrong place.
  7. They don’t clean the nozzle:  Obviously, this isn’t needed for a one-time use medication (for example a one-dose migraine spray).  But if you’re using the spray over and over, follow instructions on how to clean the nozzle.  Otherwise tiny bugs will soon have large families, and they’ll vacation in your nose.
  8. They blow their nose afterwards:  Yes, some people really do.  Don’t!  Give the medication a little time before you blow your nose again.
  9. They prime – or don’t prime:  Some nasal sprays should be primed first – that is, you give it a little spray into the air first.  Other medications you should not prime.  If it’s a one-dose medication, you’ll lose your only dose!
  10. They use it past the expiry date:  Not only may the medication be less effective, it may be contaminated over time.
  11. They share their nasal spray:  Never, ever share a nasal spray with someone else.
  12. They don’t read through the instructions:  Read the instructions in the package carefully before using.  It will answer many questions, such as – should I shake it first?  Should I prime it?  How do I clean it (if needed)?  How much is safe to use, and for how long?

    13. Nasal sprays can be much more effective than other medication “delivery systems”.  But they do need to be used properly so that the right dose can get where it needs to go when it needs to be there.

OptiNose: In Search of a Better Nasal Spray

, 0

OptiNose is a new nasal drug delivery device aimed to get the drug into your system in a more efficient manner.

It’s pretty irritating to spend your money on a drug, and find that it doesn’t work – and the only reason may be that it’s not getting into your system fast enough, or not all of it is getting to the right part of your body.  There can be a number of reasons for this, but one reason has to do with the way the drug is delivered.

The OptiNose company was founded in 2000 by Dr. Med. PG Djupesland to find a better nasal spray.  Currently they’re testing two therapies – and one is for migraine.

Sumatriptan is the first migraine drug to be tested (brand names Imitrex, Imigran).  At the end of Phase II trials, it’s looking positive.

It works like this: the small plastic device has a tube that goes to the nose, like any nasal spray.  But another spout goes to your mouth.  You blow into the spout, and two things happen.  First, your own breath powers the unit.  Second, blowing closes the airway to the lungs and throat, meaning that the medicine is more effectively spread through the nasal cavity where it belongs.  As a side bonus, there’s less of the bitter taste that tends to go with other nasal sprays.

I would like to see more trials comparing OptiNose to other types of sumatriptan delivery.  However, trials against a placebo were very positive – there’s no doubt that the product "works" and will be a positive addition to the drug arsenal to fight migraine.

Thanks for the heads up at Somebody Heal Me.

Migraine Nasal Spray – Should You Try One?

, 5

Of the many methods we have to get migraine medication into the body, one of the earliest and best to be used on a mass scale is the migraine nasal spray (also called a nasal inhaler).  Part of the reason is that the technology was fairly simple, as opposed to some of the advance methods that are now being tried.  But why not just take a pill?  Is a nasal spray really worth it?

One of the most obvious problems with taking a pill during a migraine is the nausea.  I’ve had migraine attacks where I throw up again and again (sorry to be graphic, but that’s migraine!).  It’s almost impossible in some cases to get a pill to stay down.

But perhaps an even more widespread problem is something called gastric stasis.  A very common but little known impairment in migraine patients, gastric stasis causes your digestive system to slow down, meaning that the medication isn’t properly absorbed.  Imagine, taking all those pills (spending all that money!), and most of the medicine never gets into your system!

A migraine nasal spray (such as Zomig, Imitrex or Migranal) gets the medicine into your system faster, and hopefully more of the medication is actually absorbed.

But is faster better?  Traditional wisdom says that the sooner you can stop the migraine attack, the better.  Though some research has questioned just how fast you need to take the medication, it seems clear that the faster you can stop the migraine chain reaction the better.

Other methods are being developed to get the medicine you need into your system quickly.  But while we wait, a migraine nasal spray early in an attack may be one of the best "delivery methods" early in an attack.  Some migraineurs carry a dose with them, so they can head off a migraine attack early.

Preventative medicines may also be good candidates for nasal spray.  Some research suggests that gastric stasis may be a feature of migraine disease that’s always there, not just during an attack.  But the development of preventative drug delivery is still behind the abortives.

Meanwhile, ask your doctor what kinds of delivery options you have.  A migraine nasal spray may give you more migraine-fighting power for your money.

Migraine nasal spray - worth trying?

Back To Top
The articles on Headache and Migraine News are © 2004-2024 J. Cottrill.
Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of each article, and to point you to further sources of information. However, this site is for informational purposes only and should never replace a visit to your doctor.