Generic Name: Ajovy (fremanezumab)
For Migraine Prevention "So I’ve only been taking Ajovy for 2 months. Since taking Ajovy, I have experienced the following: Migraine relief BUT constant bloating, stomach problems such as it’s been hard like a rock and swollen like a man's belly after being a beer drinker for years. My ankles are swollen severely, and my knees, ankles, and leg muscles are achy and sore like I’ve been on a treadmill non-stop for a week. I will not be taking any more injections - I think I would rather deal with a migraine than all the side effects of these medications. I have Imitrex, sulindac, and toradol to help as needed with migraines. I hope my review helps someone else think they are not crazy if they are experiencing these same issues. Have a great day."
For Migraine Prevention "This medication should only be taken by those willing to risk losing 6 months of their lives being homebound. In March 2020, I was prescribed Ajovy. I was told the major concerns were constipation and injection site reaction, which the manufacturer's website stated as well. I took the Ajovy in April & May 2020. In June 2020, I started to experience GI problems, such as bloating, extreme constipation, nausea, heart palpitations, sense of unease, and panic, vertigo, joint pain, and extreme fatigue. Workup with my PCP in August 2020 showed a 20lb weight gain, elevated LFTs, and increased heart rate from my usual baseline. The only change made in lifestyle or meds in 2020 was the Ajovy... I am now suffering 3 months after my last dose and would not wish this on anyone. I started with very high hopes with this medication. However, this medication is MUCH WORSE than the migraines."
For Migraine Prevention "After thirty-one years of debilitating migraines, suffering about fifteen a month, and having tried all possible drugs including Botox, after six weeks, AJOVY COMPLETELY stopped my migraines with NO side effects. It’s nothing short of a blinking miracle and anyone who knows me says what a completely different person I now am. I kiss the feet of whoever invented this!"
For Migraine Prevention "Ajovy has been great at reducing/almost eliminating migraines, however, the weight gain has been 30 lbs in about 1.5 years. The doctors refuse to acknowledge any side effect that is not listed on the insert, of which there are none except for a rash at the injection site. Also, I have strange dizziness. Who really believes that there are no side effects?"
For Migraine Prevention "Prescribed Ajovy for my chronic migraines. Have had 4 injections now, with the last one on 29/09/2022. Ajovy has been life-changing for my migraines and I went from 20+ a month to under 10. However, it has not been without significant side effects. The neurologist told me side effects could include injection site pain and/or constipation. Since I started Ajovy, I have experienced extreme fatigue, ongoing nausea, hair loss, weight gain, depression (with suicidal ideation), anxiety, brain fog, and a general feeling of restlessness. I am now almost 7 weeks post-injection, and finally some of the symptoms have eased, and I am beginning to feel somewhat normal again. Throughout my experience, I doubted myself many times and thought I was going crazy as none of these symptoms were listed as side effects. However, I can now clearly see the connection. I'm sharing my experience for anyone else that is experiencing similar side effects and also doubting their experience."
For Migraine Prevention "I've been taking Ajovy for almost two years. After the first 3 months of injections, I ended up in the ER with severe itching from head to toe. They didn't know why. I continued to take the injections and about 3 months later went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I had really bad dizziness and heart palpitations, along with an abnormal EKG. I stopped the injections until my migraines started again and I couldn’t take the pain. Now I'm having severe muscle and bone pain. It's so bad that my doctor did all kinds of tests - arthritis, lupus, and multiple myeloma tests. They all came back negative. Today, I went for a bone scan with nuclear meds. I haven't received the results yet but I feel that it's due to Ajovy. I have decided to stop these injections. I'm 57 but I feel like I'm 97!"
For Migraine Prevention "I am a 43-year-old male who has never had any serious illness my whole life. I started suffering from vestibular migraines about 8 months ago. My neurologist talked me into taking Ajovy injections. The first 2 months went okay with almost no dizziness from migraines, only some slight neck pain and slight anxiety. Month 3 started getting worse with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, also PVCs causing heart palpitations. I went in for my fourth shot prepared to tell the neurologist I wanted out, but instead, let him convince me to try one more shot! Now here I am with severe anxiety, body aches, horrible crazy nightmares, elevated BP, migraines, heart PVCs, blurred vision, and have had to go to a psychiatrist and get put on Librium to just try to pull through. The only warning is a possible rash at the injection site. I would give anything for that to be true. Counting days until it's out of my system!"
For Migraine Prevention "Ajovy was my miracle drug. Chronic Migraine and Cluster Headache days went from 15-20 down to 2-3 and much milder if they did occur. After that first 12 months, (Insurance) I was switched to Aimovig, which had very little effect, and after trying for 2 months, I gave up. Ubrelvy, unfortunately, failed as well. After appealing insurance, Ajovy was approved. Once again back on it, and now my headaches are stabilized for 9 months, which is awesome. But I have since noticed an unexplained weight gain of 15 pounds (I follow a strict ketogenic diet) which I brushed off due to pandemic stress over the last year. I'm also now experiencing chronic fatigue, head pressure, dizziness, restless leg syndrome, panic attacks, and chronic insomnia. I can't help but wonder if it's the Ajovy (CGRP use)? I'm stopping it for a while to see if any of these possible side effects resolve. 15-pound weight gain is one thing, not sleeping at all, and being physically exhausted on a daily basis is another."
For Migraine Prevention "This is a high-risk drug for many patients due to severe side effects of panic, anxiety, and depression. As time goes on and more real-world (post-marketing) becomes known about fremanezumab-vfrm, there will be black box warnings as well as significant class actions. I would be curious how many people have lost their lives due to this drug. It's extremely unfortunate, and I hope prescribers listen to the warnings of their patients' experiences on it, especially its detrimental impact on mental health."
For Migraine Prevention "I've had migraines for about 10 years now. They are hereditary, passed down from my mom and grandmother. I started taking Ajovy almost 2 years ago. It has been life-changing for my headaches, however, I'm starting to have crazy symptoms and I am wondering if anyone else has had the same. Extreme dizziness (feels like I'm on a boat rocking), pressure in top of head, hair loss, a little trouble getting the words out of my mouth, a little confusion and terrible anxiety. I've stopped taking Ajovy to see if that could be the culprit, however, I'm only 1 month out and wondering how long this could take to get out of my system? I read Aimovig takes 5 months. I plan to visit the doctor soon, but wondering if anyone has experienced this?"
For Migraine Prevention "Life changing. Used to get pain that was 11/10 - so horrible 90% of the time for 10 years straight. For the last year and a half on Ajovy, I have my life back (KNOCK ON WOOD). I have zero side effects. On Aimovig, I had some stomach issues, but then it stopped working after a few months. This one is amazing. I highly recommend it for hormonal migraines and for people who have had them their whole lives like me since I was 5. It is a miracle. I only get a couple a month now, and they are half the pain. I haven't posted sooner because I am so scared to jinx it."
For Migraine Prevention "My experience with this drug has been horrific. I injected it 2 weeks ago and have been sick ever since. It has doubled the amount of migraines that I get. I have also had severe dizziness and vertigo, along with heart palpitations and anxiety. It has given me neck and muscle pain as well. I am nauseous and can't sleep. This drug listed no side effects but injection site reaction, which I did not get. I expect to be sick for at least the full month that this drug will be in my system. This is not the miracle drug I was expecting. Teva is definitely not being forthcoming."
For Migraine Prevention "My doctor gave me a sample of Ajovy, and the first month was great. I went from having migraines 5 days a week to only one. The next month, I received a 3-month pack for only $5. Sadly, I had a two-month gap, then I went back on Ajovy, and it no longer had a positive effect. At the end of the 30 days, I started to get very dizzy and somewhat disoriented. The dizziness lasted over a week. Then I took Ajovy again the next month. After three weeks, I started to get very dizzy, and now my blood pressure is elevated, and my face gets numb. I’ve felt terrible for over 2 weeks now. After reading many of the testimonials here, I figured it’s the medication's side effects. I am no longer going to take this medication. I hope I can flush it from my system and will take recommendations on how to detoxify. I ended up searching “Ajovy is making me dizzy,” and that’s how I found this helpful site. Thank you everyone for sharing."
For Migraine Prevention "Been using Ajovy for 11 months at this point. The migraines are basically cut in half, but haven't disappeared altogether. For the past few months, I have been experiencing severe vitamin D loss in my blood, and my hair is falling out more than usual. My neurologist says it isn't linked together, but I am not that sure. If anyone is using this drug and is experiencing the same side effects, it might be linked. The more of us share, the more we will know."
For Migraine Prevention "I’ve taken Ajovy since it came out. I can even go 4+ months until needing three injections again. It’s been a miracle. I used to have migraines all the time. I hated the way triptans made me feel (I took Maxalt), and I worried about routinely forcing blood vessels in my brain to shrink. It seemed like a potentially bad idea for the long term. I went to the ER about 4 times a year, and PMS caused excruciating migraines. On Ajovy, I think I’ve had three small migraines in the past year. I have noticed no side effects from the medicine, and I’m usually highly sensitive and get every side effect. I’ve truly had no issues at all. I’m surprised at all the bad reviews. Migraines ruined many years of my life. Anyone thinking about trying it, go ahead and get one injection. If it’s a miracle for you too, then count yourself lucky."
For Migraine Prevention "I took 1st dose of Ajovy in June 2019. Ten days after, woke up with extremely swollen hand and my hypoglycemia was out of control. Spoke with Neurologist who said there could be no connection to Ajovy and encouraged me to take second dose. Took 2nd dose, hypoglycemia went out of control again, and ten days after I took 2nd dose developed deep vein thrombosis in my leg and rhabdomyolysis after a normal workout. I ended up in the ER where I was also diagnosed with superficial thrombosis in upper arm. My Cardiologist figured out this was due to Ajovy. He knew people in the clinical trials were not allowed to participate if they had a history of DVT. CGRP plays a role in pancreas, which explains hypoglycemia attacks. Teva has a clinical trial report in which people experienced elevated levels of CPK counts, but they did not have to report it to the FDA because no one developed rhabdomyolysis in the trials. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2018/761089Orig1s000SumR.pdf"
For Migraine Prevention "I have suffered from chronic migraines since I was a teenager and I am 41. I have tried every medication, almost 5 years of Botox, and nerve decompression surgery in NYC over 2 years ago. Migraines have always come back. My neurologist has put me on Ajovy. I have taken 1 dose 3 weeks ago, no change in my headaches, but I have never felt more fatigued in my life! I can easily sleep 14 hours and still take a nap if it’s my day off. I also feel dizzy, constipated, and my hands and feet feel numb and sore at times. I will not be taking the 2nd dose. I normally work out a few times per week but haven’t had any energy to do so. Also, with a busy nursing career I cannot afford to feel so sluggish or dizzy. I really wanted this to work. I am disappointed again. My neurologist was optimistic and also told me the only adverse reaction was at the injection site, very misleading if you ask me."
For Migraine Prevention "I was told by my neurologist this drug had no side effects. The injection did not hurt, and it did take away the pain and pressure in my head. I didn’t realize until after the 3rd injection that I was having an allergic reaction. After the first one, I had some dark redness on the skin by my eye. I didn’t realize it was from the injection. After the second injection, the redness was worse, but I still didn’t put it together. After the 3rd injection, it was red all around my eyes, swollen underneath my left eye, and my chest and shoulders were red. I thought it was from the COVID vaccine. But then I put it together from the other 2 injections. Then I found the user reviews on here. And I all of a sudden realized... weight gain, bloating badly in the stomach, anxiety, fatigue, dizziness, and more were side effects symptoms from Ajovy, and I was thinking those things were caused by something else because I was TOLD BY A NEUROLOGIST THIS DRUG HAD NO SIDE EFFECTS! I am very grateful I had that allergic reaction and had to stop the injections."
For Migraine Prevention "These injections significantly reduced my migraines. However, I developed severe insomnia (I've always slept GREAT) before, and anxiety, depression, and panic. I've had to see countless doctors. It has ruined my quality of life, and I'm a mama of 3. Ajovy is not made with stem cells, and if you research this, these can be common side effects. I'm really at a loss of what to do. I regret giving these a try. Also, a doctor told me Ajovy is in your system for ages after the last injection. Please consider if this is worth it."
For Migraine Prevention "Does anyone here want to start a class action lawsuit against Ajovy? This drug has not been studied enough for side effects. After 2 injections, I refuse to take any more. Like others on this forum, I am so fatigued, I sleep all day. Extremely nauseous so it’s hard to eat anything that’s not bland. I’ve gained 5 pounds. I am very constipated, dizzy, fear I will collapse when I try to go out. I have type 2 bipolar depression and after not having suicidal thoughts for years, I had very serious suicidal thoughts and plans that I managed to talk myself out of. There is a known link between mood disorders and migraines, so I think they should take this more seriously and do more research before treating people like guinea pigs."
For Migraine Prevention "I had my first dose on the 24th of June 2021. The injection intensified the migraine pain by at least 40% and made them last 24/7, only dropping to mild for one hour before cramping back up again, so I had to lie in a fully dark room with an ice pack and eye mask. I tried codeine, but it had no effect. The nausea and stomach cramps were really intense. I had to take Xanax to try to relax the pain on my left side, neck, and shoulder too. The whole experience left me shaken. The neurologist has taken me off it because she said she doesn't have much experience with it. They offered no antidote or pain relief, I have to just ride out the two weeks I have it left in my system. Teva needs to be more transparent with their medication side effects with Ajovy."
For Migraine Prevention "I have suffered from chronic migraines for 35+ years! My first injection of Ajovy was on May 30, 2019. Initially, other than site pain/bruising, I was thrilled...thought I was a winner! Unfortunately, my 5th dose on September 30th will be my last! My struggle with a weight gain of 17 pounds is unacceptable, when I know that my diet and exercise regimen has been even better than before I started. I am uncomfortably bloated and/or constipated due to the decreased gastric motility that I KNOW is caused by the Ajovy! I pray that my fellow migraineurs who are using it pay attention to your body...monitor closely."
For Migraine Prevention "Ajovy has been great for reducing my migraines from 3-4 a week to 6 in the last year while being on Ajovy. But I also have fibromyalgia, and for the last 11 months out of 13 months (on Ajovy), I’ve been in chronic pain. I was just thinking my fibro was getting worse, but now wondering if it’s been from the injection. Every bone, joint, muscle, and nerve in my body hurts 24/7, some days it takes all I have to function. After reading new reports on CGRP receptors (which Ajovy targets), it makes sense of why my pain or anyone’s would be greatly intensified. My advice if you already experience pain, try all the other meds on the market before this one."
For Migraine Prevention "I have taken 3 injections of Ajovy. It’s been amazing. Previously, I had migraines often and daily headaches. I was eating Excedrin Migraine like candy. Now, I usually get a mild headache around the 26th day after my injection. I also have arthritis in my wrist, neck, and back. Those pains seem to have disappeared as well. I am 53 years old and I walk 5 miles daily (Monday through Friday). It’s great to be able to function without headaches."
For Migraine Prevention "I started Ajovy 225mg in January. The first month I noticed no help with migraines, actually, it was a little worse. Also started getting lightheaded and lacked appetite. The second shot in February, my symptoms became worse: bad taste in my mouth, feeling spacey, no appetite, still no reduction in migraines. Also, experiencing constipation, insomnia, and low energy. The 3rd shot and last brought chills and flushing, heart palpitations, irritability, trouble concentrating, major panic attacks. Numbness in legs and arms, confusion, my wife called 911 thinking I was having a heart attack. No one can tell me how long this will last. I was told by Teva, the maker of Ajovy, that it has a 31-day half-life, which means it will take 155 days for the Ajovy to be out of my system. My neurologist has no answers. The doctors at the ER said it was a severe panic attack, and I was dehydrated. I hope this helps. Sorry, I am not thinking very well. No changes in my medication except Ajovy."
