My Three Year CGRP'iversary

In my life, there are events that I’ll never forget, like seeing Star Wars, marrying my husband, and giving birth to my son. Then there was the moment I heard about the migraine preventive medication called “CGRP.” It might not seem like it should rank up there with life-changing instances like seeing Harrison Ford as Han Solo for the first time, but I was suffering from daily migraines, and any possible relief from that pain caught my attention — and gave me a glimmer of hope.

How many medications had I tried?

At that particular appointment, my neurologist had called the head of the whole neurological department to meet with me. My stubborn migraine brain had been resistant to the treatments I’d been trying. My list of the potential remedies I'd tried was as long as what I imagined the entire city of New York’s Christmas list would look like. My head pain was taking over my life, and different combinations of preventative medicines had done nothing to break the cycle.

How did the pain impact me?

The last 6 months had been especially hard because of the combination of the intense pain and not being able to mother my 3-year-old consistently was breaking me. If I didn’t have a full-on migraine, I was in some level of achy pre-migraine pain anyway. Making Play-Doh animals with my kid took every ounce of my concentration, and pain levels distracted me from being truly present. The pain was hurting me, and missing out on time was with my growing kid was time I’d never get back.

A new medication specifically for migraine?

Sitting in the office, I watched both doctors discuss my medical chart. Their hushed tones sounded ominous, and the nervousness in my stomach did nothing to ease my tension. Then the head doctor finally spoke, “Based on your history, there’s a new medication coming out in six months that I believe is going to help you.”

I was flummoxed. I had no idea they even made medication specifically for migraineurs. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to think about hoping again — but it did give me a tiny flashlight of light at the end of this very dark tunnel I'd been stuck in.

How have I been since?

Three years later, I’ve been taking the Aimovig injection every month. It took about 6 months for me to see any difference in my daily migraines, but (on average) they’re down to a couple a week. It’s been a game-changer in my life. Today, if I feel a migraine coming on, I can take my relief mediation, and most days, within an hour (or an afternoon), I'm pain-free - instead of my normal 2-4 days. Of course, there's the random migraine that will set me back an evening or a day, but mostly my lifestyle has changed for the better.

While I won't be jogging in the next marathon and can't stay up all night for a slumber party, my daily pain levels are more manageable. Most importantly, I’m able to engage more with my son. There are moments when hope signals that it's okay to try a new path, and CGRPs were that for me.