A year ago, I wrote about the difference between cluster headaches and migraines. Many people who claim to have migraines actually have cluster headaches. They are not the same thing and require different treatment. This is one reason so many people who claim to have migraines claim they have little relief from the treatment they are given.

What’s the difference between a cluster headache and a migraine?

Migraine Headache

In many cases, a migraine gives a warning of its onset with changes in the person’s vision. They may see an ‘aura’ or some type of visual disturbance such as zigzag lines, flashing lights or even a temporary loss of vision. Migraines are often accompanied by sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting. They may last anywhere from 2 to 72 hours.

Cluster Headache

In most cases, cluster headaches usually come on suddenly without any warning. They are felt on one side of the head and are generally accompanied by a runny nose and watery eyes, especially the eye on the side of the headache. Sometimes, cluster headaches are confused or diagnosed as sinus headaches. Cluster headaches can last as little as 2 hours or as long as several months, also leading to being confused with sinus headaches.

Last year, the FDA approved a new device to help treat cluster headaches. If you want to learn more about that click here.

This past week, the FDA announced that they had given approval of a new treatment for migraines. It’s a drug called Aimovig (erenumab-aooe) and actually, it’s not to treat migraines, but rather to hep prevent migraines from happening.

According to the FDA report:

“Patients often describe migraine headache pain as an intense pulsing or throbbing pain in one area of the head. Additional symptoms include nausea and/or vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Approximately one-third of affected individuals can predict the onset of a migraine because it is preceded by an aura – transient sensory or visual disturbances that appear as flashing lights, zig-zag lines or a temporary loss of vision. People with migraine tend to have recurring attacks triggered by a number of different factors, including stress, hormonal changes, bright or flashing lights, lack of food or sleep and diet. Migraine is three times more common in women than in men and affects more than 10 percent of people worldwide.”

‘The effectiveness of Aimovig for the preventive treatment of migraine was evaluated in three clinical trials. The first study included 955 participants with a history of episodic migraine and compared Aimovig to placebo. Over the course of six months, Aimovig-treated patients experienced, on average, one to two fewer monthly migraine days than those on placebo. The second study included 577 patients with a history of episodic migraine and compared Aimovig to placebo. Over the course of three months, Aimovig-treated patients experienced, on average, one fewer migraine day per month than those on placebo. The third study evaluated 667 patients with a history of chronic migraine and compared Aimovig to placebo. In that study, over the course of three months, patients treated with Aimovig experienced, on average, 2 ½ fewer monthly migraine days than those receiving placebo.”

Like any drug on the market, there have been some side effects reported during the testing of Aimovig. They were reactions at the injection site and constipation, but when compared to the incapacitation that often happens with a migraine, the side effects don’t seem nearly as bad.

If you are a migraine sufferer, talk to your doctor and if necessary, take a copy of this report with you and see if you are a candidate for Aimovig.