When a Medication Stops Working or It's Efficacy Fades
A huge part of life with migraine is finding an effective treatment strategy that results in relief. It can take years to discover the perfect balance of preventatives and rescue treatments. Unfortunately, that efficacy can fade on a dime, or with time - for reasons we can't always figure out.
We are left feeling around in the dark when a medication that was effective for weeks, months, or years suddenly stops working. We look under every rock and around every corner for answers.
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View all responsesIs it hormones?
For women, our hormonal balance shifts over time and can impact the way medications interact with our systems. For many women, hormonal shifts are a major migraine trigger and sometimes we take medications (including birth control pills or low-dose estrogen) to balance the changes we experience. As we move through life stages (including pregnancy, periods, and menopause) our hormonal balances shift and perhaps that would cause once-effective medications to lose their strength.
Is it aging?
Similar to hormonal shifts, our bodies change with time. Perhaps due to weight changes and our changing metabolism, medications that worked one way on our 25-year-old body will perhaps work differently on our 55-year-old body.
Is it the type of medication?
A number of people on our site report in comment sections that some of the CGRP medications seem to fade in efficacy over time. These medications (like any) work differently on each person – and inconsistent experiences make it difficult to understand why this may be the case. Many people then shift to a different CGRP and experience longer-term success.
Is it the length of time on the medication?
Do we have some kind of internal clock that runs the efficacy out of some medications? It seems sometimes that after a certain amount of time – treatments simply stop working.
Why do my migraine treatments stop working?
Of course these are all just guesses. There have not been any studies that I could find dedicated to this topic. So, like you, I’m feeling around in the dark. But, also like many of you, I’ve experienced this reality. It’s frustrating when we find something that finally gives us the relief we’ve been seeking for years stops working out of seemingly nowhere.
I asked my doctor about this at my last appointment and interestingly, he said what I was reporting didn’t seem to align with what he is hearing from the field.
As we all know, the hunt for an effective treatment is exhausting due to the energy, time, and cost it can take. The emotional drain and exposure to new side effects are all too familiar and upsetting.
What are your theories?
We’d be most interested in learning your thoughts as to why treatments seem to lose efficacy with time. Is this something you’ve experienced before? We’d be grateful if you would share your experiences in the comment section below so we can learn from you.
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