Both Botox and CGRP antibodies can be effective for Chronic Migraine. Still, 50 to 50% of patients do not get this response for Botox or CGRP antibodies. What if a combination was used? 

A team from Quebec City reports on a 52 years-old woman suffering from chronic migraine. This woman had tried other preventives (amitriptyline, propranolol, duloxetine, candesartan, verapamil) and she was using a lot of acute meds (rizatriptan, fiorinal ¼, Gravol, Demerol, Tylenol and medical cannabis). 

Over a year and a half, she was treated with either Botox alone, Aimovig alone or a combination, with four phases. In the end, the conclusion was that the combination was required for her to be optimally controlled. 

The authors detail many arguments to support the combination of Botox and a monoclonal antibody. A post from Migraine Canada™ can be found here.

This case is only one case.

It is not a research on hundreds of people with elaborate statistics. It is not an ultimate proof. But this person’s story illustrates a few important things about people with chronic migraine: 

• They do not always improve with oral preventives 
• They sometimes need to go to the emergency department 
• They may have to use opioids and cannabinoids, even if these are not ideal options 
• They can get better even after years of suffering
• The optimal goal should be the lower attack frequency as possible, with 4-6/month being a target for Chronic Migraine starting at 15 or more. 

Read the full article here

Research makes a difference. We need more research on migraine and headaches in Canada! 

Stay tuned, as Migraine Canada™ may post calls for testimonials and stories about migraine treatments. 

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