The first time my doctor prescribed Imitrex to break my Migraine pain, I was twelve years old. The little triangle pill made my brain and neck burn with fire. My stomach churned, I broke down and cried.
I felt betrayed – first by my body, then by horrendous pain, and then by my medicine, which made it all worse.
The doctor gave me another pill to try, related to Imitrex but not quite the same. And when that didn’t work, we tried another slightly different version. Turns out, this treasonous pill was really the only medicine they had for Migraine, apart from the usual ibuprofen and different flavors of morphine.
The side effects of the triptans, at least, would subside in an hour or so, while the morphine left me loopy for days.
By my early 20s I’d all but given up on acute Migraine medicine, this class of drugs called the triptans. When a Migraine attack hit, my best bet was to try to ride it out med-free, hitting it with ice and sleep and long hours lying in the dark.
The joke (not a funny one) was on me. Pain begets pain when it comes to Migraine. Migraine attacks lead to more Migraine attacks. By failing to fully treat my attacks, I may have been setting my nervous system up for years of a semi-permanent Migraine pain state.
New Hope with New Meds
Now, FINALLY, after years of failed preventative meds and daily pain, I have another acute therapy to consider. Eli Lilly announced this week on October 11 that the FDA approved their new Migraine drug Reyvow (lasmiditan) – nearly a month ahead of schedule.
Reyvow is an oral medication, like the triptans, but without some of the vascular effects of triptans. The new drug is not without side effects: a handful of unpleasant ones like vertigo, serotonin syndrome, and paraesthesia were reported in clinical trials.
The FDA approval of Reyvow brings a huge dose of hope to my Migraine-weary soul. Not having a reliable med to stop an attack has caused me a great deal of anxiety, grief, and pain.
Reyvow may not be right for me and my Migraine attacks, but it feels so good to have something new to try – even if I did have to wait 18 years after Imitrex first made my brain burn.
For more information about Reyvow, check out the article I wrote for Migraine Again.
And read Eli Lilly’s press release here.
I hope this new acute medicine works for you. I’m concerned about all of the side effects.