Interesting News for Migraine Sufferers.

(Originally published in May 2018 Exposure Magazine)

Migraines are a common occurrence for many people. Women suffer them at a higher rate than men. According to the Food and Drug Administration, migraines are three times more common in women than in men and affects more than 10 percent of people worldwide. Drug therapies are super common and are very effective for some people. There are many options for treating migraines; however, drugs are the most common. There is a new drug, recently FDA approved, that has shown very promising results in several early clinical trials. It is considered a preventive drug rather than the traditional treatment drug. It is called Aimovig. This drug has been approved by the FDA for two types of migraine sufferers. It can be prescribed for episodic events, which are occurrences of zero to 14 days per month, and chronic events, which are 15 or more days per month. This drug focuses on preventing the migraine. There are quite a few other drugs in testing in this family of drugs for prevention as well, since the early studies are showing great success. This is great news for people who have migraines regularly.  The only two side effects shown in the clinical trials were soreness at the injection site and constipation. This is probably a small price to pay for relief. Keep in mind that other common causes such as stress, sleep, specific foods in your diet, bright lights, etc. should be monitored and managed as well. Obviously, serious consideration should be given to controlling the factors that could be contributing along with any drug therapies. For more information on Aimovig, other therapies, and the clinical trials etc., visit FDA.gov.