Qulipta losing its effectiveness
I am taking Qulipta 60 mg, the strongest they make. It was helpful for awhile in reducing the number of migraines per week, but after 3 months its effectiveness has dropped off to nearly zero. So, back to Flunarizine which also worked for me for a year before it lost its effectiveness- that's why I started Qulipta. My doctor figures I will be switching back and forth between the 2 drugs every few months. Re constipation with Qulipta, I had a minor problem with it at first on the starting dose of 30mg then it went away after 2 weeks.
- Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I'm sorry to hear how Qulipta faded in efficacy for you. Interestingly, we hear about CGRPs decreasing in efficacy quite often leaving folks to jump from treatment to treatment chasing relief. I've often felt like migraine is like a mouse in a maze looking for cheese. We place a treatment down as a barrier- and eventually, the migraine mouse finds its way around that barrier to get to its goal (attack/cheese). Not sure this image works for you but thought worth sharing. I did also want to mention that a lot of folks have relief through different CGRPs (Emgality, Nurtec, Vyepti, etc.) when one either doesn't work or stops working. Have you tried any of the other CGRPs? Glad you're with us- stay in touch. Warmly- Holly -migraine.com team Hi Holly. I have not tried any other CGRP drug.Thanks for the suggestion and the mouse in the maze analogy .Thankfully Zolmitriptan nasal spray works very well for me when I get a migraine. I just dont want to use it often, and Prevention would be better. I have a long list of food and environmental triggers that I avoid to aid prevention…..jimmyblue
Thanks so much for writing back. I think you're so right that if we're dipping into our rescue medications/strategies on a frequent basis, it may be time to consider a shift toward preventative strategies. It sounds like your flunarizine is part of your prevention strategy, correct? How is that working for you? Any side effects?
Do you feel good about your migraine doctor? We encourage folks with frequent migraines to be evaluated and treated by a migraine specialist. Although there's an unfortunate shortage of these doctors, they are ultimately ideal for managing this complex neurological condition. If you'd like a list of migraine specialists, let me know and I'll send one to you.
When we find that our attacks are hard to manage and we are chasing the pain (and when our attack frequency or severity is increasing) it might be a good time to have a fresh set of eyes who might encourage trying a different tact. That said, I'm glad you have a triptan that works - that's wonderful. I take a triptan for migraine attacks as well. It's effective a lot of the time but I've found my best course of action includes a mix of preventative strategies (for me that includes Emgality and Botox) and rescue options (triptans, breakthrough pain medications). That said, everyone is so different and rarely does the same treatment strategy work for two people.
It's wonderful that you are taking stock of all aspects of your life in a search for potential triggers. There is a lot we can do (medications aside) to manage migraine in our lives. Thank you for sharing more with us- we're so glad you're a part of our community. Warmly- Holly -migraine.com team
the flunarizine causes some morning sleepiness if taken as directed ( 2 pills at bedtime ). I found out long ago that 1/2 the dose at bedtime, ie just 1 pill ,is almost as effective without the morning sleepiness. Too bad it has lost most of its effectiveness for me because I took it for 2 years with decent results.
I'm sorry to hear that the flunarizine has become less effective for you 🙁. Unfortunately, many people in the community struggle with becoming tolerant to their medications over time and have to make adjustments. Have you talked to your doctor about potentially trying something else as a replacement? I wonder if there is something similar to it that might help. - Cody (Team Member)
