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3.2 Overall Rating

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Most voted positive review

9 People found this comment helpful

My first experience with D.H.E. 45 was in an E.R. in about 1986... I have gotten migraine since 1963. The protocol was Compazine I.V. first and 15 minutes later, the D.H.E.45, I.V. It was the first time in my life that I walked into an E.R. with a migraine, and walked out without it. My M.D. and my neurologist BOTH! wrote me perscriptions for the vials, so I could give myself the shot. ...

Most voted negative review

4 People found this comment helpful

DHE infusion makes my daughter's migraines WORSE! We tried it at her neurologist's office last summer, after high school ended, when she was 15. Hurt more (flared the pain), never helped, even days later. Then, in desperation in the midst of a 2 month massive migraine, we agreed to try a few days of DHE (and we assumed other) infusions in the hospital. They were supposed to do 1/4 dose treatme...

Shared reviews and ratings

D.H.E-45 | Female | Patient
7/8/2021
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 1.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

My back story is I’ve been having a migraine since March 2021 and it hasn’t went away. I’ve been to see 2 doc & now a neurologist. First med they gave me to break this cycle caused me to have a seizure in my sleep. I just did the IV infusion DHE-45 yesterday and when I left I felt good. Woke up this morning and my headache is back. I go to sleep with a headache & wake up with a headache. Over the day the headache gets worse. So it didn’t work for me. I’m so depressed from these headaches and don’t know what are my next options are. Read More Read Less

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Anonymous | 13-18 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
5/11/2015
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 4.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
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GloriaPuppy | 13-18 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
3/13/2015
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 1.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I have had constant migraines for six years and am never without headache pain. My neurologist suggested trying this and my family decided to give it a try. I am age 14, and this made my migraines worse not better. They also performed a lumbar puncture while I was in the hospital. It was negative and I am still in a lot of pain. My neurologist is out of ideas and seems to think it is all in my head just because the treatment didn't work. I am very frustrated and am going to switch neurologists again. I have been researching why it might not have worked, and found that DHE isn't effective in people with hemiplegic and basilar migraines. I seem to have all the symptoms of hemiplegic migraines, so I am going to bring this to my new neurologist's attention. The side effects were bad with this drug, but barely tolerable. It is recommended for cluster headaches, so if you suffer from these, I would consider trying DHE.Read More Read Less

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Honeygal1 | 45-54 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Caregiver
1/26/2015
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

DHE infusion makes my daughter's migraines WORSE! We tried it at her neurologist's office last summer, after high school ended, when she was 15. Hurt more (flared the pain), never helped, even days later. Then, in desperation in the midst of a 2 month massive migraine, we agreed to try a few days of DHE (and we assumed other) infusions in the hospital. They were supposed to do 1/4 dose treatments of DHE instead of 1/2 dose (but moved up to 1/2 dose without telling us on the 4th treatment). And they were concerned about Medication Overuse Headache, so they wouldn't give her pain medicine either. The hospital wanted to try five 1/2 doses to be sure it didn't work. IT DIDN'T WORK! More wasn't better. They didn't have other things to try. Daughter was completely miserable and suffering. For you to know: DHE doesn't work for everyone. Also, DHE seems to mess with IVs, so the IVs need to be moved after a few infusions. The hospital visit was a completely terrible experience which our daughter will probably never fully get over. Read More Read Less

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howsle | 25-34 | Male | On medication for 2 to less than 5 years | Patient
7/3/2013
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 3.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

This medication is administered, usually inpatient, every 8 hrs for 2 to 5 days. It will cause GI upset in most individuals. For that reason, Reglan (metoclapromide) is administered. Reglan has been known to cause agitation and restlessness in some people. I found the regimen to reduce the intensity of my chronic migraine reliably.

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JLove | 55-64 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Caregiver
11/8/2012
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 3.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Just a note to some of the reviewers. My husband has chronic daily migraines (17 years). I noticed Reglan was used in conjunction with the DHE. He has Never had DHE, but the Reglan gave him the side-effect of wanting to run, "jump out of his skin," antsy feeling, etc. I was thinking maybe the Reglan or other meds given with the DHE may be causing the negative side-effects rather than the DHE itself. The Reglan really bothered him a lot. Also, OTC, Percocet (Narcotics) and Triptans (Imitrex, Relpax, Maxalt, etc) will cause MOH--Medication Overuse Headaches that are a daily occurrence & will not stop until the patient stops those types of meds. The DHE can be used to quickly stop the offending medications that cause "rebounding" headaches & then the person needs to use an appropriate Preventative like Elavil, Timolol or whatever ends up working the best for them & only use the other types of meds (Triptans/OTC/DHE injections) occasionally for breakthrough headaches. The main thing is to get off the MOH medications & to keep trying preventative medications until the patient finds the one or combination that works best for them. We will be trying I.V. DHE to break the "rebound" headaches, stop the addictive/rebounding medications & find preventatives that we hope will at least bring the pain down. We are nervous about side-effects of DHE, but we are running out of options. His head pain averages between an 8-9+ night & day. Hope this is helpful to someone--Please pray he will respond positively & get the right treatment.Read More Read Less

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My3qtpies | 35-44 | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
10/5/2012
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 1.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I just went through my second 4 day treatment with dhe and I will never, ever do it again. The first treatment was in April 2012. I received an infusion on Benadryl, followed by raglan and then finally dhe every 8 hours. I slept most of the time and had few issues. This helped bring my daily chronic, intractable migraines down from a 6-7 to a 1-2. My husband and I were elated! It worked for about 3 months. My doctor suggested another round in October and I quickly signed on. It has been the WORST experience. It was the same procedure as last, but this time I had terrible diarrhea, incredible anxiety, I felt like I was jumping out of my skin. I could not control my body temp - I was sweating, then freezing, then sweating, then freezing. I have had a non stop bloody nose. It has been the worst experience. I will not be doing this again. I'd rather lie with the migraine.Read More Read Less

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MichaelB45 | 65-74 | Male | On medication for 10 years or more | Patient
10/10/2011
Condition: Cluster Headache
Overall rating 4.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I had suffered with Cluster Headaches from 1974 to 1988 before they were diagnosed properly. I usually went through two (2) bouts per year, spring and fall. In April 1990 they ran non-stop until I was put in hospital by my new neurologist in 1995 for DHE 45 therapy. After three days of injections the cluster broke. I had no reactions of any kind. I still suffered annually from bouts until approximately 2004. I then went without a bout for a few years. In 2008 I began to get them again intermittently. The DHE 45 always seemed to work if I gave myself the injection within the first few minutes of the noticeable "tick" that said one was on the way. I have gone two years without clusters but have started again Oct. 2011. I tried to get more DHE 45 and now have been told it is no longer available. The anxiety of this may be worse than the headaches. My experience has been great and would love to have it again. Right now I wait.Read More Read Less

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PhillyLion | 25-34 | Female | On medication for 5 to less than 10 years | Patient
7/19/2011
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I've been a daily migraine sufferer for 17+ yrs. My neurologist suggested a 3 day infusion treatment that failed, he then suggested a 24/7 infusion for 2 weeks. DHE was the only drug my body responded to. I've tried numerous abortive medicines and none work nearly as well as DHE or with the least side effects. I've learned that the fear of needles is extremely less when faced with the intensity of my full blown migraines. I highly recommend this medicine.

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Anonymous | 45-54 | Male | On medication for 10 years or more | Patient
4/11/2011
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I have been using this medication for eleven years (since 2000), and it has been a lifesaver. The neurologist that introduced the medication to me, admitted me for three days where I received a steroid, benadryl, and the DHE via IV every eight hours. The only downfall to this was a bad case of phlebitis. I could not handle the steroid - I made me whacked out. The benadryl and DHE were fine as far as side-effects go. Nowdays, either my spouse or I inject the med into my hip. It gets a bit rough injecting it into my own hip. That is the only downfall to the medication.Read More Read Less

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Brady | 19-24 | Male | On medication for 1 to less than 2 years | Patient
3/7/2011
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 1.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

In 2009, I was 19 and had a migraine for 30 days and I received the DHE protocol through IV. At that time it worked wonderfully, other than feeling some minor anxiety that quickly subsided. Now two years later, I have had a migraine for 3 weeks, and after trying a handful of prescriptions my neurologist recommended trying DHE again. First I was given Reglan for nausea, followed by the DHE, and lastly morphine for pain. My migraine had become very dull, which was the only positive. As another reviewer described, I too felt incredibly antsy. It definitely wasn't a normal anxious feeling, but far more uncomfortable. It was impossible to feel comfortable or relieved of it for several hours. For the next 24 hours I slept nearly 20 of them. My doctor said that would be from the morphine. I went in the next day to receive another IV of the Reglan followed by DHE, since my migraine had not fully gone. I chose not to have the morphine since I thought it caused my fatigue on the previous day, and I needed to be able to work and attend night class the next day. Almost immediately following the injections I felt that same antsy feeling, only worse than the previous day and longer lasting. I was also incredibly fatigued, even without the morphine. That day and the following day I could hardly walk and was constantly leaning on walls or lying down to regain my composure and breath. I've never felt that weak and exhausted before. Most importantly to note, my migraine returned shortly after treatment. It may have worked the first time I went in, but I will definitely not be using it again. I am also on several different prescriptions than what I was on when I was 19, which could be why I had such severe side-effects, even though my neurologist said I would be fine. Overall, I would rather have the pain from the migraine than to ever have that antsy and fatigued feeling again. For some this is clearly a successful treatment, but proceed with caution as it may affect you differently.Read More Read Less

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[email protected] | 35-44 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
9/18/2010
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 4.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I was admitted for 4 dayas with a severe migrane headache after a week in a half and nothing worked. I am a nure and have never heard of thisedication. My headace is much better down to 2 out of a 10. he only side affect was some darrehea can live with that better than the migane,

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Anonymous | Patient
7/30/2010
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

This was the most ineffective drug I have ever taken. Being a migraine sufferer for 13+ years I was horrified when the doctor in question gave me this drug that had not been used in many years due to the severe side effects. Even the pharmacy took 2 hours to get it in the hospital! I would not recommend this medication, demand something else. If you're in pain, you need something that will help.

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Shannon | 35-44 | Female | On medication for 2 to less than 5 years | Patient
7/3/2010
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 4.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

For the past 2 years I have been giving myself injections of DHE when I feel a migraine coming on or the intensity of a status migraine increases. I usually get 6 hours of some pain relief; I rarely am pain free (2 weeks out of a year, maybe). And I recommend that, however, my first experience was not as fun! 3 years ago, I was put in the hospital and given a dose of DHE every 8 hours via IV along with steroid and benadryl via the port first. It was HELL. The benadryl was the worst and the flushing of the IV was painful also. Avoid that!Read More Read Less

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Kfrace | 45-54 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
5/26/2010
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
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Lucy | 65-74 | Female | On medication for 10 years or more | Patient
3/2/2010
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 4.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

DHE is the only treatment that works for me and works like a miracle! I use a compazine suppository first, wait 20 minutes, and then give myself an injection in my hip, lie down in a dark room with ice packs on my head and a heating pad on my feet. I fall asleep, wake up 1 - 3 hours later feeling refreshed, clear-headed and in a very good mood. Now when I get a migraine, I know there's a solution that works 100% of the time. I've been injecting DHE for about 15 years.

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mcjudy | 55-64 | Female | On medication for 10 years or more | Patient
2/7/2010
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 2.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

In the ER, this drug was given to me IV. Horrible experience. I started getting 'antsy' then sort of nervous but the worst thing--I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. It's hard to describe but I felt like I had been given a massive dose of CAFFINE..

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juli | 45-54 | Female | On medication for 10 years or more | Patient
8/1/2009
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Been using DHE45 injections subcutaneously since 1993 (today is Aug. 1, 2009) almost daily, with unfortunate chronic daily migraine/head pain/nausea/vomiting. This drug helps to reduce the pain level most of the time to a level '5', my usual daily pain level. It does burn when injecting, but one can tolerate that for the few seconds it takes to inject. Nothing prevents my migraines, so we have to 'treat' them with vascular constrictors. Pain meds do not help. This drug has been one of two (the other being Relpax pills) that are my 'drug of choice' to help treat this pain daily. I have NO IDEA what will happen long-term (I think I'm already getting side-effects from long-term daily usage--high blood pressure, it used to be low; light-headed; muscle pain in one of the legs, I alternate each thigh-each injection, but one calf muscle tightens up--making it hard to walk) Read More Read Less

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HunnyBunny78 | 25-34 | Female | Patient
1/10/2009
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

This medicine so far has been the best that I have ever been treated with. I was in the ER and everything they were giving me through the IV just wasn't helping at all. When the nurse came in and said that the doctor order another dose of medication then she explained to me that it was a very potent drug called D.H.E. Then she reassured me that it wasn't a narcotic and as soon as she said that I was SOLD. At first I wasn't sure if it was going to work but she assured me after about 20 mins I should be doing fine. The only side effect that I had after she gave it to me was heart burn. If that is all I have to deal with to have a medication work on my migraines I WILL TAKE IT!!!!!Read More Read Less

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Ja'aj | 65-74 | Female | On medication for 10 years or more | Patient
11/25/2008
Condition: Migraine Headache
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

My first experience with D.H.E. 45 was in an E.R. in about 1986... I have gotten migraine since 1963. The protocol was Compazine I.V. first and 15 minutes later, the D.H.E.45, I.V. It was the first time in my life that I walked into an E.R. with a migraine, and walked out without it. My M.D. and my neurologist BOTH! wrote me perscriptions for the vials, so I could give myself the shot. I bought them 20 at a time. My veins "roll", so I wasn't going to mess with "I.V." I snapped the neck off the glass vial, drew the drug into a syringe, twisted around to the side, and gave myself a shot in my hip. (I.M.) (High, where all the fat is.) No lessons; I been getting shots for YEARS. I wasn't afraid of something I knew would stop that headache. And it did. It does. 40 minutes later; no headache. It works every time in 40 minutes. It never fails. I know it doesn't help everyone. Very few things do help "everyone". I tell EVERYONE I meet who have Migraine- about D.H.E 45. It surely helped me. It has taken the fear of that headache away. I used to -in the beginning- also load and inject Vistaril with the D.H.E. 45; to prevent possible nausea. I stopped taking the Vistaril after about 3 years. No nausea. I have -finally- almost stopped getting migraine. I don't miss it. I credit "outgrowing" them to some extent. Mostly I credit the D.H.E.45. It gave me back my life. The E.R. doctor told me that D. H. E. had been on the market for over 10 years when she mentioned it to me. She was surprised I han't heard of it. Thank God she had. Read More Read Less

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