Migraine in men
Migraine is more common in women than men – but this can mean that men with migraine get overlooked. The reason migraine is more common in women is mostly attributed to hormonal differences and changes in women, from puberty to menopause. Women have higher and fluctuating levels of the sex hormone estrogen during child-bearing years […]
Highlights from International Headache Congress 2023
The International Headache Society (IHS) is the leading international headache charity, which exists to promote awareness and knowledge about headache worldwide, through science, education and advocacy. They publish the International Classification of Headache Disorders, which underpins the diagnosis of migraine and other headache disorders. Their official journal, Cephalalgia, publishes ground-breaking research on all aspects of headache. And every two […]
WINZ contributes to Emgality costs
There aren’t many people in New Zealand who are on a benefit because of migraine, despite migraine being a common and disabling disease, that can seriously impair people’s ability to work. But if you are, and you want to try the new migraine medication Emgality, but can’t afford it, here’s a story of hope. Cheryl (not her […]
What I learnt from a headache specialist
The New Zealand Pain Society is an organisation that promotes education and training in all areas of pain management and research. It regularly organises webinars for members, and on 10 August 2023 hosted Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand (MFANZ) to present an “Update on migraine and its management and survey insights on living with migraine in Aotearoa […]
Medsafe recommends atogepant be added to medication schedule
Medsafe has recommended the gepant medication atogepant (Aquipta) be added to the New Zealand Medicines Schedule. Atogepant is used to prevent migraine and is taken daily as an oral tablet. Atogepant is the first gepant to apply for approval for use in New Zealand, and was recommended to be added to the Medicines Schedule at […]
Cluster headache and migraine
Migraine is not the only debilitating headache-related condition. One of its close cousins is cluster headache. Cluster headache has some things in common with migraine, including some overlap in treatment, but it’s usually a distinct and separate diagnosis. What is a cluster headache? Cluster headache is a type of headache that occurs on one side […]
Gepants in New Zealand – an update
Gepants are new oral migraine medications specifically developed for migraine. Gepants are a type of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitor, targeting the same peptide as the injectable CGRP medications currently available in New Zealand, Aimovig and Emgality. Four gepants are approved overseas for use: Atogepant (Aquipta) Ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) Rimegepant (Nurtec ODT) Zavegepant (Zavzpret) Gepants come […]
Getting Emgality From Your Pharmacy
You’ve decided to try Emgality (galcanezumab) for migraine prevention, you’ve got your prescription from an obliging doctor and now you have to get the prescription filled from a local pharmacy. Unfortunately, not all pharmacies are up-to-date with this new migraine treatment and some people have had issues with getting their prescription for Emgality filled for […]
Long-term use of migraine preventive medications
There’s very little about managing migraine that’s easy. This is especially true when our migraine attacks become so severe or frequent that they can’t be adequately controlled with acute medication and we have to consider preventive therapy. Unlike acute medication, which we take at the time of a migraine attack, preventive therapy means we’re committed […]
Anti-seizure medications and migraine
Even though they were developed to treat seizure disorders, anti-seizure medicines are commonly used for migraine prevention. However, they only work about half of the time and they are not easy to take, having multiple and often unpleasant side effects. Anti-seizure medicines that can be recommended for migraine prevention include topiramate (Topamax), sodium valproate (Epilim), […]
