Yoga and meditation can help with fitness and mindfulness, but there are additional benefits. These activities can help you with migraines, headaches, and other types of pain. Yoga has the ability to help you:
Alleviate stress, which is a common source of headaches, migraines, and pain.
Sleep better, as sleep deprivation can cause or worsen headaches and migraines.
Support better posture, as poor posture is an agitator of migraines and headaches.
Reduce muscle tightness, as tension in your back, shoulders, and neck can be a contributor to migraines and headaches. Keep in mind that there is often an interconnection between neck and shoulder musculature and headaches. 70% of patients with migraine get neck pain and stiffness associated with their migraine attacks. Conversely, if there is significant tightness and spasm in these muscles, they can irritate the nerves in the back of the head (occipital nerves), and this can also contribute to headaches and migraines. So targeting these muscles to get them to relax can be very helpful.
There was a study published which looked at adding on yoga therapy in combination with standard migraine medical treatments. The study results concluded that yoga as an add-on therapy in migraine was superior to medical treatment alone. Therefore, it was suggested to integrate yoga as a cost-effective and safe intervention into the management of migraine. Other prospective randomized open label trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses have shown yoga to decrease headache frequency, headache pain intensity, and headache duration in both migraine and tension type headaches.
Tips for Starting Yoga To Improve Headaches, Migraines, and Pain
If you are thinking about starting yoga to improve your headaches, migraines, or pain, there are a few tips to keep in mind:
Always speak with your doctor before beginning to see if it is a good fit for you.
Consider a beginner’s class if you are new to yoga.
Check with the instructor to tell them about your headaches, migraines, or pain. They can recommend good poses or even modify certain poses so that they do not contribute to agitating your headaches or migraines.
Avoiding certain types of poses, like inversion, can reduce the likelihood of causing a headache.
Yoga Poses That Your Instructor Might Recommend To Reduce Headaches, Migraines, and Pain
There are a few poses that many yoga instructors might recommend if you suffer from headaches, migraines, or pain. These include:
Child’s pose: This pose can reduce tension in your upper body.
Cat and cow pose: This pose increases circulation, as well as reduces tension in your shoulders and back.
Seated forward fold: This pose opens up your shoulders and stretches out your back, a great way to relieve the tension in these areas of your body that causes headaches.
Legs up the wall: This pose helps blood flow towards your brain, which can help alleviate an existing headache.
Savasana: This pose uses the ground below your body to provide throughout and can increase oxygen to your brain, alleviating an existing headache or migraine.
Not only are the poses that go along with migraines beneficial, but some of the other techniques that go along with yoga, like breathing can help with headaches and migraines. Alternate nostril breathing is a common way to calm the mind and relieve stress. Yoga also helps tames the anxiety center of the brain, which is another way to relieve stress.
Meditation for Headaches, Migraines, and Pain
Meditation reduces stress and can possibly impact the severity of headaches and migraines. A recent study by the NIH was conducted that found several interesting results when meditation was used for headache and migraine sufferers:
The frequency and intensity of headaches and migraines could potentially decrease as a result of meditation.
People who practiced meditation had a decreased use of non-opioid medications over time.
The benefits of meditation for headaches and migraines include:
The ability to potentially lower stress levels, a key driver of headaches and migraines.
An improved pain tolerance with the onset of headaches and migraines.
A reduction in the frequency and intensity of headache, migraines, and other types of pain.
A better quality of life.
Meditation and migraine were studied in 92 patients and results were published. Over 30 days, the frequency of migraines decreased significantly. Medication usage was also significantly lower in the meditation group.
Different Types of Meditation Techniques To Try For Headaches, Migraines, and Pain
There are several different types of meditation techniques that you can try that can potentially help with stress reduction. These different techniques can also take your thoughts off of your headache, migraine, or pain.
Mindfulness Meditation
This type of meditation has its origins in Buddhism and is one of the most popular meditation techniques to try. When practicing mindfulness meditation, you will focus on your thoughts, as well as sensations, thoughts, and feelings.
Visualization Meditation
This type of meditation involves visualizing positive scenes and images and focusing on them. Another type of thing to focus on with visualization meditation is thoughts and scenes of where your headache, migraine, or pain has subsided.
Progressive Relaxation
This type of meditation is common to help you relax before you sleep and involves reducing tension in the body and promoting an overall sense of relaxation. This technique also involves “scanning” your body to isolate areas of pain and tension. When focusing on the head, shoulders, and neck, this technique can be particularly effective in reducing the intensity of headaches and migraines.
Movement Meditation
This technique involves changing your surroundings. You can take a walk, practice gardening, or even exercise while being aware of sensations and feelings within your body. Movement meditation can help reduce stress, which may in turn, alleviate the onset of headaches, migraines, and other types of pain.
Additional Benefits of Meditation
Meditation indirectly reduces the onset and severity of headaches, migraines, and other types of pain. However, there are several additional health benefits, over time, that come along with meditation practices:
Meditation has the power to reduce blood pressure, which can be a driver of headaches and other chronic diseases, like diabetes. High blood pressure is also the leading cause of stroke.
Anxiety is a condition that can be potentially alleviated by meditation.
Meditation can also increase feelings of self-worth, which can help overcome depression.
Sleep can be aided by meditation and improved sleep can also help reduce the onset of headaches, migraines, and pain.
Reducing Tension, Stress, and Anxiety
Overall, meditation and yoga are an array of techniques that you can use to reduce stress, tension, and anxiety in your body. These are things that can contribute to headaches. Yoga may help increase blood flow in the body, which can also help reduce headaches, migraines, and pain.
Overall, it is best to consult your doctor when considering treatments for headaches, as yoga is an advanced technique that you should work with an instructor on.
IF YOU HAVE HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN AND ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS ON ANYTHING RELATED TO IT, A HEADACHE SPECIALIST IS HERE TO HELP, FOR FREE!
FIRST, LET’S DECIDE WHERE TO START:
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN DIAGNOSIS AND ARE LOOKING FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION, HOT TOPICS, AND TREATMENT TIPS, VISIT OUR FREE BLOG OF HOT TOPICS AND HEADACHE TIPS HERE. THIS IS WHERE I WRITE AND CONDENSE A BROAD VARIETY OF COMMON AND COMPLEX MIGRAINE AND HEADACHE RELATED TOPICS INTO THE IMPORTANT FACTS AND HIGHLIGHTS YOU NEED TO KNOW, ALONG WITH PROVIDING FIRST HAND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A HEADACHE SPECIALIST.
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN DIAGNOSIS AND ARE LOOKING FOR FURTHER EDUCATION AND SELF-RESEARCH ON YOUR DIAGNOSIS, VISIT OUR FREE EDUCATION CENTER HERE.
I see patients in our headache center from all over the United States and from many other countries. Many patients travel hundreds of miles by car or airplane for these visits, due to the shortage of available headache specialists (about 570 in the US). Many patients are lucky enough to be relatively close to a headache specialist. Whichever scenario you fall into, you want to get the most out of your appointment with a headache specialist in order to get on a better path to less headache or facial pain burden.
When to see a headache specialist
So first of all, when should you see a headache specialist? First off, any type of headache, head pain, or facial pain, is reason enough to see a headache specialist. Basically, headache specialists specialize in any type of pain or discomfort involving anywhere in the head or face. They also commonly see patients that may have other neurological symptoms which may not necessarily be associated with headaches, but their doctor wants to rule out a migraine “equivalent” disorder. Some patients can have neurologic symptoms without headache (visual, sensory, speech, vertigo, weakness, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain), which may actually reflect a painless migraine disorder, such as migraine aura without headache. I have compiled a list below of a few of my thoughts of when your headache or facial pain treatment journey signals that it is time to see a headache specialist.
Reasons to see a headache specialist:
-You have a headache, head pain, or facial pain.
-Your doctor tells you, “your headache is all in your head”.
-Your doctor tells you, “there’s nothing else I can do for you”.
-Your doctor says, “I don’t treat much headache, but…”.
-You continue to have frequent headaches despite trying several preventive medications.
-You just don’t feel like you are making any progress despite a couple office visits with your doctor or their NP or PA (or you never even get to see the doctor).
-You don’t feel like your doctor is listening to you or taking your symptoms seriously.
-The doctor spends only a few minutes in the visit, so you feel rushed and unable to discuss all of your concerns.
-Your doctor is googling your symptoms in the office.
-Your doctor recommends that you take opiates/opioids for migraine treatment.
-Your doctor says it is ok to use NSAIDs, OTCs or triptans more than 10 days per month or butalbital/fioricet/fiorinal more than 5 days per month on average for migraine treatment.
-Your doctor says your headache is “because you are depressed”.
-Your doctor does not give you a more specific classification or name for your diagnosis.
What information should you gather before the visit?
Unfortunately, we all know how strapped for time most physicians are during office visits due to a variety of factors such as low insurance reimbursement and the need to increase patient volume to compensate for this and break even. So to get the most out of your office visit, making it efficient and helpful, it is important to compile certain information in preparation. Typing out this information and bringing it to your office visit is a great idea. It is also a great idea to keep this as a running file that you can continue adding to in your personal files. This helps to eliminate time wasted in the office that could easily be organized and thought through prior to the visit, allowing more time for the important parts of the office visit; optimizing the diagnosis and treatment plans. Some of this information you may not have available, and that is certainly ok. You may be able to retrieve some of it from records, memory, and your local pharmacist.
Never assume that your local doctor’s office has faxed all of your records ahead of the visit. If that happens, great. However, many times patients are told that the records will be sent, but when we see the patient, we have no records that were sent. So, it is always best to bring all of your records yourself. Furthermore, it is good to have copies of all of your medical records, testing, etc. for your personal files anyway.
The following list are items that I have found to be the most useful for patients to have gathered and thought of prior to the visit, allowing the most efficient and useful office visit:
A) Acute/abortive headache or pain treatments (used “as needed”). This information is also needed in order to pursue insurance approvals for various types of treatments such as the newer gepants (Ubrelvy, Nurtec) or ditans (Reyvow).
-All that have been tried (which triptans, NSAIDs, neuromodulation devices, etc.)
-Doses used
-Responses (effectiveness, side effects) of each treatment
B) Preventive headache or pain treatments (used daily to lessen headache frequency/severity). This information is also needed in order to pursue insurance approvals for various treatments such as Botox or the CGRP mAb antagonists (Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality, Vyepti).
-All that have been tried
-Maximum doses used
-Duration that each treatment was used
-Responses (effectiveness, side effects) of each treatment
C) Testing
-All CD and radiology reports for all brain MRIs, CTs, and other relevant testing for your headache or pain. Most CDs do not include the radiology report, and you need to request that separately. It is a good idea to have copies of all of these things for your personal files regardless. Bring them all to the office visit for the doctor to review.
-All bloodwork done in the past 5 years. Labs particularly important for headache evaluations include TSH, CBC, CMP, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, ESR, CRP, ANA, to name a few, but this may vary and include more or less, depending on the specific clinical scenario.
D) Think about the clinical features of your headache or facial pain as listed below. These will be important questions that your headache specialist will ask. So, it is good to answer these questions in your head prior to the visit, so you can provide more accurate and thought out answers. This helps to prevent being put on the spot by questions you never really thought about which may result in forgetting some important details. For a free headache and facial pain self-diagnosis tool which incorporates all of these important questions that a headache specialist asks, look here.
-Location of the headache or facial pain
-Frequency of the headache or facial pain attacks
-Duration of the headache or facial pain attacks
-Description and characterization of the headache or facial pain attacks
-Neurological symptoms associated with the headache or facial pain (visual disturbances, numbness, tingling, weakness, speech disturbances, vertigo, etc.)
-Other associated symptoms with the headache or facial pain (nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, one sided autonomic features (runny eye, red eye, runny or congested nose, droopy or puffiness around eye))
Conclusions:
If you are able to gather all or much of the above listed information prior to your headache specialist appointment, you’ll be well on your way to a much more efficient and beneficial office visit. As a result, you and your doctor will be able spend more time in the office discussing the most important things rather than spending it trying to look up records or digging through your memory for various details. As a result, your doctor will have more time to better formulate a list of the most likely diagnoses, and best treatment approaches for minimizing the disruption of your headache or facial pain on your life. Good luck!!
IF YOU HAVE HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN AND ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS ON ANYTHING RELATED TO IT, A HEADACHE SPECIALIST IS HERE TO HELP, FOR FREE!
FIRST, LET’S DECIDE WHERE TO START:
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN DIAGNOSIS AND ARE LOOKING FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION, HOT TOPICS, AND TREATMENT TIPS, VISIT OUR FREE BLOG OF HOT TOPICS AND HEADACHE TIPS HERE. THIS IS WHERE I WRITE AND CONDENSE A BROAD VARIETY OF COMMON AND COMPLEX MIGRAINE AND HEADACHE RELATED TOPICS INTO THE IMPORTANT FACTS AND HIGHLIGHTS YOU NEED TO KNOW, ALONG WITH PROVIDING FIRST HAND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A HEADACHE SPECIALIST.
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN DIAGNOSIS AND ARE LOOKING FOR FURTHER EDUCATION AND SELF-RESEARCH ON YOUR DIAGNOSIS, VISIT OUR FREE EDUCATION CENTER HERE.
Aimovig vs. Ajovy, Aimovig vs. Emgality, Aimovig vs Vyepti, Ajovy vs. Emgality, Emgality vs. Vyepti, Ajovy vs. Vyepti. So many questions. so many answers. Let’s discuss them all. So it finally happened! The 1stmigraine specific preventive medications FINALLY became available with the CGRP (calcitonin gene related peptide) monoclonal antibody (CGRP mAb) antagonists which first came to market in 2018. Prior to 2018, all of the migraine preventive medication options had been “adopted” from other specialties. For example, the 3 main categories of preventive medicines prior to 2018 were select evidence-based options within the anticonvulsant (antiseizure), antidepressant/antianxiety, and antihypertensive (blood pressure) medicine categories. These conventional migraine preventive treatments are certainly still used, can be very effective, and are discussed in much greater detail here. Migraine preventive therapies also include neuromodulation devices, Botox injections, or alternative treatments such as vitamins and supplements, acupuncture, acupressure and pressure points, or yoga and meditation. This blog article will discuss and compare the 4 new options of CGRP mAb medications; Aimovig (Erenumab), Ajovy (Fremanezumab), Emgality (Galcanezumab), and Vyepti (Eptinezumab).
CGRP plays a strong role in neurogenic inflammation in the nervous system and is involved in the transmission of pain. It is also a potent vasodilator (dilates blood vessels), and increases overexcitability of neurons, both factors of which increase the intensity of migraine pain. CGRP has been studied since the early 1980s when it was discovered. It was found throughout the trigeminovascular system and trigeminal cranial nerves which transmit pain, so a role in migraine was suspected. The trigeminal nerves and their associated electrical circuitry throughout the brain, brainstem, and arteries in the brain is called the trigeminovascular system. This system is the basis and “on switch” for migraine. In the early 1990s it was shown that CGRP was released by the trigeminal nerves and levels increased during an acute migraine attack. In 2004, a CGRP antagonist (blocks the binding of CGRP to its receptor) was shown to abort an acute migraine attack, and decrease CGRP levels. Subsequent studies including preventive migraine studies done since 2014 with a CGRP antibody to block the effects of CGRP eventually led to 3 FDA approved CGRP mAbs in 2018, and a 4th CGRP mAb FDA approved in 2020.
How are the CGRP mAbs made and what is the science behind them?
The CGRP mAbs are considered biologic drugs because they are made by the cells of living organisms. This is in contrast to conventional medications made by chemical synthesis. The 4 CGRP mAbs are all classified as “humanized” monoclonal antibodies. Humanized CGRP mAbs are made in a laboratory by combining part of a human antibody with a small part of a non-human (such as hamster or yeast) monoclonal antibody by a process called recombinant DNA technology. The non-human part of the antibody binds to the target antigen (in this case, either the CGRP ligand (protein) or CGRP receptor), and the human part makes it less likely to be seen as a “foreign antigen” destroyed by our immune system. To explain further, these humanized CGRP mAbs are produced and cloned repeatedly in non-human immune system living cells (hamster ovarian cells or yeast cells), ensuring that they are all of identical genetic material (monoclonal), and their protein structure is modified to increase their similarity to antibody structures produced naturally in humans.
As a review, antibodies are proteins made by living organism cells which bind unique parts of other proteins that are recognized as a “foreign” to that biologic system. For example, when your body is exposed to a virus or bacteria by infection or immunization, your body makes specific antibodies against that microbe to destroy it. If your body encounters that microbe in the future, it remembers it (immune response), and your antibodies attach to it to neutralize and destroy it.
How do theCGRP mAbs work for migraine?
The CGRP mAbs target either the CGRP receptor and block it (antagonist) to prevent the CGRP ligand (protein) from binding, or they target the CGRP ligand itself and prevent it from binding (sticking) to the CGRP receptor. Clinically, some patients tend to respond better to the CGRP receptor blockade, whereas others tend to do better with binding the CGRP ligand itself. There is not really any data on this in terms of who may respond to which type of CGRP mAb target, but I’m sure it will be studied further eventually. In general, the CGRP mAbs tend to all be quite effective. However, the point is if one type of CGRP mAb doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean the others won’t work either. I have seen many patients who did not respond to one type of CGRP mAb, but responded dramatically well to another. So, if you do not respond to one type of CGRP mAb target (such as the CGRP receptor), it may be worth trying another type of CGRP mAb target (such as the CGRP ligand). The bottom-line is don’t lose hope if one type doesn’t work well for you!
The CGRP mAbs are administered by injection or infusion because oral absorption is poor and degradation in the gastrointestinal system would inactivate the antibodies before they would even be able to enter the circulatory system. They are systemically absorbed by transport through the lymphatic system and into the blood. Metabolism occurs in the reticuloendothelial system, not the liver or kidneys.
How effective are the CGRP mAbs?
All 4 of the CGRP mAbs have shown excellent tolerability, safety, and superior effectiveness in migraine prevention when compared to placebo. Compared to oral preventive therapies which have been the mainstay for decades (discussed here), the CGRP mAbs work much faster and do not require a slow dose titration, as is done with most oral preventives. They are sometimes seen to be effective in just a few days, often within a month, and the data suggests that the longer a patient is on a CGRP mAb, the more effective it is. I typically recommend a minimum of at least 3 months, and if receiving some benefit at that point, at least 6 months is suggested.
The majority of CGRP mAb studies had at least 50% (half) of patients who were 50% responders (migraine days cut in half), which is great! In general, the CGRP mAbs provide an overall average net reduction of around 2 migraine days per month for episodic migraine and 4-6 days for chronic migraine. With that said, this number can be much higher depending on the patient and migraine characteristics being studied, such as baseline migraine frequency.
There are a group of patients that we see called “super responders” because they improve dramatically to having greater than 75% decrease in migraine days, and sometimes even no migraines. In the CGRP mAb studies, about 1/3rd of patients were “super responders”, with many them obtaining 100% reduction in migraine days. Although this is wonderful to see when it happens, it should not be the expectation or goal (nor should this be the goal with any preventive migraine treatment).
What are the CGRP mAb side effects and are they safe in pregnancy and breastfeeding?
Side effects are minimal, and very similar to placebo in most of the studies, which is great compared to the frequent side effects seen with most of the oral preventive pills we often use. The most common side effects are listed in the table below, but mild injection site reactions tend to be the most common reported side effect among the 3 subcutaneous self-injection CGRP mAbs. Cumulative data show no immunological (they do not suppress or alter the immune system because they do not have a target within the immune system), cardiovascular, or neurological safety concerns of significance. CGRP is suspected to play a possible role in regulating uteroplacental blood flow, myometrial and uterine relaxation, and in maintaining normal gestational blood pressure. Since the mAbs have a long half-life and can last in the system for 5 months, it is recommended to stop it about 6 months prior to pregnancy planning. The CGRP mAbs are also not recommended to use during breast-feeding since we do not have enough safety data at this time.
Can I still use my CGRP monoclonal antibody treatment (Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality, Vyepti) with the Covid-19 vaccine?
The short answer is that we need to gather more data on this, so check back periodically for updates. However, this hasn’t been a reported issue thus far. There is no current evidence for an interaction between the Covid-19 vaccine and CGRP mAbs, the same as any other vaccine. This has also been stated by the American Migraine Foundation. Patients receiving CGRP monoclonal antibodies (Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality, Vyepti) were not excluded from the Covid-19 vaccine trials. There is no evidence at this time that these treatments cannot be used along with receiving Covid-19 vaccination, nor do they need to be delayed or timed any differently in relation to receiving Covid-19 vaccination. Most physicians feel that there should theoretically be no interaction or contraindication to receiving either of these treatments in relation to Covid-19 vaccination because they are entirely different proteins with different mechanisms of action. The Covid-19 vaccine stimulates the immune system to form antibodies against the virus, should you encounter it. The CGRP mAbs do not have any significant influence on the immune system (they do not cause immunosuppression, etc.). Rarely, the immune system of some patients can form neutralizing antibodies against the CGRP mAbs, and this can weaken the effectiveness of these treatments in their ability to decrease migraine frequency and severity. However, this rarity really has nothing to do with the mechanism and how the Covid-19 vaccine works. So, it is not felt that the Covid-19 vaccine will lessen the effectiveness of these treatments, nor will these treatments lessen the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Notably, there have been just a few isolated reports of dermal fillers used in dermatology causing some facial swelling in association with Covid-19 vaccination, but not with Botox or the CGRP mAbs. These reports were with the Moderna Covid vaccine and resolved with steroids and/or antihistamines. The topic of Covid-19 headache, Covid-19 vaccination, and the use of Botox is discussed further here.
Can I use a CGRP mAb (Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality, Vyepti) with Botox injections?
Insurance companies often present various hurdles to using preferred treatment options (the bane of my existence). One common issue for patients with chronic migraine who are receiving Botox injections is that most insurance companies will now make the patient choose between Botox or the CGRP mAb. There is of course no good scientific basis for this, other than the company doesn’t want to pay for both. In fact, there is evidence that using Botox with the CGRP mAbs works better together than with either individually. An abstract presented at the American Headache Society Annual Scientific meeting in June 2020 showed that in patients with chronic migraine and a baseline frequency of 25.7 days per month, the frequency dropped to 14.8 days with Botox, and 9.1 days with Botox plus a CGRP mAb.
Can I use a CGRP mAb (Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality, Vyepti) with the gepants (Nurtec, Ubrelvy)?
A similar insurance battle often ensues when trying to use the large molecule preventive CGRP mAbs with the small molecule abortive gepant medications (Nurtec, Ubrelvy), which also work by a CGRP mechanism. Insurance companies will often not allow these to be used together, but again, no good scientific basis. Actually, there is some limited evidence showing that these medications can work synergistically together, which would make sense when taking their mechanisms of action into account. Specifically, there was a publication of data from only a 2-patient cohort showing that the use of these acute and preventive CGRP migraine therapies together can be successful and safe. These two patients had been using rimegepant (Nurtec) in a long-term safety study and they had added erenumab (Aimovig) once monthly injection as a preventive treatment. After Aimovig was added, patient 1 had 100% relief for 7 of 7 acute migraine attacks treated with Nurtec. Patient 2 had 100% relief for 9 of 9 acute migraine attacks treated with Nurtec. So, the combination of using Nurtec abortively in addition to using Aimovig preventively appeared to provide an even more effective acute migraine response. Theoretically, it would make sense that benefit would be greater with both classes of medicines combined because they are entirely different types of medications targeting aspects of the same migraine pathway simultaneously (either targeting the CGRP receptor or the CGRP ligand protein). Larger studies to confirm the suspicion that they likely work together synergistically will be helpful.
There was a larger safety study publication which evaluated the acute treatment of migraine with Rimegepant while using a CGRP monoclonal antibody for the prevention of migraine. The CGRP mAbs used were Erenumab (Aimovig) (7 patients), Fremanezumab (Ajovy) (4 patients), and Galcanezumab (Emgality) (2 patients). The study determined that Rimegepant used as an acute migraine treatment in combination with CGRP mAbs for migraine prevention was well tolerated with no safety issues identified. The researchers concluded that the probability between these 2 classes (gepants and CGRP mAbs) was low, especially because they have entirely different pathways of drug metabolism. They also concluded that existing evidence supports the safety of combined use, although further larger research was warranted.
Notably, on 5/27/21, the oral pill Nurtec (Rimegepant) ODT made history as the first and only FDA approved medication for BOTH abortive and preventive migraine treatment simultaneously, and remains the only option with this flexibility. It also became the first oral CGRP preventive gepant medication with this approval. It is used as a migraine abortive once per 24 hours as needed for migraine, or as a migraine preventive by using it every other day. Both doses are a simple 75 mg dissolvable tablet. More recently, on 9/28/21, Qulipta (Atogepant) became the second oral CGRP preventive gepant medication to become FDA approved for migraine prevention. It is taken once daily. So these 2 options have become the first oral CGRP preventive medication options. They are both of the gepant medication family, which is different than the CGRP mAb family, but none the less now offer an oral alternative to once monthly injections.
Clinical comparisons of the CGRP mAbs
There are currently 4 CGRP mAbs available, and each is detailed and compared below in order of FDA approval and becoming available for use. There are some characteristics for each one which can be used to fine tune selection based on specific patient clinical perspectives. The bottom line is that the CGRP mAbs as a class are all very effective for the majority of patients. Ultimately, the one prescribed will often depend on insurance formulary preferences, but there are no “bad options” among them!
Aimovig (Erenumab)
Aimovig was the first of the CGRP mAbs to come on the scene. It is made by Amgen and was FDA approved for migraine prevention 5/17/18. The antibody is produced by recombinant DNA technology in Chinese hamster ovary cells. It is the only one thus far which targets the CGRP receptor rather that the CGRP ligand (protein) itself. Therefore, it binds to the receptor, blocking the ability of the CGRP ligand to bind to the receptor and activate the migraine. It is dosed by either a 70 mg or 140 mg once monthly subcutaneous autoinjector. Since Aimovig came out first, we have longer term data available for it. At close to 5 years on the 140 mg dose, 77% of patients had a 50% reduction in monthly migraine days, 56% of patients had a 75% reduction in monthly migraine days, and 33% of patients had a 100% reduction in monthly migraine days. The dose can be administered to the abdomen, arm, buttocks, or thigh areas.
In post-marketing observations, there have been some reports of hypersensitivity reactions (rash, allergic reactions, itching) in which most were not serious and occurred within hours of administration, and up to 1 week after. Constipation was noted in the studies to occur in a very small percentage (1% for 70 mg, 3% for 140 mg). In post-marketing observations, there have been further reports of constipation with serious complications as well. Constipation occurs after the first dose in the majority of patients who will have this side effect (keep in mind the vast majority do not). Regardless, if you already have problems with constipation, I typically suggest trying one of the other CGRP mAbs (although it doesn’t mean it still can’t be tried). Post-marketing observations have also shown some worsening of pre-existing hypertension or development of hypertension. This observation was most frequently reported within 7 days of administration. Most of these patients already had pre-existing hypertension, or risk factors for developing it.
There is an Aimovig coupon available on the company’s website in which most commercial insurance plans can get the medication for $5 per month, with the first 3 doses free.
Ajovy (Fremanezumab)
Ajovy was the 2nd of the CGRP mAbs to come along. It is made by Teva and was FDA approved for migraine prevention 9/14/18. It is produced by recombinant DNA technology in Chinese hamster ovary cells. It targets the CGRP ligand, rather than the CGRP receptor. It binds to the CGRP ligand, interfering with its ability to bind to the CGRP receptor and activate the migraine. It is dosed by either a 225 mg once monthly or 675 mg once quarterly autoinjector or syringe. The dose can be administered to the abdomen, arm, buttocks, or thigh areas. There have been some reports of hypersensitivity reactions (rash, allergic reactions, itching) as well, typically mild to moderate and occurred hours to 1 month after administration. Ajovy has the least potential for constipation, so if that is an ongoing significant issue for a patient, then I typically suggest trying Ajovy first. Ajovy also has the longest half-life, so if the patient tends to wear off early towards the end of the month, it may help to extend relief closer to the next monthly injection.
Of note, in the Ajovy chronic migraine studies, all patients receiving medication were given a loading dose of 675 mg for dose 1 followed by the standard 225 mg each subsequent month. However, this is not how it is normally dosed clinically for patients doing monthly treatments of 225 mg (no loading dose). Therefore, this initial loading dose could have potentially influenced some of the subsequent data.
There is an Ajovy coupon available on the company’s website in which most commercial insurance plans can get the medication for $5 per month.
Emgality (Galcanezumab)
Emgality was the 3rd of the CGRP mAbs to come along. It is made by Eli Lilly and was FDA approved for migraine prevention 9/26/18. Notably, it is the only one which also has FDA approval for prevention of episodic cluster headache, which was received on 6/4/19. It is produced by recombinant DNA technology in Chinese hamster ovary cells. It targets the CGRP ligand, rather than the CGRP receptor. Thus, it binds to the CGRP ligand, interfering with its ability to bind to the CGRP receptor and activate the migraine. It is dosed by a 240 mg subcutaneous autoinjector for the 1st month only, followed by a 120 mg once monthly injection thereafter. The higher initial loading dose allows for obtaining a rapid steady state concentration level in the blood compared to Aimovig and Ajovy. The dose can be administered to the abdomen, arm, buttocks, or thigh areas. There have been some reports of hypersensitivity reactions (rash, allergic reactions, itching) as well.
There is an Emgality coupon available on the company’s website in which most commercial insurance plans can get the medication for $0 per month for up to 12 months.
Vyepti (Eptinezumab)
Vyepti was the 4th and most recent of the CGRP mAbs to become available. It is made by Lundbeck and was FDA approved for migraine prevention 2/21/20. The antibody is produced in Pichia pastoris yeast cells by recombinant DNA technology. It targets the CGRP ligand, rather than the CGRP receptor. It binds very strongly to the CGRP ligand, interfering with its ability to bind to the CGRP receptor and activate the migraine. It comes in 100 mg and 300 mg doses and is dosed once quarterly (every 3 months) by a quick 30-minute infusion. The 100 mg dose is the recommended starting dose which can be titrated as needed to the higher dose later.
This is the only intravenous (IV) option available. Since it is administered IV, it is 100% bioavailable compared to the bioavailability of the other subcutaneous injections of 50-82%. It also reaches Cmax (maximum concentration) in about 30 minutes compared to 5-7 days of the other subcutaneous injections. Therefore, not surprisingly Vyepti showed treatment benefit in the first 7 days, often as early as 1 day post treatment, and showed continued effect through week 4, which is great since many patients on the once monthly self-injection CGRP mAbs often report a wearing off effect as they are approaching their next due injection.
This is certainly a good first line consideration, but also a good option for patients who do not like the thought of giving themselves a once monthly shot, have injection site reactions, or have failed the other CGRP mAbs options. Studies have shown some impressive highlights compared to other mAbs. In both the chronic and episodic migraine studies, almost 31% of patients had 75% or more reduction in migraine days in the 1st month alone. In the chronic migraine studies, about 27% of patients had a 75% or more reduction in migraine days over the first 3 months with 100 mg. After the 2nd dose (months 4-6), this increased to over 39% of patients! In the episodic migraine studies, over 22% of patients had a 75% or more reduction in migraine days over the first 3 months with 100 mg. After the 2nd dose (months 4-6), this increased to over 33.5% of patients.
There is a Vyepti coupon available on the company’s website in which most commercial insurance plans can get the medication for $5 per infusion every 3 months.
Data comparisons of the CGRP mAbs
The comprehensive table which follows compares all available data between the 4 CGRP mAbs, as I have compiled from a combination of published studies, scientific posters, and supplemental data provided from medical science liaisons from each company. I have highlighted some of the data throughout the table when it is a unique aspect or superior response in that category. All 4 CGRP mAbs have variable highlights that makes them stand out from the others in various categories, but overall they are all very effective options as a medication class. It is important to realize that the data compiled in the table should not be considered as a direct head to head comparison between the medications, and not all data points were looked at for each drug. For each CGRP mAb, there were variations and differences in many trial aspects such as the study designs, how responder rates were calculated, statistical analysis used, trial endpoints, some responses were based on open label portions of trials (in which patients typically report a higher response rate when they know they are receiving the drug and not placebo), varying definitions such as “headache of at least moderate severity”, what defined a “headache” or “migraine day”, preventive medications being used simultaneously, and baseline migraine frequencies included in the studies. The extent of reduction in migraine days can be influenced by the patient’s baseline migraine frequency in both the episodic and chronic migraine studies (high frequency vs lower frequency). For example, some studies included patients with a much higher baseline migraine frequency, and thus the extent of their migraine day reduction may not be as great as a group studied with a lower baseline frequency to start with.
Aimovig (Erenumab)
Ajovy (Fremanezumab)
Emgality (Galcanezumab)
Vyepti (Eptinezumab)
Dosing
70 mg or 140 mg once monthly by subcutaneous autoinjector
225 mg once monthly or 675 mg once quarterly by autoinjector or syringe
240 mg subcutaneous autoinjector for 1st month followed by 120 mg monthly
100 mg or 300 mg quarterly by 30-minute intravenous (IV) infusion
Target
CGRP receptor
CGRP ligand
CGRP ligand
CGRP ligand
Half-life
28 days
31 days
27 days
27 days
Median Peak Serum Concentration
6 days
5-7 days
5 days
30 minutes (after infusion)
Steady State
3 months
168 days (6 months)
After the 240 mg loading dose
After 1st dose
Bioavailability
82%
54-57%
N/A
100%
Episodic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in month 1
70 mg: -2.32 days
140 mg: -2.72 days Placebo: -0.9 days
675 mg quarterly: -3.3 days
225 mg monthly: -3.5 days
Placebo: -1.7 days
N/A
N/A
Episodic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in months 1-3
N/A
675 mg quarterly: -3.7 days
225 mg monthly: -3.4 days
Placebo: -2.2 days
*Months 1-3 in long term extension study (open label):
675 mg quarterly: -4.7 days
225 mg monthly: -4.8 days
120 mg monthly: -4.1 days
Placebo: -2.1 days
100 mg: -3.9 days
300 mg: -4.3 days
Placebo: -3.2 days
Episodic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in months 4-6
70 mg: -3.2 +/- 0.2 days
140 mg: -3.7 +/- 0.2 days
Placebo: -1.8 +/- 0.2 days
N/A
120 mg monthly: -5 days
Placebo: -3 days
100 mg: -4.5 days
300 mg: -4.8 days
Placebo: -3.8 days
Episodic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in months 1-6
N/A
675 mg quarterly: -5 days
225 mg monthly: -4.9 days
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-6 open label
120 mg: -4.3-4.7 days
Placebo: -2.3-2.8 days
N/A
Episodic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in months 1-12
70 mg: -4.22 +/- 0.22 days
140 mg: -4.64 +/- 0.19 days
Placebo: -1.8 days
675 mg quarterly: -5.2 days
225 mg monthly: -5.1 days
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-12 open label
120 mg: -5.13 days
*12 month safety study with no placebo
100 mg: -4.6 days
300 mg: -5.2 days
Placebo: -4 days
*Reported as months 7-12
Episodic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in month 1
70 mg: 32.7%
140 mg: 35.5% Placebo: 15.5%
675 mg quarterly: 44%
225 mg monthly: 47% Placebo: 25%
120 mg: 50.8%
Placebo: 23.7%
100 mg: 59.3%
300 mg: 56.3%
Placebo: 40.5%
Episodic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-3
70 mg: 41.3%
140 mg: 48.1% Placebo: 26.3%
675 mg quarterly: 44.4%
225 mg monthly: 47.7% Placebo: 27.9%
*At month 3 alone (not averaged over months 1-3):
675 mg quarterly: 49%
225 mg monthly: 51% Placebo: 37%
*At month 3 in long term extension study (open label):
675 mg quarterly: 59%
225 mg monthly: 61%
120 mg: 55%
Placebo: 32%
*At month 2 alone:
120 mg: 54.1%
Placebo: 34.5%
*At month 3 alone:
120 mg: 57.7%
Placebo: 37.9%
100 mg: 49.8%
300 mg: 56.3%
Placebo: 37.4%
Episodic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in months 4-6
70 mg: 43%
140 mg: 50%
Placebo: 26.6%
N/A
120 mg: 67%
Placebo: 43%
*At month 4 alone:
120 mg: 65.2%
Placebo: 41.9%
*At month 5 alone:
120 mg: 68.6%
Placebo: 43.7%
*At month 6 alone:
120 mg: 66%
Placebo: 44.8%
100 mg: 62%
300 mg: 65.3%
Placebo: 51.4%
Episodic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-6
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 65%
225 mg monthly: 60%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-6 open label, data is at month 6
120 mg: 59.3-62.3% days
Placebo: 36-38.6%
N/A
Episodic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-12
70 mg: 61%
140 mg: 64.9% Placebo: N/A
675 mg quarterly: 66%
225 mg monthly: 68%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-12 open label, data is at month 12
N/A
100 mg: 64.7%
300 mg: 69.4%
Placebo: 55.9%
*Reported as months 7-12
Episodic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in month 1
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 20%
225 mg monthly: 22% Placebo: 10%
120 mg: 25.7%
Placebo: 6.5%
100 mg: 30.8%
300 mg: 31.5%
Placebo: 20.3%
Episodic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-3
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 18.4%
225 mg monthly: 18.5% Placebo: 9.7%
*At month 3 alone (not averaged over months 1-3):
675 mg quarterly: 30%
225 mg monthly: 29% Placebo: 10%
120 mg: 30%
Placebo: 14%
*At month 2 alone:
120 mg: 31.2%
Placebo: 11%
*At month 3 alone:
120 mg: 34.2%
Placebo: 12.8%
100 mg: 22.2%
300 mg: 29.7%
Placebo: 16.2%
Episodic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in months 4-6
70 mg: 20.8%
140 mg: 22%
Placebo: 7.9%
N/A
120 mg: 42%
Placebo: 24%
*At month 4 alone:
120 mg: 41.6%
Placebo: 15.2%
*At month 5 alone:
120 mg: 41.4%
Placebo: 15.5%
*At month 6 alone:
120 mg: 43.9%
Placebo: 15.8%
100 mg: 33.5%
300 mg: 40.1%
Placebo: 24.8%
Episodic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-6
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 39%
225 mg monthly: 37%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-6 open label, data is at month 6
120 mg: 33.5-38.8%
Placebo: 17.8%-19.3%
N/A
Episodic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-12
70 mg: 38.5%
140 mg: 40.8% Placebo: N/A
675 mg quarterly: 42%
225 mg monthly: 45%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-12 open label, data is at month 12
N/A
100 mg: 41.2%
300 mg: 47.7%
Placebo: 32%
*Reported as months 7-12
Episodic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in month 1
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 5%
225 mg monthly: 8% Placebo: 2%
120 mg: 8.8%
Placebo: 2.2%
100 mg: 8.6%
300 mg: 14.9%
Placebo: 5.9%
Episodic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in months 1-3
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 0.7%
225 mg monthly: 2.4% Placebo: 0%
120 mg: 11%
Placebo: 4%
*At month 2 alone:
120 mg: 11.8%
Placebo: 3.7%
*At month 3 alone:
120 mg: 12.2%
Placebo: 7.3%
100 mg: 11.4%
300 mg: 16.8%
Placebo: 9.1%
Episodic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in months 4-6
70 mg: 3.2%
140 mg: 5%
Placebo: 2.8%
N/A
120 mg: 17%
Placebo: 9%
*At month 4 alone:
120 mg: 16.3%
Placebo: 8.5%
*At month 5 alone:
120 mg: 17.6%
Placebo: 8.7%
*At month 6 alone:
120 mg: 16.5%
Placebo: 9.5%
100 mg: 19.8%
300 mg: 24.5%
Placebo: 14.3%
Episodic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in months 1-6
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 18%
225 mg monthly: 20%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-6 open label, data is at month 6
120 mg: 11.5-15.6%
Placebo: 5.7-6.2%
N/A
Episodic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in months 1-12
70 mg: 19.8%
140 mg: 21.2% Placebo: N/A
675 mg quarterly: 17%
225 mg monthly: 21%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-12 open label, data is at month 12
N/A
100 mg: 26.8%
300 mg: 30.6%
Placebo: 20.5%
*Reported as months 7-12
Chronic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in month 1
70 mg: -5 +/- 0.42 days
140 mg: -5.1 +/- 0.42 days
Placebo: -2.7 +/- 0.34 days
675 mg quarterly: -4.8 days
225 mg monthly: -4.7 days
Placebo: -2.7 days
120 mg: -4.06
Placebo: -1.78
N/A
Chronic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in months 1-3
70 mg: -6.6 +/- 0.4 days
140 mg: -6.6 +/- 0.4 days
Placebo: -4.2 +/- 0.4 days
675 mg quarterly: -5 days
225 mg monthly: -4.9 days
Placebo: -3.2 days
*Months 1-3 in long term extension study (open label):
675 mg quarterly: -6 days
225 mg monthly: -6.7 days
120 mg: -4.8 days
Placebo -2.7 days
*At month 2 alone:
120 mg: -5.01
Placebo: -3.04
*At month 3 alone:
120 mg: -5.41
Placebo: -3.39
100 mg: -7.7 days
300 mg: -8.2 days
Placebo: -5.6 days
Chronic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in months 4-6
N/A
N/A
N/A
100 mg: -8.2 days
300 mg: -8.8 days
Placebo: -6.2 days
Chronic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in months 1-6
N/A
675 mg quarterly: -6.5 days
225 mg monthly: -7.6 days
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-6 open label
N/A
N/A
Chronic migraine: Reduction in mean monthly migraine days in months 1-12
70 mg: -8.5 days
140 mg: -10.5 days
Combined 70 mg and 140 mg: -9.3 days
Placebo: N/A
675 mg quarterly: -7.2 days
225 mg monthly: -8 days
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-12 open label
120 mg: -7.21
*12 month safety study with no placebo
N/A
Chronic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in month 1
70 mg: 23.9%
140 mg: 28.3% Placebo: 11.4%
675 mg quarterly: 33%
225 mg monthly: 36%
Placebo: 19%
120 mg: 26.4%
Placebo 11%
100 mg: 54.5%
300 mg: 60.6%
Placebo: 36.1%
Chronic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-3
70 mg: 40%
140 mg: 41%
Placebo: 23%
675 mg quarterly: 30.7%
225 mg monthly: 33.3%
Placebo: 19.9%
*At month 3 alone (not averaged over months 1-3):
675 mg quarterly: 37%
225 mg monthly: 39% Placebo: 25%
*At month 3 in long term extension study (open label):
675 mg quarterly: 42%
225 mg monthly: 48%
120 mg: 27.6%
Placebo 15.4%
*At month 2 alone:
120 mg: 30.7%
Placebo: 17.7%
*At month 3 alone:
120 mg: 35.2%
Placebo: 24.7%
100 mg: 57.6%
300 mg: 61.4%
Placebo: 39.3%
Chronic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in months 4-6
N/A
N/A
N/A
100 mg: 61%
300 mg: 64%
Placebo: 44%
Chronic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-6
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 44%
225 mg monthly: 54%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-6 open label, data is at month 6
N/A, however:
*At month 6 in open label extension trial:
120 mg: 44.5%
N/A
Chronic migraine:
50% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-12
70 mg: 53.3%
140 mg: 67.3%
Combined 70 mg and 140 mg: 59%
Placebo: N/A
675 mg quarterly: 53%
225 mg monthly: 57%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-12 open label, data is at month 12
N/A, however:
*At month 9 in open label extension trial:
120 mg: 53.9%
*At month 12 in open label extension trial:
120 mg: 56.9%
N/A
Chronic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in month 1
N/A
Month 1 in long term extension study (open label):
675 mg quarterly: 21%
225 mg monthly: 21%
N/A
100 mg: 30.9%
300 mg: 36.9%
Placebo: 15.6%
Chronic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-3
70 mg: 17%
140 mg: 20.9% Placebo: 7.8%
675 mg quarterly: 9.6%
225 mg monthly: 12.3%
Placebo: 5.4%
*At month 3 in long term extension study (open label):
675 mg quarterly: 20%
225 mg monthly: 24%
120 mg: 7%
Placebo 4.5%
100 mg: 26.7%
300 mg: 33.1%
Placebo: 15%
Chronic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in months 4-6
N/A
N/A
N/A
100 mg: 39.3%
300 mg: 43.1%
Placebo: 23.8%
Chronic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-6
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 28%
225 mg monthly: 24%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-6 open label, data is at month 6
N/A, however:
*At month 6 in open label extension trial:
120 mg: 21.7%
N/A
Chronic migraine:
75% or more reduction in migraine days in months 1-12
70 mg: 27.1%
140 mg: 41.8%
Combined 70 mg and 140 mg: 33.2%
Placebo: N/A
675 mg quarterly: 28%
225 mg monthly: 31%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-12 open label, data is at month 12
N/A, however:
*At month 9 in open label extension trial:
120 mg: 27.9%
*At month 12 in open label extension trial:
120 mg: 31.1%
N/A
Chronic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in month 1
N/A
Month 1 in long term extension study (open label):
675 mg quarterly: 6%
225 mg monthly: 5%
N/A
100 mg: 7.9%
300 mg: 13.4%
Placebo: 2.7%
Chronic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in months 1-3
70 mg: 4.3%
140 mg: 2.7%
Placebo: 0.4%
675 mg quarterly: 5.3%
225 mg monthly: 4.5%
Placebo: 4%
*At month 3 in long term extension study (open label):
675 mg quarterly: 5%
225 mg monthly: 6%
120 mg: 0.7%
Placebo 0.5%
100 mg: 10.8%
300 mg: 15.1%
Placebo: 5.1%
Chronic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in months 4-6
N/A
N/A
N/A
100 mg: 17.8%
300 mg: 20.8%
Placebo: 9.3%
Chronic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in months 1-6
N/A
675 mg quarterly: 8%
225 mg monthly: 8%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-6 open label, data is at month 6
N/A
N/A
Chronic migraine:
100% reduction in migraine days in months 1-12
70 mg: 6.1%
140 mg: 12.7%
Combined 70 mg and 140 mg: 8.9%
Placebo: N/A
675 mg quarterly: 9%
225 mg monthly: 10%
*months 1-3 placebo, months 4-12 open label, data is at month 12
N/A
N/A
Side effects:
Nasopharyngitis
70 mg: 3-9.9%
140 mg: 2-11%
Placebo 6-10%
675 mg quarterly: 5-8%
225 mg monthly: <1-8%
Placebo: 4-9%
120 mg: 7.4%
Placebo: 6.5%
100 mg: 6%
300 mg: 8%
Placebo: 6%
Side effects:
Hypersensitivity reactions
70 mg: <1%
140 mg: <1%
Placebo : <1%
675 mg quarterly: <1%
225 mg monthly: <1%
Placebo: <1%
120 mg: 1%
Placebo: 1%
100 mg: 1%
300 mg: 2%
Placebo: 0%
Side effects:
Constipation
70 mg: 1%
140 mg: 3%
Placebo 1%
675 mg quarterly: <1%
225 mg monthly: <1%
Placebo: <1%
120 mg: 1%
Placebo: <1%
100 mg: <1%
300 mg: <1%
Placebo: <1%
Side effects:
Cramps, muscle spasms
70 mg: <1%
140 mg: 2%
Placebo <1%
675 mg quarterly: <1%
225 mg monthly: <1%
Placebo: <1%
120 mg: <1%
Placebo: <1%
100 mg: <1%
300 mg: <1%
Placebo: <1%
Side effects:
Injection site reactions
70 mg: 6%
140 mg: 5%
Placebo 3%
675 mg quarterly: 18-19%
225 mg monthly: 23%
Placebo: 4%
120 mg: 18%
Placebo: 13%
N/A
IF YOU HAVE HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN AND ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS ON ANYTHING RELATED TO IT, A HEADACHE SPECIALIST IS HERE TO HELP, FOR FREE!
FIRST, LET’S DECIDE WHERE TO START:
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Migraine is a very disruptive disorder to have to deal with. It interferes with patients’ family, work, and social lives. When the burden of migraine becomes excessive on one or more of these life aspects, preventive migraine therapy should be used. In general, if someone is averaging more than 4 migraines per month, preventive treatment should be offered and discussed, although this number is not an absolute. For example, if someone has 1 migraine per month, but it wipes them out for 1 week and they are missing work, there are certainly variations on when preventive medications should be considered, such as this scenario. If the decision to use a preventive migraine medication has been made, there are several important factors to keep in mind in order to optimize treatment success, as discussed below.
So this blog will focus on migraine preventive meds and treatments, which are a continuous treatment such as a daily pill or a monthly/quarterly treatment such as CGRP mAbs, all of which are detailed below. The goal of migraine preventive treatment is to lessen the frequency and/or severity of migraine attacks. This is in contrast to migraine abortive/acute (as needed) options such as triptans, gepants and ditans. The goal of migraine abortive treatments is to stop individual migraine attacks at onset so the migraine does not reach full severity, ends quickly, and your function is restored and maintained rather than having to go lay down and miss the whole day in bed. If you have migraine, you want to have both a good abortive and preventive treatment plan to lessen migraine’s nasty habit of interfering and disrupting life and function.
TIME
Any preventive medication needs an adequate “therapeutic trial”. In short, you need to be patient and give it enough time to work, as well as get to the correct dose. I see patients all the time that tell me their doctor put them on a medication (usually at too low of a dose), and they stopped it after 3 weeks because it “wasn’t doing anything”. Well, it’s not going to do anything that soon, and that is too early to expect any significant improvement. In general, any preventive medication needs 4-6 weeks to begin working, and 2-3 months until full effect is seen (assuming a good dose has been reached). A good rule of thumb is evaluation of response a minimum of 8 weeks after reaching a target therapeutic dose. If there is a partial response at that time, it’s possible that cumulative benefit can continue to occur over 6-12 months. So the decision on whether to continue really depends on how much benefit has been received, and how well the the patient is tolerating the medication. Unfortunately, there is no way to expedite this process. That doesn’t mean the treatment can’t work sooner. However, that is the standard duration of treatment for a medication to have had a fair trial. Finding a migraine preventive is often a trial and error process. If a treatment is not starting to help by at least 8 weeks at a good dose, changing to a different therapy is suggested. However, once an effective treatment is found, the wait is well worth the decline of migraine frequency and severity!
DOSE
In addition to an adequate trial duration, an adequate trial dose is also necessary. For example, a common first line medication used for migraine prevention is Topiramate (which is also FDA approved for migraine prevention). I often see patients who come in on 25 mg or 50 mg and have been on that dose for a year or more without much benefit. I discuss with them that the goal dose is at least 100 mg total daily dose, so the dose is too low. For example, in the migraine preventive trials, once patients reached 100 mg and had been at that dose specifically for at least 4 weeks, that is when improvement of statistical significance began. So, I typically start 25 mg at bedtime for 1 week. Then each week increase by 25 mg at bedtime until 100 mg is reached, and then I give a 100 mg pill to begin. I tell them if there is no improvement starting after at least 4 weeks from reaching the 100 mg dose specifically, let me know. I usually dose it all at bedtime which can help limit side effect potential (since you’ll be sleeping). However, it is generally meant to be taken as a twice daily medicine (such as 50 mg twice daily), and most patients tolerate that fine too.
With that said, patients can certainly respond to low doses of medications. However, if improvement has been minimal after a month of a lower dose, it is always a good idea to begin titration up to a better dose. The American Headache Society and American Academy of Neurology published guidelines of migraine preventive medications which includes common goal dose targets for some of these preventive medications here.
TREATMENT SELECTION
There are many preventive treatments used, although most of them are considered “off-label” for migraine prevention. This means they are not actually FDA approved for migraine prevention, but there is enough evidence based on research trials or clinical experience to warrant them as a valid option to try. As far as true FDA approved oral (pills by mouth) preventive medications, there are 4 available that have this distinction; Topiramate, Divalproex, Propranolol, and Timolol. There are also a number of natural migraine treatments with supplements which have evidence for migraine prevention, and those are detailed and discussed here.
So, let’s discuss migraine prevention medicine. The categories of oral preventive migraine medications all sound bizarre. They consist of anti-seizure (anti-convulsant), anti-depressant/anti-anxiety, and anti-hypertension (blood pressure) medications. It is important for patients to know that the medicine is being used specifically for migraine. I often see patients who say they didn’t start the medicine their doctor prescribed because they got home, Googled it, and they tell me, “I’m not depressed”. I explain the reasoning for the medication and that it is not for depression, but for migraine prevention since there are overlapping electrical pathways between many of these types of disorders. Furthermore, there are select medications within each of these categories that have evidence from trials and clinical experience for migraine prevention, as listed here and here. For patients that have chronic migraine (15 or more headache days per month with 8 or more days having migrainous features), Botox is another highly effective option to consider.
It is also important to know that the medications in each of these medication classes are not a “one size fits all” for every medicine within that category. For example, there is no good evidence for migraine prevention in the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication category (Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Escitalopram, Citalopram, etc.). However, there is evidence for benefit in some of the SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) such as Venlafaxine XR, Duloxetine, as well as some of the TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants), primarily Amitriptyline and Nortriptyline. Similarly, there are select medications within the anti-seizure/anti-convulsant category which have the best evidence (Topiramate, Divalproex), as well as the anti-hypertension category (Propranolol, Metoprolol, Atenolol, Nadolol, Verapamil).
There are now 4 monoclonal antibody CGRP receptor antagonists which have this FDA approval for migraine prevention also. Three of them are once monthly auto/self-injections (Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality), and one is a once quarterly (every 3 months) 30 minute IV (intravenous) infusion (Vyepti). In general, these are an option for those with 4 or more migraines per month on average. The great thing about these treatment options as opposed to standard pill options is that they do not require a gradual dose escalation, they tend to have a much more rapid onset of improvement, and they have very low side effect risk. These medications are all discussed in much greater detail and comparison here.
Neuromodulatory devices that are FDA cleared for migraine prevention are also available and include sTMS (SAVI, SpringTMS, sTMS mini), eTNS (CEFALY), and nVNS (GAMMACORE), all of which are discussed in much greater detail here. There are also nutraceuticals and supplements which have good evidence for migraine prevention. Yoga, relaxation and wellness therapies are also helpful in migraine prevention.
An exciting development is that there are 2 migraine preventive medications in the new gepant classification which are currently in clinical trials, and showing good evidence of effectiveness. They are both oral pills and include Atogepant and Rimegepant (currently FDA approved for abortive migraine treatment under the name Nurtec ODT 75 mg). So these will open up another new class of preventive migraine medications engineered purely for migraine treatment! Notably, Biohaven submitted a request to the FDA in October 2020 to approve Rimegepant as a preventive migraine treatment, in addition to its current migraine abortive FDA approved indication. On 5/27/21, Nurtec ODT made history as the first and only FDA approved medication for BOTH abortive and preventive migraine treatment simultaneously, and the only option with this flexibility! This new dual abortive and preventive therapy option can be read about in more detailhere. This move followed clinical trials showing that patients taking 75 mg of Rimegepant every other day experienced a 4.3 day reduction from baseline in monthly migraine days.
When choosing a preventive treatment, I like to fine-tune the treatment to “hit as many birds with one stone”. In other words, pick something that will not only help with migraine prevention, but may also help with other medical conditions at the same time. Doing this can allow you to help minimize the number of medications used overall, by using something with benefit for several disorders in addition to the migraine. For example, if someone has depression or anxiety, targeting their migraine preventive medication with an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety category would make sense. If the patient has other chronic musculoskeletal pain issues, fibromyalgia, occipital neuralgia, etc., the SNRIs and the TCAs are good considerations. If the patient has insomnia, Amitriptyline or Nortriptyline are great options. If they have seizures, an anti-seizure medication such as Topiramate or Divalproex would make sense. If they are overweight, Topiramate also causes weight loss. Divalproex is another anti-seizure medicine which is also FDA approved for migraine prevention. However, this should be avoided when possible in young women of child-bearing age given the high risk of congenital birth defects while taking it (and most pregnancies are unplanned).
Here are some treatment considerations to take into account for migraine preventive therapy in addition to the following medical conditions the patient may also have:
-Obese/Overweight: Topiramate (Topamax), Topiramate ER/XR (extended release, Trokendi or Qudexy XR), Zonisamide (Zonegran): All can cause weight loss, which can be helpful in overweight patients. However, use with caution if patient is extremely thin to limit further weight loss. If they improve with Topamax, but have Topamax side effects (numbness and tingling, word-finding difficulty, speech disturbances, memory and cognitive disturbances, mood changes), changing to Topiramate ER/XR (extended release) or Zonisamide tend to have similar benefit with less side effects. Women who are on oral contraceptive pills are often warned prematurely by their pharmacist that Topiramate will effect their oral contraceptive. This is partly true. Topiramate at a daily dose of 200 mg or less does not interact with oral contraceptives according to this study, but it can at higher doses which could potentially decrease effectiveness. However, the goal dose for effective migraine prevention is typically 100 mg per day, well below that 200 mg dose that could impact effectiveness of the oral contraceptive. I would avoid Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline since there is a risk of weight gain for some.
-Underweight/Excessively thin: Side effects of Nortriptyline and Amitriptyline can occasionally be weight gain (but not necessarily), but this may be beneficial in some patients.
-Depression and/or anxiety: Venlafaxine ER, Duloxetine, Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, Desvenlafaxine
-Mood disorder such as bipolar or psychosis: Divalproex, Topiramate, Carbamazepine
-Anxiety without depression: Venlafaxine ER, Amitriptyline, Duloxetine, Nortriptyline, Desvenlafaxine, Propranolol
-Insomnia: Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline
-Fatigue/Low energy: Venlafaxine ER, Duloxetine (these can be energizing for many, so are best taken in morning)
-Pregnancy: This one is tricky since the goal during pregnancy is to minimize the use of as many medications as possible. Mindfulness treatments such as yoga and meditation are always good recommendations. With that said, the first line option we typically begin with is magnesium supplementation of 400-800 mg daily. If a prescription medication is needed, cyproheptadine 4 mg at bedtime has been a long time medicine used in this scenario, and it can be titrated to 4 mg three times daily if needed. The good thing with pregnancy is that migraines improve in about 2/3rd of women (especially 2nd and 3rd trimester), and it is not uncommon to hear that migraines resolved during pregnancy. So many times a preventive treatment may not even be needed. For menstrually related migraine outside of pregnancy, further discussions and treatment considerations can be read here.
-Epilepsy: Topiramate, Topiramate ER/XR (extended release), Divalproex, Carbamazepine, and Zonisamide are the anticonvulsant medications we see most useful for migraine prevention. In fact, Topiramate and Divalproex are also FDA approved for migraine prevention. If patients improve with Topiramate but have side effects, changing to Topiramate ER/XR (extended release) or Zonisamide tend to have similar benefit with less side effects. Women who are on oral contraceptive pills are often warned prematurely by their pharmacist that Topiramate will effect their oral contraceptive. This is partly true. Topiramate at a daily dose of 200 mg or less does not interact with oral contraceptives according to this study, but it can at higher doses which could potentially decrease effectiveness. However, the goal dose for effective migraine prevention is typically 100 mg per day, well below that 200 mg dose that could impact effectiveness of the oral contraceptive.
-Averaging 15 or more headache days per month with at least 8 of those days having any migrainous features (throbbing, nausea, sensitivity to light (photophobia) or sound (phonophobia)) for 3 or more consecutive months (chronic migraine):Botox (Onabotulinumtoxin-A) injections every 3 months according to the PREEMPT chronic migraine treatment protocol. This is the only truly FDA approved medication for prevention of chronic migraine as of 2010. Any of the above listed medications are also options to consider, and most insurances will require failure of at least 2 classes of preventative oral medications before Botox is approved anyway, but this varies by insurance.
EXPECTATIONS
Expectations in migraine management are important. If your expectation is that your migraines will stop completely when you use preventive medications, you will be sorely disappointed. Of course it can certainly happen, but that is rare and should never be the expectation or goal. The goal of preventive therapy is a decrease in migraine frequency and/or severity of attacks (optimally both) to some extent to make them more tolerable and less intrusive into life. A general goal is 50% improvement in frequency and/or severity. Some patients can get much more than that, while others get much less (which would signal trials of a different medication class). With that said, success with migraine preventive benefit can also be considered in significant decreases is migraine attack duration or severity, reduction in migraine associated disability, improving the patient’s functioning in various areas of life, improvements in quality of life, and improvement in acute treatment responses. In general, studies estimate that about 45% of patients on conventional preventive therapy (such as oral medications) receive 50% reduction in monthly migraine days. Thus, 55% will receive less improvement than this. The CGRP mAbs tend to have a higher rate of improvement then conventional treatments as detailed here.
WHEN TO STOP
There is no absolute answer of when to stop preventive therapy. It depends on how well one is doing, how long they have been doing well, and how much they want to get rid of treatments. Some people want off as soon as they can, others prefer to stay on for years since they are doing very well with few migraines, and don’t want to “rock the boat”. In general, the goal is to continue preventive therapy until the patient is doing significantly better for at least 3 months, but preferably closer to 6 months or so. I always make sure to tell patients that preventive medicines or treatments are not necessarily meant to be a life-long commitment. Rather, we use these treatments to “reboot” and “reset” the brain’s electrical system to have less frequent and/or severe migraines, and then try to sneak away off the medications once they are consistently doing better.
IF YOU HAVE HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN AND ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS ON ANYTHING RELATED TO IT, A HEADACHE SPECIALIST IS HERE TO HELP, FOR FREE!
FIRST, LET’S DECIDE WHERE TO START:
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN DIAGNOSIS AND ARE LOOKING FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION, HOT TOPICS, AND TREATMENT TIPS, VISIT OUR FREE BLOG OF HOT TOPICS AND HEADACHE TIPS HERE. THIS IS WHERE I WRITE AND CONDENSE A BROAD VARIETY OF COMMON AND COMPLEX MIGRAINE AND HEADACHE RELATED TOPICS INTO THE IMPORTANT FACTS AND HIGHLIGHTS YOU NEED TO KNOW, ALONG WITH PROVIDING FIRST HAND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A HEADACHE SPECIALIST.
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN DIAGNOSIS AND ARE LOOKING FOR FURTHER EDUCATION AND SELF-RESEARCH ON YOUR DIAGNOSIS, VISIT OUR FREE EDUCATION CENTER HERE.
In order to discuss persistent migraine aura without infarction or migrainous infarction, it is crucial to understand migraine pathophysiology, which involves a multitude of complex processes throughout the cortex, brainstem, and cerebral vasculature. The pathophysiology of migraine has evolved from the vascular theory to the neurovascular theory of migraine. The older vascular theory proposed by Wolff viewed migraine as beginning with cerebral vasospasm causing focal ischemic (lack of blood flow) symptoms (aura) followed by extra and/or intracranial hyperperfusion (excess blood flow) from vasodilatation leading to the migraine pain. 2 This theory made good sense for how stroke or persistent neurological symptoms could develop, from the period of cerebral vasospasm and constriction. However, in later studies of migraine with aura, regional hypoperfusion developed before and outlasted focal neurologic symptoms, and this dissociation of time, perfusion changes and symptoms indicated that these neurologic symptoms were not caused by truly ischemic blood flow, but rather the apparent hypoperfusion is secondary to a disturbance in brain metabolism. 3-6
Lashley first described his own visual aura and hypothesized that the aura was due to a spreading abnormality migrating over the visual cortex at a rate of 3-5 mm per minute in 1941. 7 In 1944, Leão described spreading depression as a wave beginning with a brief neuronal burst associated with transient increased blood flow followed by a longer lasting neuronal electrical suppression with decreased blood flow in an animal model. 8-10 Subsequent studies confirmed this initial focal hyperemia followed by posteriorly to anteriorly spreading oligaemia (reduced blood flow) and regional cerebral blood flow reduction, which does not reach critical ischemic values, in a wave-like manner at approximately 2-5 mm per minute. This spreading regional cerebral blood flow reduction is independent of arterial territories, and does not cross cytoarchitectural borders or neuronal discontinuity such as the central sulcus or lateral sulcus, confirming impaired neuronal metabolism with subsequent regional cerebral blood flow reduction, rather than true ischemia. 3-6 This remains the basis for the now current neurovascular theory of migraine.
Most studies have been unable to show significant ischemic cerebral blood flow changes during migraine attacks. Results have shown alterations in cerebral blood volume, relative cerebral blood flow, and tissue mean transit time (MTT) in the grey matter of the occipital cortex contralateral (opposite) to the side of aura during an attack, while others have shown global cerebral blood flow increase, and others have shown hypoperfusion of the whole hemisphere, but never true ischemic hypoperfusion. 11-14 Notably, cerebral blood flow changes correlate poorly with migraine pain, and neurogenic inflammation in the trigemino-vascular system is suspected to be the primary cause of migraine pain, rather than arterial vasodilatation. 11,15
PERSISTENT AURA WITHOUT INFARCTION
The ICHD-3 defines persistent aura without infarction as aura symptoms persisting for 1 week or more without evidence of infarction on neuroimaging. It should occur in a patient with a history of migraine with aura and typical of previous auras except that one or more aura symptoms persist for 1 week or more. Neuroimaging must show no evidence of infarction, and symptoms are not better accounted for by another ICHD-3 diagnosis. The aura symptoms are often bilateral and may last for months or years. It is important to differentiate persistent aura without infarction from symptomatic aura as a result of cerebral migrainous infarction. Aura symptoms lasting more than 1 hour and less than 1 week are classified as probable migraine with aura.
There are two primary types of persistent migraine aura that are described. One is persistent primary visual disturbance in which the patients describe “visual snow” or “television static” in both visual fields in both eyes, and some report additional intermittent scotoma or oscillating lights. 16 The other is persistent migraine aura with typical aura, in which patients describe scotoma, fortification, or oscillation in one hemifield (one side of vision), and does not go away (sometimes also called status aura). 16
The specific pathophysiology of persistent migraine aura without infarction remains unknown, although several theories exist. Some of these theories include low cerebral magnesium levels, abnormal cerebral energy metabolism, greater cerebral reactivity of NMDA receptors to glutamate, lower threshold for triggering cortical spreading depression, low cortical preactivation due to thalamocortical hypoactivity, sustained hyperexcitability of the visual cortex without significant dynamic modulation, sustained cortical neuronal dysfunction, intracortical disinhibition, loss of inhibitory GABA-ergic interneurons resulting in a network imbalance leading to a reverberating cycle of cortical spreading depression (small cortical infarctions below MRI sensitivity in the occipital cortex has been one proposed mechanism), or a combination of any of these possibilities. 16-21
The evaluation for persistent migraine aura without infarction should focus on excluding intracranial pathology, primarily stroke, although other intracranial etiologies need to be excluded. Brain MRI scan is preferable with MRA of the brain and neck (to also assess the arteries), but if medically contraindicated, brain CT scan with CTA of the brain and neck (to assess the arteries) can be pursued. Contrast administration for either type of scan is suggested, although not mandatory. A detailed neuro-ophthalmologic examination is also required. Studies investigating other imaging modalities for persistent migraine aura without infarction, including FDG-PET, MR-PWI, and Tc99m-HMPAO-SPECT, have shown conflicting and inconsistent results.
Treatment for persistent aura without infarction is undefined, and generally based on medication trial and error. The literature reveals an extensive list of medications tried and failed, with most attempting to target neuronal hyperexcitability. Treatments and medications which have been assessed have included anticonvulsants (lamotrigine, topiramate, valproic acid, gabapentin, phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine), benzodiazepines (clonazepam, diazepam), antidepressants (amitriptyline, cymbalta, buspirone, fluoxetine, nortriptyline, sertraline, dothiepin), anti-hypertensive (atenolol, acetazolamide, flunarazine, metoprolol, propranolol, verapamil, nifedipine, nimodipine, furosemide), NSAIDs (acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, diclofenac, indomethacin, naproxen) analgesics (acetaminophen, butalbital, codeine), and a variety of other medications (baclofen, citicholine, ergotamine, ketamine, cyproheptadine, methylphenidate, methylprednisolone, pizotifen, prochlorperazine, promethazine, sumatriptan, memantine). The vast majority of these medications have shown no evidence of benefit. 16 Of them, lamotrigine has shown the most evidence of benefit, while divalproex sodium, baclofen, sertraline, nifedipine, nimodipine, acetylsalicylic acid, and furosemide have reported varying degrees of benefit from complete to partial resolution of symptoms. 16
The ICHD-3 defines migrainous infarction as one or more migraine aura symptoms associated with an ischemic brain lesion in a correlating anatomical clinical territory demonstrated by neuroimaging. It should occur in a patient with a history of migraine with aura and typical of previous attacks except that one or more aura symptoms persists for more than 60 minutes, and it should not be better accounted for by another diagnosis. Clearly associating an ischemic stroke and a migraine attack in a migraine sufferer can be difficult. Cerebral infarction of other etiologies can coexist with migraine, can present with symptoms resembling migraine with aura, or cerebral infarction can occur during an attack of migraine with aura, and this is the only scenario that would be consistent with migrainous infarction.
Migrainous infarction occurs predominantly in the posterior circulation and in younger women. In the Cerebral Abnormalities in Migraine, an Epidemiological Risk Analysis (CAMERA) study, these infarct-like white matter lesions found in migraineurs (primarily in migraine with aura) were predominantly located in the posterior circulation, especially in the cerebellum. 22,23 However, these infarctions are not necessarily considered migrainous infarctions and the mechanisms are unclear.
Multiple studies have confirmed the association with increased stroke risk in women with migraine with aura. Women younger than age 45 who have migraine with aura, have a 2 fold increased risk of stroke. Notably, migraine without aura does not appear to have the same increased risk. This risk increases to 6 fold in the setting of oral contraceptive use containing estrogen, and more than 9 fold with combined smoking and oral contraceptive use. 24Menstrual migraine and the use of hormonal therapy and birth control is discussed in more detail here. Women who are smokers and have migraine with aura should consider estrogen containing oral contraception a contraindication. Oral contraceptive use in non-smoking women with migraine with aura is more controversial. The World Health Organization (WHO) and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) suggest that in non-smoking women under age 35 with migraine with aura, there is an acceptable lower risk of oral contraceptive use. However, if they are over age 35, the risk is unacceptably higher and oral contraceptive use is contraindicated. According to the International Headache Society (IHS), in non-smoking women with migraine with aura who are either younger or older than age 35, taking into account other risk factors should individualize the decision for oral contraceptives. 24 These would include ischemic heart disease, family history of early heart disease at a young age of less than 45 years old, heart disease with concern for emboli such as atrial fibrillation, uncontrolled hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, systemic disease associated with increased stroke (connective tissue disease, sickle cell, hypercoagulability), etc. In women with an increased risk of stroke, and especially with multiple vascular risk factors, non-estrogen methods of birth control such as progesterone-only forms of contraception should be recommended.
Research has also reported that after high blood pressure, migraine with aura was the second strongest single predictor of heart attack and strokes, ahead of diabetes, smoking, obesity, and family history of early heart disease. 25 This increased risk was not seen in migraine without aura. It is not necessarily thought that migraine with aura causes the stroke, but rather it is a marker for young women at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease. However, the reasons for these associations are unclear, likely multifactorial, and clearly need to be further defined. Traditional vascular risk factors such as hypertension, smoking, diabetes and hyperlipidemia still show the strongest contribution to cardiovascular disease, so these should be optimized, especially in those with migraine with aura to reduce risk of both heart disease and stroke. 25
Some theorized mechanisms of migrainous infarction include vasospasm, endothelial dysfunction, vascular endothelium-related hypercoagulability during cortical spreading depression and the aura phase, or genetic alterations of the wall of the small cerebral arterial vessel walls. 26-31
The evaluation for migrainous infarction is similar to that of persistent migraine aura without infarction. By definition, an ischemic infarct in a correlating anatomic area to symptoms should be seen on MRI or CT of the brain. This warrants a further standard stroke evaluation, including imaging of the intra and extracranial vasculature (including carotid arteries), as well as cardiac evaluations beginning with transthoracic echocardiography. Electrocardiogram and telemetry should also be pursued to evaluate for paroxysmal arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation.
Treatment of migrainous infarction is the same as with any ischemic stroke. The initial goal is to evaluate for potentially treatable etiologies (such as cardioembolic source) and treat accordingly. Otherwise, secondary stroke risk factor modifications are the goal and include antiplatelet therapy in combination with optimal control of blood pressure, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, tobacco cessation, and healthy lifestyle changes.
IF YOU HAVE HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN AND ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS ON ANYTHING RELATED TO IT, A HEADACHE SPECIALIST IS HERE TO HELP, FOR FREE!
FIRST, LET’S DECIDE WHERE TO START:
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN DIAGNOSIS AND ARE LOOKING FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION, HOT TOPICS, AND TREATMENT TIPS, VISIT OUR FREE BLOG OF HOT TOPICS AND HEADACHE TIPS HERE. THIS IS WHERE I WRITE AND CONDENSE A BROAD VARIETY OF COMMON AND COMPLEX MIGRAINE AND HEADACHE RELATED TOPICS INTO THE IMPORTANT FACTS AND HIGHLIGHTS YOU NEED TO KNOW, ALONG WITH PROVIDING FIRST HAND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A HEADACHE SPECIALIST.
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR FACIAL PAIN DIAGNOSIS AND ARE LOOKING FOR FURTHER EDUCATION AND SELF-RESEARCH ON YOUR DIAGNOSIS, VISIT OUR FREE EDUCATION CENTER HERE.
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