Chronic migraine and ajovy

[Flunarizinequeen]

When I first saw my neurologist in early 2022 I was having over 20 migraine days a month and was in a really bad way with it.

My neurologist put me on flunarizine and several supplements which I’ve been taking since that first appointment. I was given one round of Botox which was unsuccessful so I’m now nearing an appointment for ajovy.

I’ve also been having for the last six months regular migraine emdr treatment which I’ve paid for and have been using the Cephaly device daily on the preventative setting. These two treatments have been very successful.

My migraines have now reduced down to around six migraine days a month which are very much low level and manageable.

My query is would you have the ajovy injection if you were in my position. I’m not technically classed as chronic any more and I’m scared to have it in case it makes me worse again. Usually when ajovy is successful it reduces attacks down to around half a dozen a month, which is where I’m at now.

Please advise what you would do.

I've been on Ajovy for 2 years and it's been an absolute joy. I'm down from 15 migraine days to only an average of 3 days, with a few more days that aren't "crystal clear".

Having said that, it seems that your current treatment is very effective and this must have made a massive difference to your quality of life. With your current treatments, do you have any side effects, have trouble fitting the time taken to use the cefaly into your life, struggle to pay for the emdr treatment? If so, I'd still seriously consider the Ajovy.

I had a few side effects in the first 6 months - I lost more hair than normal and gained some weight (although I was also able to enjoy eating out more often so that may have been a factor). Both of these side effects are no longer an issue. My hair has thickened up again and I'm lighter than when I started the medication.

Ajovy has also been shown to be effective at reducing episodic migraine, so you may have a further reduction. I can dig out the clinical trial data if you haven't already seen it and think it would be handy.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

I have been on ajovy since 2021 but now the St Georges clinic want to take me off it. they won't explain why. there is no NICE support for them taking me off as it works brilliantly - it took me down from 23 migraine days a month to about 11. That's more than 50% reduction in migraine = i think they just want to save money and make me suffer. Hopefully my GP can sort it. Ajovy has been a game changer for me.

I was a chronic migraine sufferer for years. Used to get an average of 15 a month.

Had Ajovy injections for 9 months, which reduced my migraines down to an average of 3 a month, and the actual migraines were much much milder.

For reasons I won't bore you with here (totally unconnected to the migraines and the treatment) I came off the ajovy after nine months.

That was three years ago and amazingly, my migraine levels have stayed low, I get around three a month and they are mostly really mild.