#ajovy

[chroniconic]

I had my 4th Ajovy injection on Friday. My migraine frequency changed from daily to every other day about 2 weeks ago. I have a headache and some sudden nerve pain zaps on migraine-free days still but I’m hoping it’ll start getting better once I have less migraines. Current side effects: worsened asthma and sinusitis for a week following the injection, pretty bad constipation and really awful fatigue. But it’s better than having daily nonstop migraines.

I use cute plasters on the injection site and reward myself with candy, like a chocolate ladybug

[aturinfortheworse]

ooof I have just messed up my ajovy injection for the first time because for some reason this time the loud click made me flinch and pull the injector away from my leg so $500 worth of medication went on the floor. not my $500 but still OOOF. Gonna have such a conversation with the pharmacist tomorrow.

[gigglesnortbangdead]

ajovy call out post

[mommyisdownwiththesickness]

Here's to kicking migraines in the ass!

[symmetria42]

(cw needles & injections for this whole post)

i feel like such a baby w giving myself my silly little injections like the way i do it it literally doesn’t even hurt in the slightest but i still procrastinate doing it so hard even tho it literally keeps my body functional 😭 honestly might be more of an adhd “brain doesn’t wanna do the important task” thing than a “i don’t wanna stab myself” thing bc i truly don’t even mind it? but to be completely honestly i don’t understand what’s going on in my caveman brain and frankly it’s none of my business tbh

(on an only slightly related tangent i truly wish ppl giving themselves certain types of injections was more normalized bc i honestly believe being in control of the thing urself, if u can handle that sort of thing, gives u the ability to make them hurt so much less. i’m so convinced that a lot of the pain comes not from needle stabbing u but instead from fluid being very rapidly shoved into ur body. like if i just slow way down and become okay w sitting w a needle in my flesh for a good bit it is not painful whatsoever. the whole sitting w a needle in my flesh for a good bit was an adjustment but now that im mentally okay w that it feels weirdly powerful tbh! and SO much nicer than autoinjectors, those hurt like a bitch 😭)

[chronicmigrainetime]

One year on Ajovy update!:

I can’t believe it’s been a year already, it’s gone so fast. I stopped doing monthly updates because the situation hasn’t really changed since the effect of the medication stabilised. I currently get ~10/30 migraine days a month —down from 30/30 before the medication— and my quality of life has improved dramatically as a result.

(Finding medication to help my POTS has also had a huge positive impact)

I’m still not really able to work a job, but I have been able to do a lot more of the work of being a person.

I had a review with the headache clinic that’s prescribing the Ajovy for me and they decided I can continue on it for another year (with another review at the end of the year), which is really good news.

[earhartsease]

watching instructional videos for the injectable headache meds I'm about to start using, and instead of using actors they opted for cgi of ludicrously skinny white women and they're frankly very unsettling

[softbunnyboo]

So I just learned a shitty little fact. Even if Tylenol is somewhat helping my migraine, it won't always help the trigeminal nerve pain once that start to kick in. According to my neurologist this is normal/common with how frequent and bad my migraines are, which really sucks. So currently sitting with my migraine pain at about 5(was 8 earlier) and my ears/face at 7-8. I'm supposed to do my next ajovy shot in the next day or two, hate the slam of migraines I get before the shot day.

[mayamistake]

Jumped through some hoops and got the Gov't to pay for a migraine med I thought I would likely never afford to even try.

...when I was younger and a bunch of my friends were sticking needles in their arms, I passed. Didn't seem like a good idea. Now decades later here I am sticking needles in me. Well my partner has so far, I was worried I might do an involuntary pull back at the pinch and screwing up a $600 per injection shot (once a month) also seems like a bad idea. Too soon to know if it will help but I am hoping!

[bishiglomper]

My sister finally agreed to get her migraine shot today. I'm not thrilled because she wanted to get it the same day as me and I'm 2 weeks overdue. Which also means i have to pick a new shot day. 🙄

I liked it for the 15th because "new month" reminded me i needed a shot that month but also gave me 2 weeks to order it and mentally prepare..

Now its the end of the month. Dunno if I'm gonna remember...

We both got our shots. Sissy went first.

She said she was scared. I told her i may just be a big baby, that maybe the shot isn't as bad as i think it is?

Lol..

She yelled some curses. 😂 Described the pain and I'm like "oof. yep" ( >.o) "I'm so sorry" 😭

I did scream longer than she did but I do feel very validated 😂

Ajovy is so painful. Makes a huge difference for me though, so... I will endure it. 😤

I hope it helps sissy's migraines, hers are so much worse. And since she had that TIA she can't take much else

[chroniconic]

Hi all!

I made this blog as a diary, support and recovery blog for my chronic illnessess. I want to find other people like me, pratice acceptance, share what worked and any research you could also discuss with your doctor. I will talk about medication, good and bad days, and try increase awareness.

Diagnoses that affect me the most

- Chronic migraine

This began with 15-25 migraine days per month in 2021, with episodic migraine and migraine-related seizures being diagnosed around 2014.

I started Botox for migraines in 2022 which reduced my migraine days to 1-5 days per month.

However, since October 2023 I developed daily, non-stop migraines. I’ve been bedridden since then and I’m currently on Botox injections, occassional nerve blocks, Ajovy, and sodium valproate as preventatives.

- Endometriosis

I’ve had severe pain, prolonged bleeding, etc since the beginning of puberty, but it got worse each year until I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2022 via ultrasound and a physical exam after multiple ER visits where I was bleeding out.

Coincidentally, that’s also the time where my migraines became chronic.

I don’t have access to a good surgeon right now or a second opinion, so I’ve had to manage symptoms on Mirena (the breakthrough bleeding and cysts made it worse), then standalone dienogest (it was great for endometriosis but I’m assuming it triggered worse migraines for me, however I gave it 4 months), and now I’m on NuvaRing continously.

Finding relief for chronic migraine and endometriosis is an unequal balancing act, but there’s so much we still don’t know and can do to make our lives better.

Other diagnoses and issues I’m pursuing help for

- Breathing and sleep quality issues

I’ve progressively had issues with shortness of breath, especially after exercise and before sleep, or in bouts where I feel like I have no oxygen at all. I assume this could also affect migraines and muscle pain. I wake up during the night a lot, and can’t breathe before falling asleep.

Strong allergies, heart problems and structural issues with the nose are ruled out except a slightly deviated septum but my ENT doctor doesn’t think septoplasty would be beneficial so I don’t know.

I had turbinate reduction surgery a year ago and now I’m constantly using hormonal nasal sprays because I feel like I have chronic sinusitis otherwise, air literally doesn’t pass through one of my nostrils at least.

I am currently on asthma treatment (Pulmicort and Berodual for a week first, now Symbicort) after inconclusive spirometry, but I will be working with a pulmunologist to figure it out. But the medication has helped me immensely, as I’ve never felt like I could breathe as well as I do now, and I sleep like a baby. The pulmonologist thinks that if asthma medication helps, then it’s asthma.

So all of my breathing issues are under investigation and inconclusive.

- ADHD and Autism

I was diagnosed with autism as a child, but ADHD was a late diagnosis. I struggle a lot with uni and work in terms of understanding requirements, or sensory overload, etc but it’s been much better since starting medication (unsure yet if lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate is better). It’s not my main issue whatsoever at the moment since I’m not working or studying at a traditional university, but I struggled a lot when I was working or wasn’t able to study everything from home. So I won’t talk about this as much at the moment.

However, I’m interested in research relating gut issues, autism and immune system issues (e.g my breathing problems, inflammation from endometriosis etc could also fall under that) and biologics like Ajovy, but that’s another fringe topic.

Disclaimer about linking research

I will sometimes make posts that link several research articles or literature reviews (all from reputable sources) together after carefully examining them and discussing my questions with my neurologist. I will always provide references and links or DOIs. Whereas I studied some medical statistics, I’m not a doctor and my advice, experimentation on myself, etc is not medical advice but something you should always discuss with your doctor.

[aturinfortheworse]

Think I have learned a valuable lesson about anti-cgrp meds: having a less painful migraine does not, in fact, mean that putting off rescue meds for a couple hours is totally fine. Why do I keep thinking that's a good idea?? Have not been forced to bed by a migraine for like months but got absolutely wiped the fuck out after work today.

[ablovescrafting]

Oh, hi. I want to puke today. The fun part of Ajovy is that while I don't feel as much migraine head pain is that I feel All The Other Symptoms. Fun! Like, previously it was like I didn't have any blanket. Now, I have a blanket that is too small. So much better, but... not all better. Plus I'm feeling all the feels from the CFS. So tired.

[qwertyfingers]

dont let how tired i look fool you this drug is magical i did two nights in a row of gig and dont even have a headache. that wasnt even true when i was a teenager. chronic migraines WHO!!!!!

alternative caption: this and a blunt tbh

[kakejiszkas]

head hurty >:(

[chronicmigrainetime]

A tip for anyone taking Ajovy via auto-injector pen (and probably relevant for other auto-injector medications that have to be refrigerated and then brought to room temperature before injecting):

Once the pen has had a few hours out of the fridge to warm up a bit, hold it against your skin for a couple of minutes before you use it. This’ll make sure the pen is closer to the temperature (of the outside) of your body and it’ll be less of a shock introducing cold liquid into your warm body

I find this makes doing the injections hurt a lot less, especially if the ‘room temperature’ in my room is lower than room temperature is supposed to be

(Note: do not use any active method to warm up your medication as this could denature the medication! For comfortable injection it only needs to be as warm as the surroundings, hence using the surroundings to warm it)