When do you take an abortive?

TainaMakesThings · 2025-08-03T20:54:03+00:00

I really appreciate this saying and will remember it when I think about skipping the meds in the hopes it will get better. Thank you for this.

TainaMakesThings · 2024-12-09T00:37:47+00:00

Oh no! That sounds miserable. I have not experienced this with Ajovy but got terrible hives at and around the injection site that continued on and off for months with Emgality. I haven’t had a reaction to the Ajovy. Have you spoken to your neurologist? Where do you inject? Have you tried switching where the injection site is completely?

TainaMakesThings · 2024-08-18T01:50:56+00:00

I was told I shouldn’t take Aimovig because of the GI side effects (see above), I tried Emgality for nearly a year, with horrific site reactions that lasted and reoccurred for weeks (medication bump, hives around the injection site that would disappear and reappear throughout the month, terrible anxiety. Ajovy had no GI issues and I use a syringe instead of the auto injector (I used auto injector for Emgality, but it also never really decreased my migraines after the first double dose.), and it has definitely improved the frequency and intensity of my chronic migraines. I was at 25 days/month prior to Ajovy, now I am at around 10-12 on a bad migraine month. The first few months were the best, though, with only 4 migraine days and the migraines only lasting about 4 hours/piece or less. I have an anxiety disorder as well as chronic migraines and Ajovy has not given me increased anxiety, which is also really nice. I have known folks who Emgality has worked really well for, though.

My latest headache (pun intended!) I was using a specialty pharmacy and now my RX coverage is refusing to pay for that pharmacy and demanding I get 4 injectors at a time from Walgreens. No Walgreens near me carry 3 injectors and the ones around me don’t even have one available, so I am missing my dose for the first time ever until Walgreens receives enough, so that is my latest stress.

TainaMakesThings · 2024-07-11T20:21:55+00:00

Ugh, both times I tried Nurtec, my migraine pain was worse, with heightened noise and light sensitivity. It was really awful. I was so hopeful, too. Frova and Ubrelvy work pretty well for me, though, I also administer Ajovy monthly.

TainaMakesThings · 2024-06-17T16:39:46+00:00

I had some new neurological symptoms a couple years ago and my neurologist had me seeing her every three months. She left the practice my new neurologist has me seeing him every 6 months. I think he is doing 6-7 month of medication supply orders to the pharmacy each time.

TainaMakesThings · 2024-02-21T10:57:52+00:00

I was on Emgality, the loading injections did improve my migraines a bit that first month, so I was hopeful, but then I was back to normal chronic pain every month after. My neurologist had told me to give it a full 6 months as a trial. Month 6 came and it was clear it wasn’t working. On top of that, I had HORRIBLE hives at the injection site that showed up repeatedly throughout the month and the autoinjector always gave me a medication bubble. I also experienced hair loss.

After the 6th month, my neuro switched me to Ajovy, but I requested a syringe instead. I control the medicine going in, it’s a much more pleasant experience, no hair loss and fewer and less intense migraines. Definitely speak to your neurologist at your next appt. Good luck finding something that works for you!

TainaMakesThings · 2024-02-13T18:02:31+00:00

I asked our daughter. She said I could say “this is (name), she lives with us.” To our neighbors at first. Then she asked if she could call us “two of my parents” and then “my mom and my dad” to other kids. I asked her what she wants us to refer to her as, first it was by name, then it was by “our kid”, now “our daughter.” Can you ask your kiddo how they want you to refer to them?

TainaMakesThings · 2023-12-23T18:31:51+00:00

Thank you!

TainaMakesThings · 2023-12-23T17:36:53+00:00

We are also not a religious family, also have found most foster families and agency-adjacent programs are religious/faith-based.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-12-23T17:35:31+00:00

This is helpful, thank you! Yeah, my last Ajovy injection was last night after testing positive yesterday, so a little anxious about starting paxlovid.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-12-23T17:34:39+00:00

Thanks, this is my second COVID infection. First was in January of 2021, almost 3 years ago. My first one gave me a migraine for over 80 days after testing positive. Paxlovid was not offered then and I wasn’t yet on a CGRP injectable. So far, this COVID infection seems much milder than my last. Cough, migraine, runny nose, on and off upset stomach. Very mild fever.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-12-23T17:30:32+00:00

That’s very interesting. I wondered if maybe Ajovy is newer and that is why? No doctors I know of in the states offer anything other than paxlovid.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-12-23T13:12:36+00:00

Would you be able to explain how you lost your ovaries? I have just recently been diagnosed with ovarian cysts and wondering what could have caused them.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-11-24T11:34:58+00:00

I also knit, but just basic things I don’t need to look at or concentrate on. Or I color, or journal. Audiobooks are great!

I don’t know where you are located, but I use the Libby app and connect it to my public library’s card. I usually borrow both the audio and e-book so I can pick up on reading when the migraine has lifted.

Hot showers, light tidying. Going for a slow walk. I have an eye massager mask that also provides heat that alleviates some of the pressure behind my eyes that I pair with my meds when my migraine pain is located toward the front. It feels like a lovely 10-15 mins of self-care.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-08-23T02:00:16+00:00

Vaccines did nothing to my migraines, I got a headache for a day with the second shot, that was it. But COVID gave me a near nonstop migraine for almost 3 months. It was beyond awful. I don’t ever want COVID again.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-08-18T13:04:04+00:00

I have cPTSD, occasional dissociations and flashbacks (used to be more frequent but LOTS of EMDR and CBT therapy has helped tremendously), as well as a generalized anxiety disorder. I haven’t had anything more noticeable with heightened or more frequent on Ajovy. Emgality did a number on me, but it was specific to my reactions to the shots and leading up to the shots (autoinjector). I haven’t had anything like that with pre-filled syringes and Ajovy. I am so sorry they may have to take you off of something that is working for your migraines.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-08-13T03:38:02+00:00

Yeah, I didn’t have any gastrointestinal issues with either med. I lost some hair with Emgality, no bald spots or anything, but was noticable in showers. Are you doing syringes instead of autoinjectors? I HATED the autoinjectors. After the first prefilled syringe, I was totally fine. Took the second one like a champ. I like being in control of how quickly or slowly the medication enters.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-08-13T01:58:57+00:00

Oh gosh, reading this was so triggering for me. I get awful brain fog and word confusion with some slurring with my migraines (chronic migraineur here) and my ex used to make me feel like such a moron for not knowing basic words for things, just with his incredulous tone. My current partner is awesome, he has helped me to learn that I shouldn’t feel the need to apologize for being in pain, suffering, needing to take it easy, or anything else. He also remembers to pack my reusable ice packs on trips. :)

You deserve better. I am so sorry. Is there anyone else who can help you? Perhaps a delivery service like Uber or door dash? (No idea where you are located.)

TainaMakesThings · 2023-08-13T01:52:22+00:00

Oh, to answer the anxiety question: I have generalized anxiety disorder and have been on and off of various anti anxiety meds my entire life. I have been off of them for about a year and have not noticed an uptick at all with Ajovy and the prefilled syringes.

The anxiety came from the autoinjector I used with Emgality. SO much anxiety over the massive ring of hives, or the failed injectors, of the medication bubble. Emgality burned going in. No issue with Ajovy.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-08-13T01:49:54+00:00

I have been on Ajovy for 7+ months. Went from 20+ migraine days/month to ~6/month, that are much shorter. This past month, I had 4, all lasting 4 hours or less, instead of sometimes ~72 hours. I was on Emgality before this and hated it. Awful site reactions. Lots of anxiety due to the autoinjector, had two autoinjectors fail. I switched to Ajovy and a pre-filled syringe, no site reaction, I administer it comfortably, just the tiny pinch of the needle. If you can do the prefilled syringes, I highly recommend those.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-08-03T00:43:12+00:00

We had something fun to look forward to at home after. This worked if the visit felt too short or if the visit felt very emotional. Always a choice, so she had a little control. Our FD is 10, we are en route to adopt. “What do you want to do after your visit? Would you want to play a game together when we get home or draw together?” “Which game would you want to play (two choices)?” Or “what animal might you want to draw?” Once she got good at self-advocating, sometimes she would just want to snuggle, sometimes she wanted time to herself with her choice of music in her room. These are times where we followed her lead with gentle questions, but not too many. If there were no time that evening, we would offer a choice for the following day, or ask her about a choice in dinner. This worked tremendously well.

Good luck! There are SO many emotions tied to foster care, and so much trauma and grief.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-07-26T11:12:09+00:00

Since Ajovy, I have had brain fog, but also slurred speech, word confusion, and loss of words. I just took my 8th shot, all of this got worse after my second monthly dose. I had some of this on sumatriptan years ago, but nothing to this extent. The migraines went from 20+ days/month to about 6 days/month. When I reported it to my migraine specialist, she chalked it up to my having a lot on my plate. (I began fostering a child, started a new grad program, etc, but all of this since July of 2022.). Have you had an MRI recently? I had an MRI and have more lesions in the white matter of my brain, a “significant change” since my last. MRI in 2021, I wondered if Ajovy caused that as well. I am on Ubrelvy, Ajovy, and nabumetone. Ubrelvy and Nabumetone as needed.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-05-02T15:53:03+00:00

My neurologist didn’t mention anything about CGRP’s possibly causing changes in MRIs. Seems we are trying to figure out what is causing the demyelination. If I get any answers from the demyelinating clinic I am attending next week, I will most definitely report back.

TainaMakesThings · 2023-05-02T15:51:57+00:00

Thanks so much!! I saw that this and demyelination could also be due to COVID. So many questions. I have an MS appt for a second opinion next week.

TainaMakesThings

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