CGRPs
I was prescribed Ajovy by my neurologist as none of the other preventative medications worked, only Triptans if I take it at the onset of a migraine. Ajovy was not available so I had to settle for Emgality. Apart from the painful injection, the frequency of my migraines reduced by more than 70%, and even when I got a migraine, it wasn't too unbearable.
For my 4th dose I managed to get Ajovy, which initially appeared to have the same effect, yet for the first time in weeks I developed a moderate migraine a week ago which worsens during the night, so it's back to the Triptans. Not sure why this is happening.
Hi
I hear how frustrated you are and I'm sorry you are dealing with this. A 70% reduction in attack frequency is amazing!! I hope you don't mind my asking this. I'm curious about the switch to Ajovy when Emgality was beneficial? Can you go back to Emgality?
I'm sure others will be along shortly to share their experiences with you and I look forward to hearing more from you, Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Leader/Moderator (team member)- greetings! Thanks so much for sharing some of your journey with us. Like Nancy, I'm interested in learning more about why you shifted away from Emgality when it was providing you with 70% success? Perhaps you were seeking more improvement? I wouldn't blame you for wanting a more comprehensive turnaround. However, I think the average success rate for CGRPs is that 30-60% of people experience a 50% improvement. Many experience less than that (or no improvement) and some have more. I took Emgality for 3 years (and yes, it IS a stingy shot!). It decreased my attack severity but didn't touch the frequency of my chronic migraine condition. I recently shifted to Qulipta and am having better success with that and it's an oral tablet so I'm enjoying skipping the injection.
At any rate, yes- I'm curious why the shift to/preference for Ajovy. Generally, Ajovy, Emgality, and Aimovig are thought to be interchangeable as they are all injectable similar forms of CGRP. There are now a lot of different variations of CGRPs out there. We often hear that people have great success with one after having failed with another (even though they are in the same family of CGRP treatments). you may be interested in this piece about why some CGRPs work and others don't: https://migraine.com/living-migraine/some-cgrps-work-others-dont.
Glad you're with us! Warmly - Holly (team member)
Thanks for the information Holly. The reason for the switch was that Ajovy wasn't available at the time, so my GP in consultation with the specialist gave me a script for Emgality. When that ran out, I resubmitted my original script for Ajovy which I started using at the end of August, and also got a few repeat scripts for it. Maybe its early days so will have to give it some time to see its effectiveness.
Thanks again for the help, much appreciated.
- thanks for sharing your journey with CGRPs in the community. It is incredibly frustrating to have to deal with a moderate migraine after what seemed like progress. Though interchangeable, from what I understand, I think switching up medications (CGRP) will take a period of time to reach full effect. How long did it take Emgality to successfully reduce symptoms and duration? Was it immediate? How long have you been on Ajovy? I've tried Emgality and Aimovig. I didn't find any relief with either but I feel I wasn't on them long enough before my neurologist switched me to another after I told him I didn't see any results. I guess I am wondering how long it takes for CGRPs to begin showing results. Some say days, some say months. This may be different for each individual. I am currently on Nurtec with little effect as well and am sticking to the Triptans just as you are when migraine hits. My only salvation currently. The article Holly suggests is a great read, if you haven't checked it out already. Sending thoughts of healing and relief your way. Thoughtfully, Rebecca (team member)
