Does Aimovig cause weight gain or loss?
- No. Weight gain or loss has not been reported as a side effect of Aimovig.
- However, weight gain or loss is common in people with migraine, for reasons associated with the migraines themselves, rather than Aimovig.
- Weight loss may be due to loss of appetite associated with nausea or vomiting caused by a migraine.
- Obesity is common in people with migraines, and being obese increases a person’s risk of developing migraines.
Studies of Aimovig (erenumab), as well as the product information for the drug, do not report either weight loss or weight gain as a side effect.
However, people with migraines, in general, are prone to weight loss or weight gain. There are several reasons for this, such as:
- Nausea or vomiting experienced during a migraine may cause people to lose their appetite and not eat properly. If a person has many migraine episodes a month this could cause weight loss
- Fear of precipitating a migraine may cause people with migraine to forgo exercise or to stay at home more than somebody without migraine. This can lead to weight gain
- Obesity is a risk factor in developing migraines, and it is not unusual for people with migraines to be obese
- Obesity commonly occurs in association with several other chronic pain syndromes.
- Obesity is highly prevalent in the general population and it may have been present before migraines started.
References
- Deen M, Correnti E, Kamm K, et al. Blocking CGRP in migraine patients - a review of pros and cons. J Headache Pain. 2017;18(1):96. Published 2017 Sep 25. doi:10.1186/s10194-017-0807-1
- Aimovig [Package insert] Reviewed Oct 2019 Amgen Inc https://www.drugs.com/pro/aimovig.html
- Verrotti A, Di Fonzo A, Penta L, Agostinelli S, Parisi P. Obesity and headache/migraine: the importance of weight reduction through lifestyle modifications. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:420858. doi:10.1155/2014/420858
Read next
Related medical questions
- What are the new drugs for the treatment of migraines?
- What is the mechanism of action of Aimovig?
- Can you drink alcohol with Aimovig?
- Can Aimovig cause hair loss (alopecia)?
- How do you use the Aimovig autoinjector?
- Emgality vs Aimovig - how do they compare?
- How long does it take for Aimovig to start working?
- How is Vyepti different from Aimovig?
- Which medication should I use for migraine headaches?
- How do you inject Aimovig?
- What type of drug is Ajovy?
- How does Aimovig work to prevent migraines?