Triptans vs CGRP
I just made an appointment with a neurologist to get back on preventative and abortive meds for my migraines as they have gotten a little out of control again. I have taken almost all of the Triptans on the market at some point. With most of them, I either had unbearable side effect, they didn't work, or a combination of the 2. I ended up using Zomig with moderate success. It worked about 30% of the time with 1 dose and about 60% of the time with 2 doses. It is not as expensive as it was the last time around. I was paying $110 for 9 pills now I can get it for $26. I am going to ask the doctor to prescribe Zomig but I also want to try out Nurtec. The reason I am still going to get the Zomig is because I have had such bad reactions to abortive meds in the past I want to make sure I try the Nurtec when I dont have to go to work, which is only 1 day a week right now. I am looking for some insight from people that have not had good luck with Triptans and made the switch to CGRPs. Also, sorry for the novel!
@karenhei my husband was on triptans for years with very little relief. It seemed as though the plan for him was to try and fail as many triptans as possible lol. He made the switch to CGRP drugs about 2 years ago and has never looked back. He was on Ajovy for about 6 months with botox and our insurance changed and that was that! He stopped Botox as it didn't really provide him relief and started Emgality monthly. He paired that up with Nurtec ODT and it has worked great for him. It really stops the headache pain and the Nurtec ODT knocks out his breakthrough attacks which are about half now. I hope this encourages you to have a conversation with your doctor about trying the CGRP drugs. They have been a life-changer for many of us suffering from migraines. Warmly, Cheryl migraine team member
It's really not an either/or thing. The medications work differently. Anti-cgrp meds prevent and triptans abort (get rid of) migraines. Both can be used. Cgrp's are shots, once a month or every 4 months (with possible differences I'm not aware of.) It was many years before I really learned how to take Imitrex properly for it to work at its best. I had to learn when to take my Imitrex. They say to take at the first sign of a migraine. "But what if this is just a sinus or tention headache?!" "What if this is just from the heat!?" "But what if I just need to stretch my neck!? " I was getting so many migraines, I didn't want to "waste" a pill and have my supply run out. (unless you're new to triptans, you already know they limit how many you can get in a month). A migraine tracking app called Migraine Buddy helped me analyze and track my headaches in a way that I couldn't come up with on my own. I recommend this app to everybody. I can now quickly determine if I really need to take my Imitrex and my migraines go away more easily with less medicine. I was able to determine how I would feel BEFORE my head pain started, then at the first sign of even a little twinge of pain, I take my meds. I am now on a monthly CGRP plus Botox every 3 months. Having BOTH was the key for me. I had almost daily migraines at first, then I was down to about 10-18 days a month on Botox. Now down to 4-5 a month with both Botox and Aimovig. Note: I prefer
