Everything You Should Know about the New FDA-Approved Migraine Drug

Suffering from migraines is a serious health problem suffered by 39 million Americans. Migraine symptoms like nausea and throbbing pain actually disable 1 in 5 people who get them. These people are forced to call off from work, cancel plans with friends, and writhe in pain until the migraine finally ends.

It is possible that the FDA just transformed the ability for migraine sufferers to seek relief by approving Aimovig, the first in a new class of migraine drugs that aim to fight migraines before they start. If you have multiple migraine days a month, this medication could change your life.

How Does Aimovig Work?

Aimovig works by blocking calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a molecule that’s produced in nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. According to Dr. Richard Lipton of the Montefiore Headache Center, “We’ve believed for a long time that CGRP played a very important role in migraine, and part of the reason we believed that is because when people get a migraine attack, we can measure elevations of CGRP in their blood.” Though CGRP is not believed to trigger migraines, it intensifies headache pain by making the nerve cells more sensitive to pain input.

How Effective Is Aimovig?

Aimovig is given as a monoclonal antibody self-injected shot. “Monoclonal antibodies are designed to prevent migraine attacks from occurring. They don’t necessarily prevent every attack because there are attacks that can break through. But they reduce the frequency of these episodes,” according to David Odick, M.D., a chairman at the American Migraine Foundation.

In all, studies indicate that Aimovig has the potential to cut migraine days in half. A small percentage of patients in the trial studies actually saw their migraine headaches eliminated altogether.

What Else Should You Know?

Unlike current migraine drugs that cause very unpleasant side effects like constipation, weight gain, dry mouth, and nausea, Aimovig’s side effects are mild and usually limited to redness after the shot. Aimovig also works quickly so you are likely to see results within only a few days to a week.

If you’re interested in learning more about this new treatment to limit your own migraine days, be sure to speak with your doctor first. Call (727) 525-0900 to make an appointment with Dr. Kavita Rao, M.D. in St. Petersburg, Florida. Dr. Rao will evaluate your overall health and migraine patterns to determine if Aimovig is right for you.