Letters to M.A.G.N.U.M. from
Migraine Sufferers and Others

WHOW it is nice to see other people are totally disabled by migraines as I am. It is HELL! AND I FEEL SO ALL alone in having to LIVE this way. I have even had to get rid of the machete so I do not cut my head off!

Aloha to you this day from me Antoinette from The Big Island of Hawaii:

I saw your web address on some literature that came from Zomig. http://www.migraines.org/index.html. I am sending it to you IN HOPES that EACH and EVERYONE at your site WILL put PRESSURE on the insurance companies to PAY for Zomig for us.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this VERY IMPORTANT MATTER!

Sincerely,
Antoinette T.

SENT TO:

Antoinette Tanenbaum-Gordon
15-159 Puni Paka Loop
Pahoa, Hawaii 96778

ZENECA Pharmaceuticals
P.O. Box 6061
W. Caldwell, N.J.
07007-9924
Attention: Dr. Gerard Kennealey MD

Aloha, to you this day November 7, 1998

I am a 44 yr. old woman who has almost 5 yrs. of R.N. B.S.N. education. I contracted spinal meningitis as an adult (aseptic/viral) and kept trying to work up until two years ago when I finally had no choice but to go on disability even having temporary blindness from my SEVERE migraines. I have BOTH regular migraines AND ocular migraines. Talk about pain! Oh my GOD! However I am told that most people do not live from spinal meningitis, and the ones I have met are either deaf, blind lost a foot or are permanently disabled in some way. I too actually died when I had it. It was very BAD. I was left with these crippling migraines. I was surprised on the LIST of meds all that I had tried over the years. The latest being a combination of Fiorinal AND Demerol. Plus complete bed rest and ice for days. UNTIL ZOMIG!!!

Zomig is the greatest thing to EVER hit the market. I have tried fasting, enemas, this medication, yoga, meditation, hypnotism you name it. My 13 yr. old son does not like to see Mommy hitting her head against the wall from extreme pain. I had my child home alone with no medications but that pain is nothing compared to migraine hell. Zomig works where others have not or I could not take them due to the terrible side effects.

My only request is this: WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES TO COVER THE COST??? I am on MEDICAID. Many other people are on others. THE ONLY way I can get Zomig is to hitch hike the 150 miles to the other side of our island and have my loving caring doctor give me "samples." He said that eventually they will be covered by Medicaid but WHEN????? If you do not know please give me who to write to make the request.

My other question is this: Do you folks feel that Zomig is addicting? AS POWERFUL as it is, I wonder! Especially when I take Fiorinal AND Demerol to get any relief. And Demerol is supposed to be so addicting. For someone who has never drank liquor, smoked cigarettes, or done drugs but lives with these terribly debilitating migraines Zomig is a godsend.

I would appreciate your addressing this question HONESTLY! I did see the package insert you sent me. But it has been YEARS since I worked as an R.N. so I would have no idea about the chemical composition to look for addictive substances. And to tell you the truth at 44 I could not even see one word of the print on the professional information brochure. If you have it in larger print for vision impaired persons I would like a copy.

Thank- you.

If you ever need a spokes person I am it! YOU could not find a happier more grateful person.

Migraine HELL is THE WORST!

Many Mahalos, Antoinette T.

P.S. I think the saddest thing is to see that your children as teens somehow inherited them, when you would not wish this on anyone.