This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
Welcome to Month 2! I took my second Aimovig injection on July 28, 2018 and it was just in time. It seems 28 days is the magic number. I noticed that by Week 4 post-injection, it felt like the effects were wearing off slightly. But then I also had no migraine hangover after each attack in Week 4, which I consider a success. I’m excited to see what Month 2 brings and if my stats will show any changes.
If you haven’t kept up-to-date with my progress, I suggest you read Month 1 updates so you get an understanding of how this works. I will not be adding Month 1 stats to this post, but I will link to them here and there throughout this article.
Links
Use the links below to jump around! This post encompasses the entire second month with updates posted at the end of each week.
Injection Info
Date of 1st Injection: Thursday, June 28, 2018
Time of Injection: 7:00 pm
Dosage: 140 mg (2 – 70mg Injection Pens)
Injection Site: Left Upper Leg
Date of 2nd Injection: Thursday, July 26, 2018
Time of Injection: 8:30 pm
Dosage: 140 mg (2 – 70mg Injection Pens)
Injection Site: Left Upper Leg
Date of 3rd Injection: Friday, August 24, 2018
Time of Injection: 10:30 am
Dosage: 140 mg (2 – 70mg Injection Pens)
Injection Site: Left Upper Leg, Left Stomach Area
Week 5 Update (as of 02 August 2018)
Week 5 covers the days between 27 July 2018 and 02 August 2018. Overall, the week was very quiet. My pain level averaged out to 5.3, but mostly my longest attack was at a 3. My highest pain level attack was at a 7. In total, I rounded out the week with 3 migraine attacks with an average duration of ONLY 6 hours and 3 minutes. Compared to Week 4, that’s almost half the length of time an average attack lasted!
Keep in mind, I also took my second dose on 26 July 2018, the day before Week 5 started. I think that has a lot to do with it. In Week 4 I felt like maybe the shot was wearing off some.
Trigger Threshold
My trigger threshold became stronger as the week progressed. I did have my first hemiplegic migraine attack of
I was worried about it, but I have had sinus tachycardia in the past. Since I am no longer on any other medications for
My second attack happened on 29 July 2018 in the early morning. I woke up and felt slightly “off.” I went ahead and made Stephen his breakfast and lunch for the day, but as soon as I was done I had to go back to bed. It seems getting up and moving around made things worse.
I stayed in bed and slept after taking an 800mg Ibuprofen. By
Attack number 3 of the week happened today. Again, we went to the movies. If you haven’t figured it out, we LOVE going to the movies. But I’m starting to see a pattern between my movie outings and attacks. Is it coincidence? Not sure, but it’s something I’m going to be keeping an eye on.
Today’s attack was a hemiplegic migraine. Earlier I sat in a crooked way on my couch. I would consider it pretty bad posture considering I have a herniated disc in my lumbar region. I had an epidural a week ago to try to help with that pain. Unfortunately, because I was sitting so awkwardly, I began to have severe, shooting pain near the disc. It lasted less than two minutes, but it left lasting effects throughout the evening.
I felt twinges here and there. Sitting in the theater for a couple hours and then taking an expedition through Wal-Mart didn’t help matters. Even if it was a hours later. While in the store, I started talking nonsense (aphasia) and vertigo hit. Shortly after, the attack became a hemiplegic migraine. I was able to make it to the car on my own without any help, but I was slow and unsteady.
This attack lasted almost 2 hours from start to finish. But the worst of it was maybe 30 minutes. I noted the pain level at a 7.
Side Effects
The biggest side effect after I took dose #2 on Thursday was constipation. I am going to guess that this will happen after each injection for a couple days. Nothing a little magnesium can’t fix.
Fatigue is a big issue for me right after the injection. I could sleep for hours during the day. It lasted about 3 days, but by the end of Week 5, I was back with more energy again. I feel motivated and not so tired going into Week 6. It will be interesting to see if the fatigue will return by Week 7/8.
I am unsure if the rapid heart rate is related to the Aimovig injection, or if it is because I am not on a medication that calms the central nervous system. I was taking Vimpat, which helped my hemiplegic migraine towards the beginning of starting the medication. Unfortunately, it lost its effect and even with a dose increase, I received no benefits. Now that it is completely out of my system, I feel like all my earlier issues, like sinus tachycardia, have returned. But I’m no doctor!! I’ll find out more tomorrow during my appointment (this post will publish on Saturday, 04 August 2018, so you’ll probably know the results of this appointment beforehand if you follow me on social media).
Energy Levels
As I mentioned above, my energy levels went from chronic fatigue (like I have been taking Flexeril everyday) to motivated and energized within the last 7 days. Side effect? Only time will tell.
Week 5 Wrap-Up
Overall, this was a really good week. I really think the Aimovig injection is making a big difference in my qualify of life. I am really looking forward to the next two months to know if this is real. I’m sure you know what I mean if you’re taking Aimovig too.
Week 6 (as of 09 August 2018)
This was a really hard week for me. I lost two family members this week and while we weren’t close, I was devastated nonetheless. I was afraid to cry knowing this is a migraine trigger. I was able to mourn their losses, but I dealt with a lot of sadness and sleepless nights. In addition to this, I had a severe reaction to Trokendi, the new medication I started last Friday (8/03/18) to help with the remaining migraine attacks I am still having.
A few days following my first dose, I began to have symptoms of shortness of breath, dizziness, feeling like passing out, full body weakness, muscle jerks, and accelerated heart rate with palpitations. Now, I’ve had these symptoms before with other medications and they turned into trips to the ER along with severe migraine pain and hemiplegic migraine attacks. So I had a feeling I knew what was happening.
I was beginning to feel slightly “off” on Monday, but nothing alarming. I knew I’d have some side effects from the medication, I always do. By Thursday, I was in bed and hardly able to move. I began drinking Nuun tablets, about 4 a day, to keep my electrolytes up. I’d been through this exact thing before and the only thing that made me feel better was electrolyte fluids. By Friday, I could not tolerate the symptoms any longer. It was becoming overwhelming, Stephen was really worried, and I was very weak and lethargic.
I went to the ER Friday evening and given electrolyte fluids. Even though my labs looked normal, I was really suffering. I am certain the Nuun tablets were what helped me most during this time. But just drinking electrolytes was no longer working. I needed them intravenously. Once my IV was completed, I was still feeling ill, but better. Suddenly, I felt palpitations in my chest and lost my breath.
My ER doctor was so awesome, she made sure I left educated about what was happening and let me know that the medication half-life was 24 hours. I had stopped taking the medication on Thursday night. So, I had gone through the first 24 hours of
I’m telling you all of this because while I did have migraine attacks this week, had I not been on Aimovig, I would have also dealt with severe migraine attacks on top of the side effects of the new medication. I know this for
Migraine Attacks
My first migraine attack this week was Saturday (08/04/18). I started having some pretty painful nerve pain behind my left ear and that seemed to trigger a hemiplegic migraine attack. It lasted about 7 hours and I did take my abortive (Compazine, 3 Alka Seltzer, 1 Benadryl 25mg).
My second attack happened on Sunday for about 6 hours. This attack was also a hemiplegic migraine and I stayed in bed this whole time. I decided against taking my abortive cocktail, I don’t always take it. I don’t want to take it too often and start to become adapted.
My third attack on Tuesday was completely preventable. BUT, then I wouldn’t have made fun memories…so totally worth it. I was playing around with my kids, horsing around the house. I haven’t been able to do this in so long. I know they’re teenagers, but I don’t get to act crazy/funny with my kids very often. I took full advantage. I was chasing my 16 year old son around the couch trying to catch him – which I never did! I had to stop, sit down and try to calm my heart rate. It spiked and I became short of breath and struck with a hot flash. Of course, this triggered a hemiplegic migraine. For the next 30 minutes or so, my heart rate would slow and speed up while I was lying down. Symptoms included: aphasia, blurred vision, confusion, dizziness, left-sided muscle pain and weakness, and teeth pain. This attack only lasted about an hour before I was back up acting all adult-like. It was also about this time I noticed very slight side-effects from the new medication I mentioned earlier in this update.
By Thursday, I was bedridden with side-effects from the new medication I had started the Friday prior. I began having headaches off-and-on all day long. I also had VERY mild hemiplegic migraine symptoms that morning. In my Migraine Buddy app, I noted this entry, “This feels like metabolic acidosis I had with Zonisamide. The only thing that’s helping me is the Nuun I’ve been drinking all day.” Even though I was sure that Trokendi was the culprit, I still took a dose. This attack lasted about 4 hours.
See Friday’s info in Week 7 for more info about the ER visit that accompanied this week’s issues!
Side Effects
Constipation and Fatigue were a non-issue this week.
Energy Levels
I cannot really comment on energy levels for this week since I was ill with side-effects from Trokendi.
Week 6 Wrap-up
I will never know how good this week had the potential to be since I had side effects from Trokendi. Hopefully, Week 7 will have better results!
Week 7 (as of 16 August 2018)
This week started off with me in the ER due to side-effects from Trokendi. In Week 6 I began taking Trokendi to help with cutting down on the remaining attacks I still have. Big mistake. Don’t get me wrong, Trokendi is a great medication for so many people with
Migraine Attacks
My fist attack in Week 7 began in the ER. I was already admitted and had just finished IV electrolytes to help the side-effects I was experiencing due to Trokendi. I took a dose on Thursday night, but called the doctor first thing Friday morning. She informed me to stop the Trokendi and to go into the ER if my symptoms got worse. Well, I tried my best NOT to visit the ER. It is not my favorite place AT ALL.
I won’t re-tell the whole ER story, you can read about it in Week 6 if you want all the deets. Just know that I am so happy to be off Trokendi! It was not a safe medication for me. I wish it would have worked out, though.
On Monday (08/13/18), I could have completely avoided this migraine. But I really wanted ice cream from Dairy Queen! I know my relationship with sugar and migraine. They love each other so much. Because I couldn’t resist the creamy goodness, I was hit with diarrhea. Yea, that happens when I eat DQ. Ugh. I was in and out of the bathroom all afternoon and couldn’t even eat dinner with the family. I did drink a Nuun water, I knew I was headed for dehydration if I wasn’t already dehydrated. Of course, I was too late to head off dehydration and this triggered a 3-hour migraine attack. No hemiplegic migraine symptoms in sight, though, so that was nice! Pain level never went above a 4. I took a Flexeril and that helped tremendously, as I did have muscle tightness in my neck, which I believe contributed to the attack.
The third and last attack of the week happened on Wednesday (08/14/18) evening and was gone by the time I woke up on Thursday. We heard some pretty stressful information that really took a number on my anxiety. Unexpected, negative stress is so difficult to manage. I spent time doing breathing exercises using my Apple Watch, which seemed to help some, but not enough to avoid the migraine attack that started at 7:30 that evening. I took a Flexeril, I knew this would help most. Stress causes my muscles to stiffen and become painful, which this time was no different. I didn’t fall asleep until about 1:40 am, still in the middle of the migraine attack. By the time I woke up on Thursday morning, it was gone.
Side Effects
Still no Aimovig-related constipation nor issues with general fatigue.
Week 7 Wrap-up
Week 7, while stressful, has been a pretty quiet week. With only 3 migraine attacks, I can say this week was a success. I did not track days I had breast pain due to hormone fluctuation, but since beginning
Week 8 (as of 23 August 2018)
I had a great week 8. Even though I started the week out with a migraine, it was provoked and went away pretty quickly. Actually, I’ve noticed this pattern to happen with most of my attacks. They don’t last as long as they used to and without hangover symptoms.
Migraine Attacks
Attack #1 on 8/17/18 happened while in my two-hour car ride to my initial appointment with East Carolina Neurology Physicians. Even though the attack was a “low” grade migraine, it was enough to stay with me during the appointment. Sitting on that hard exam table didn’t help matters. My back began hurting and by the time we left, I was having herniated disc-related pain in my back and a slightly difficult time walking. I was still able to do some walking at the shopping center afterward. This attack lasted about 5 ½ hours.
Attack #2 is ify. I’m still not sure if it was a migraine or seizure approaching. It was a difficult day towards the end of the afternoon. Around 10:30 am I felt like an attack was on the horizon. I rested all day to try to avoid an attack. I had no pain anywhere, but I felt very fatigued and just “out of it.” Around 5:00 pm the muscle jerks began happening and strong, painful tingling at the top of my head on the left side. I get these from time to time, but usually with a seizure. I decided to consider it as a seizure and took a Clonazepam around 5:30 pm because I could feel the symptoms worsening. I fell asleep shortly after and when I woke up I was in a lot of pain at a level 7. I feel like I had a hemiplegic migraine in my sleep. This attack didn’t end until just before midnight.
Attack #3, again, is completely my fault and totally preventable. I know now, without a doubt, that Dairy Queen is my arch nemesis. Around 8:30 pm we went to eat. I had just made a little money designing business forms for a business and we wanted to celebrate. So, we loaded up in the car and headed to Sonic for a cheeseburger. I know, not healthy AT ALL! After dinner, we decided to head to Dairy Queen for a treat and I ordered a small dipped cone. We sat in our car and finished up our treats before heading into the grocery store for a few items. By the time we were done going through the store and heading to check out, I began to have vertigo, aphasia, and symptoms of altered consciousness. My daughter had to help me out of the store and into the car. I was in this state for at least 30 full minutes. We went straight home, and I took a Clonazepam. I was in tons of muscle pain at a level 9. By 11:30 pm the attack had died off and I was back to normal.
Side Effects
Still no Aimovig-related constipation nor issues with general fatigue.
Week 8 Wrap-up
With only 3 migraine attacks, I can say this week was a success. Now, Migraine Buddy will show I had 4 attacks, but that’s because on the 19th I had separated one attack into two because of the difference in pain level. Like Week 7, on the days with no attacks, and even on days with a low-level migraine, I had awesome days. I feel good and my overall emotional state is happy. I even started working on my Achy Smile Shop this week and began doing some graphic design work for new clients. I haven’t been able to really do that in so long.
Migraine Log
I use Migraine Buddy to track my attacks pretty consistently. Below is a table showing up-to-date data as of August 23, 2018. Keep in mind, on some nights I fall asleep with an active attack and wake up attack free. The counter counts the next morning since I don’t END the migraine attack until I actually wake up the next day.
The top portion of the table above, in the greyed-out rows, shows each month, March through June. These months are pre-Aimovig injection. July to the Present is post-Aimovig injection. The table reflects the following data within the given time period in the first column:
- Number of Days
- Number of Migraine Attacks
- Number of Attack Days
- Number of Attack-Free Days
- Average Attack Duration
- Average Pain Intensity
- Minimum Pain Intensity
- Maximum Pain Intensity
Migraine Stats
Compare to Month 1 Migraine Stats
I’ve included screen captures from the Migraine Buddy app installed on my phone. This is the raw data captured by the app and created into nifty charts to share with doctors, and you of course! This data should coincide with the numbers you see in the table above. Also, I’ve added [**] marks next to the stats that are updated as of August 23, 2018. Look for these each week to see what’s new.
Pain Intensity Chart 
March 2018 
April 2018 
May 2018 
June 2018 
July 2018 
**August 2018 
Migraine Buddy 
Migraine Buddy 
March 2018 Stats 
April 2018 Stats 
May 2018 Stats 
June 2018 Stats 
July 2018 Stats 
5th Wk Post Shot: 07/27/18 – 08/02/18 Stats 
6th Wk Post Shot: 08/03/18 – 08/09/18 Stats 
7th Wk Post Shot: 08/10/18 – 08/16/18 Stats 
**8th Wk Post Shot: 08/17/18 – 08/23/18 Stats
Disclaimer: I am a former Amgen and Novartis Spokesperson. This content reflects my own personal opinions and was not created or reviewed by Amgen and Novartis. I was not paid to write this article.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
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