5 questions answered about the revolutionary anti CGRP migraine medication

The migraine treatment called anti CGRP is groundbreaking. Never before has a preventive drug been developed specifically to treat migraines. This medicine is remarkable for several reasons and migraine patients are obviously curious as to how it works and how to get it. Here’s 5 questions answered about the anti CGRP migraine medication.

1. What is CGRP?

CGRP stands for calcitonin gene-related peptide and is a protein in the brain and nervous system. It is also called a neurotransmitter because CGRP contributes to the expansion of body’s blood vessels and plays a part in the activation of pain impulses. CGRP levels rise significantly in the brain during migraine attacks prompting researchers to suspect that CGRP may be cause the pain of the attack.

2. How does the anti CPRP migraine medication work?

This new migraine treatment blocks CGRP’s communication with the brain. The medication is revolutionary because it is the first preventive treatment for migraines. Previously, the drugs given to treat migraines, were used to treat other diseases such as blood pressure medicine. They proved to work on reducing migraines as well but this anti CGRP medication seems to be more effective.

The patient has to self-inject with a subcutaneous auto-injector at home, once every month.

3. How effective is the anti CGRP medication?

Data shows that the injection works quickly, meaning that you will have an effect within 1 week to 3 months. Chronic migraine patients (15 or more headache days per month) experience a reduction of around 6-8 migraine days per month. So during a year, you reduce migraine attacks by at least two and a half months. That is a significant drop!

For patients with episodic migraines (less than 15 headaches per month), the anti CGRP treatment is also very effective. This patient group experience a drop of 2-4 migraine days per month, which means that in a year, you’ll have a month and a half of fewer migraine days.

Studies also show the medication can shorten the migraine attacks. Patients injected with the drug can experience that the triptans work faster and more effectively.

4. What side effects does the anti CGRP treatment have?

One of the great things about this new treatment is that the side effects are very few. Most people do not have side effects. Some experience pain when they inject themselves with the drug. However, the ‘injection pain’ quickly stops again. 1 in 10 patients experience redness, swelling or itching around the injection site which subsides pretty quickly as well. Others experience constipation.

5. How do I get the medication?

How to receive the anti CGRP treatment depends on which country, you live in. In some countries, you pay for it yourself, others get it through health insurance and some get it through the health care system. However, there are a list of requirements that you need to meet in order to get the medication. Ask your doctor or neurologist if you are eligible for the treatment.

Keep track of your anti CGRP migraine treatment journey

If you are able to receive this first ever preventive migraine medication, make sure you track the journey via Migraine Calendar.

Start using the calendar before you try the medicine in order to identify how many days a month, you suffer from migraines as well as the severity and other important factors such as triggers and medicine.

It will be interesting to see how the data in your Migraine Calendar hopefully will change for the better after starting the anti CGRP medication. However, beware that it can take up to 3 months before you have an effect.