Galcanezumab and Pain: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Ris...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 12, 2024

For Migraine Prevention "The Emgality was extremely effective at preventing my migraine-type headaches, but after a couple of months, I started to experience symptoms of variable intensity (from mild to severe) in my lower extremity muscles-weakness, aching, tightening, and some pain. I took it for 8 months, but now I'm off it and will try another CGRP inhibitor medication. If another med doesn't work, I may go back to it and stay on it, depending on how bad the muscles get the next time. Administering it with the injector was a piece of cake (it was actually fun to do!), and I had no other discernible side effects other than what I described above with my muscles."

• tab...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 22, 2022

For Migraine Prevention "I have taken Emgality since 2017 and recently ended it two months ago. I wished I would have taken the time to review the side effects of others because during the time I was on it, I didn't realize some of the side effects I was experiencing could have been from the Emgality medication. Emgality claimed no dangerous side effects reported. I went to numerous doctors for symptoms of dizziness, ringing in my ears, foggy feelings, memory recall challenges, pain in my legs, swollen legs, shortness of breath when doing physical movement, increased feelings of anxiety, and numbness in a portion of my body. I still currently have all these symptoms. During the time I was on Emgality, I did experience a decrease in migraines, which was the reason why I continued on the medication for so many years. However, after a while, my headaches returned and increased in severity. I researched and found a doctor from Cleveland, Ohio, that completed surgery that ended migraines that changed my life. Medication-free!"

• Wor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "Migraine prevention - 2 injections, loading dose. Worst migraine ever that lasted a week. Irritated, angry, and bloated. Hadn’t had a bowel movement in 5 days. Box of Ex-Lax did nothing. 5 enemas over 3 days, along with Ex-Lax, removed the impaction. I’ve continued on stool softener and added more fiber, but an enema is required every 10 days. It’s been 3 months. Then I woke up with tingling and numb/pain in both arms. Thought I slept wrong. So severe I can’t hold my phone at times. Go to an ortho, and imaging shows nothing! Nerve study shows nothing. Puzzled. My elbows feel like someone took a hammer to them. I never took the 2nd shot. Fatigue, terrible elbow, arm, and finger pain. Someone needs to do something about this drug! Off the market."

• Wor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "Migraine prevention - 2 injections, loading dose. Worst migraine ever that lasted a week. Irritated, angry, and bloated. Hadn’t had a bowel movement in 5 days. Box of Ex-Lax did nothing. 5 enemas over 3 days, along with Ex-Lax, removed the impaction. I’ve continued on stool softener and added more fiber, but an enema is required every 10 days. It’s been 3 months. Then I woke up with tingling and numb/pain in both arms. Thought I slept wrong. So severe I can’t hold my phone at times. Go to an ortho, and imaging shows nothing! Nerve study shows nothing. Puzzled. My elbows feel like someone took a hammer to them. I never took the 2nd shot. Fatigue, terrible elbow, arm, and finger pain. Someone needs to do something about this drug! Off the market."

• Jx2...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 7, 2022

For Migraine Prevention "I've been on Emgality for nearly 2 years. During this time, the migraines have minimized significantly, but my body is in constant agony. They say I have early onset degenerative arthritis, but I can barely walk. I can't sit, stand, or lay down without my body screaming in pain. I drop things I try to hold. I forget words that I use daily, like calling the vacuum the lawn mower or the radio the umbrella. I randomly fall backward while trying to stand, my husband is always reaching out to steady me. I'm praying the side effects wear off as I come off this medication and hoping the migraines don't return with a vengeance."

• The...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "I’m 44 and have had migraines since 14. 15-20 per month. Ajovy worked best with little constipation and definite weight gain. Injections were a horrible, extremely painful experience. Great for migraines. Insurance quit paying, so now Emgality. I took my first dose of 2 injections 7/24. DR says no side effects, rubbish, constipation within 3 days of injection. Within 5 days, the worst pain in my fingers. Neuropathy of sorts. My arms and joints hurt. I suffer from PTSD and general anxiety, so I can't speak as to whether it is worse or not. Seems to be common. In one week I'm up 4.5 lbs and haven’t changed my diet at all. I had weight loss surgery 14 years ago and am unable to eat much and have not gained weight back, and yet after this injection I’ve already started gaining. The injection itself was a quick 5-second pain. I had a pen injection vs. a long needle. Only burned a few seconds and had no other injection site. The pain in my hand and fingers is horrific, and the weight gain will cause me to reconsider the next dose."

• dal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "I have been taking Emgality for 4 months, and in the first or second month, I had an allergic reaction with itching, redness, and swelling at the injection site. The PA said that is a side effect to try to continue taking if I could tolerate, which I have continued without the itching. However, I have gained weight, but more importantly, I developed this concern and pain, my gums and teeth ache, hurt, my face feels pressure, and there is a sharp pain in the top of my skull. I have been to the dentist, gums good, have had MRI, it's good, and saw a heart doctor as my blood pressure is up when these pains hit. My heart has changed a bit, and I doubled my blood pressure medicine. The only different medication added to my body has been Emgality. So I am at a loss but would like to know if anyone else has had any of the same concerns."

• UPS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2022

For Migraine Prevention "I took Emgality for about 5 months before I just couldn’t take the side effects any longer. Not just an 'upset stomach' but doubled over in pain and extreme nausea to the point where one day I came very close to vomiting at work in front of coworkers. Constipation followed by stool so loose I thought I might need to wear diapers. Weight gain of about 10-15 pounds. It was horrible because it took me 4 months to figure it out before finally stopping the drug altogether. Not to mention how painful the injections were. I’m not afraid of needles, and I’ve never done self-injections before, but I had to psych myself up every time I did the shot. I don’t know if it was because it needed to be refrigerated (take it out 30 minutes before injection), but I did not look forward to doing them at all. I can’t even remember how well it worked because the side effects were so horrible. Sticking with sumatriptan."

• 123...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "If you’ve ever gotten stung by a bee, this injection does not feel like that. It is much more painful! Imagine a swarm of wasps stinging you in the same spot. A friend who is a nurse suggested icing the area until numb, applying lidocaine gel, and hoping for the best. It was the most painful injection I’ve ever had, even with those precautions. I had bruises for almost a month, swelling and pain for three days that prevented me from sleeping. I kept icing it for days. This stuff had better change my life, or else I don’t think I can get through the monthly pain for only partial relief."

• NMM...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "1/23/21 - I just took my Emgality loading dose. The first one caused a little pain at the injection site and a little bleeding and swelling right after. I took the second one, and it was completely painless. Both injections were really easy to inject. I remembered to clear the 'bubble' on the second shot. I think that made it better. I think the first dose had a little air in the syringe when I injected it. That would probably account for my slight pain and swelling right after. The bleeding and swelling subsided within a few minutes, and I couldn't tell where I'd placed either injection. I am someone who has 10 or more headaches in a month typically. This past month, I'd had 8. I'll update if I notice any side effects."

• Spr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2022

For Migraine Prevention "Not one single migraine since I have had these shots. I’m in the middle of the 2nd month. However, I do feel low, depressed, lethargic, and have no energy or desire to do anything fun. I find the shot very painful. Also, my migraines had reduced the previous month as I had started taking magnesium glycinate (very important), so I may stop Emgality to see if I get my mojo back. Also on 100 mg of Topiramate nightly."

• Jen...
• February 21, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "I have suffered with chronic migraines for years. Tried everything this far and nothing works for me. But this Emgality injection drove me crazy. Not only did the injection hurt like anything, but I've been on this since Monday, 2/15/21, and have gained almost 7 pounds. And I had teeth pulled 2 days after, so it's not like I can eat."

• dem...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "Has anyone else had side pain, like near your right side hip or back pain?"

• InK...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 22, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I was super hopeful that this injection would work for me. Sadly, I hardly noticed a difference in the number of migraines, and the injection is painful enough that I decided it wasn't even worth it."

• Yia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "This medication was like pure fire, going into my legs. I do not know if the pain from the injection is worth this. I will try to keep you updated."

• Ali...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 16, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "If I can ever get past the unbearable pain from the injection, I may be able to do this. I'm not sure I can handle the fire injections monthly."