Emgality User Reviews & Ratings (Page 4)

• Wil...
• June 27, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "Started loading dose 11/1, and last dose was 6/1. This medicine was successful in reducing migraine days from 8 to 2 (much weaker ones) per month. Unfortunately, the side effects may outweigh the benefits. - weight gain - swelling of legs/feet - extreme fatigue - difficulty breathing (feels like weight on my chest) - increased anxiety/depression. Sadly, I am too uncomfortable and frankly nervous about what changes internally and long-term this will cause and will have to revert back to my Imitrex."

• Lif...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2023

For Cluster Headaches "My cluster headaches started 6 months ago. I am 55 years old. I was diagnosed with cluster headaches and was having them every evening like clockwork - the worst pain I have ever experienced. I thought I had an aneurysm. I started with Topamax, which had the side effect of feeling “dopey,” and my job is very demanding. After a month on Topamax, I was put on Verapamil (preventative) and take Relpax once they hit. I was getting them once a day, every single day. All I could do is walk in circles - I couldn’t sit or lay down. I reached out for options at a very reputable neurology group and started Emgality, and it worked immediately. I am almost 100 percent cluster headache-free. It worked well for me. I know there isn’t a lot known about cluster headaches and wanted to be sure I shared my age as well as what I tried before Emgality."

• All...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "The morning after taking my first dose of Emgality, I woke up to a racing/pounding heart, which developed into high blood pressure (we have a cuff at home) and shortness of breath. Went to urgent care thinking it was some kind of reaction (they gave me some Benadryl and sent me away), but then I came on here and found out those are just some (apparently common) side effects. Today is day 5 (day of highest drug concentration), and my heart wavers from seemingly fine to beating over 100 bpm and feeling like it’s going to leap out of my chest. BP still high. Can’t sleep at night due to the pounding heart and racing thoughts (I have mild anxiety, but folks, this is wild). My doctor just said not to take it again. Thanks? Positive note? No migraines since."

• Ron...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2020

For Cluster Headaches "This Emgality has been a lifesaver. Cluster headaches for 12 years. Cycles on 3 months off 4 months like clockwork. I started Emgality 3 months ago at the start of a cycle and have only had a handful of headaches that my sumatriptan injections took care of. Not bad considering I average 6 or 7 a day. The best summer of my life. Minimal side effects, hallucinations, just shadows. Month 1 and 2 felt sick at times, but who cares, I have my life back."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 15, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "I took my first (only) injection 3/14/21. I was fine for about 3 to 4 days, then my nightmare began. Very weak, nauseous, body and muscle aches, depression, teeth are super sensitive and hurt to touch, ears ringing and dizziness, but the best part is my migraines are worse and more frequent. I will never take another chance again. Who would have thought, through all this, I WISH I only had a migraine. Does anyone out there know how long this misery will last? I have been in bed for 3 weeks now."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I received the Emgality injection dosing in August 2019. It really helped with the migraines, but now I am still suffering bad side effects of red raised skin rashes, red bruises-like marks, elevated b/p, heart palpitations, burning hot on palms and feet, pain in joints and fingers, and had constipation for a few days, night sweats, red itching rashes on the chest. It says to take 5 and a half months for the meds to be out of the system. And it’s almost 5 months and hoping it will go away. My neurologist told me there are no side effects besides redness or soreness on injection sites. She basically lied or didn’t do research before giving it to me."

• Shg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I started it on July 18 and have had 2 doses. Wish I would’ve researched before I decided to let them give me the shots. My anxiety has gone crazy enough to make me go on an antidepressant, Xanax when needed, horrible stomach pain, high sensitivity to lights and sounds. Have not had a migraine since, but to me it’s not worth continuing for all the side effects. The NP tried showing me there are no side effects. I don’t think it’s been out long enough or researched enough to say it doesn’t. I’ve never felt so bad! Wish there was a reversal agent to get it out."

• J D...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 20, 2025

For Migraine Prevention "Changed my life. Chronic migraines since I was 12 years old and complex migraines started at 26 years old. Tried everything to prevent them without improvement. Emgality cut my migraines from weekly down to less than monthly, and the intensity has decreased significantly too. My family and I are so grateful for this medicine!"

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 10, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "Worst medication ever for me. Horrible side effects. Dizzy, constipation, horrid dreams, terrible nausea. Please avoid if possible, obviously, everybody is not the same. Worse than the medical problem for me."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "As a lot of other people on here have noted, I took an Emgality shot on August 1st and the second one on September 1st. I have had terrible side effects: back pain, bloating, heart racing, insomnia, and extreme anxiety. I have chosen to stop treatment. I am wondering if someone can comment on how long it took for the side effects to go away. It is October 11th, and I am still experiencing some of these side effects. Although I feel some of them are getting better. I am looking for hope that this nightmare is almost over."

• CQO...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 11, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "I have had migraines since I was 5 years old, and the older I'm getting, they seem to be getting worse. I get them almost every day! I have been on Emgality for about 7-8 months now. I have not had any side effects at all. The first 5 months were amazing, I was only getting about 3 migraines a month. But these last few months, they have slowly been coming back as if the medication is no longer working. I think my body has become immune to it."

• Doe...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 27, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "One year on a single dose, except the initial double dose. One month on a double dose. Emgality reduced my migraines from 15/month to 5/month. I knew Emgality was a brand new drug when I started it. The NP at the neurologist’s office told me there were no side effects. It hadn’t been on the market long enough to prove that was just plain wrong. For me, they came on gradually: constipation, dizziness/clumsiness, and most troubling, memory loss. An example is stopping in the middle of a sentence because I can’t find a word I’ve known for years. Last month, the migraines started coming back, very mild, disappeared after about ½ hour. I was placed on the double dosing, and the side effects I’ve reported are escalating. I plan to stop the double dosing and to keep a detailed journal. I’ll let them know at the neurologist’s office. I dread the thought of stopping Emgality altogether, with a return of 15 days of misery each month."

• Kes...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 14, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "I’ve been on this for 5 or 6 months, and I’ve had zero migraines right from the first dosing! So happy to lead a normal life again. Side effects were only tinnitus from the beginning and some constipation issues, but no big deal. In November, I started having pain and swelling in both knees. X-rays show no bone issues, so I’m scheduled for an MRI on my knees next week. After reading about some experiencing joint pain, now it’s making me wonder if it is a side effect of the medication. I’m hoping there is no connection because the medication is working 100% when nothing else I’ve tried has helped at all. Plus all of the other medications had bad side effects and didn’t help me."

• Rai...
• September 21, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "I have chronic, debilitating migraines, 15-19 per month on average. I utilized the Emgality injectable on 9.2.20. I battle dizziness, nausea, aversion to sound, etc. Certainly, I can only speak to my experiences, and I am not advocating for or campaigning against any particular treatment. This said, I will never, ever inject Emgality again. The side effects-linger constipation, difficulty breathing, eyesight and hearing have gone a bit haywire, nausea, red and itchy face, neck, and chest-are brutal, and NOT worth it. With the exception of nausea, I have been fortunate not to have any previous issues with the other side effects mentioned above and can think of nothing else (no new meds, lifestyle, or environmental changes) to attribute these symptoms to. My headaches have not lessened in frequency or strength. Additionally, I find that, thus far, Imitrex does not work as effectively. I hope this development reverses itself."

• Dan...
• February 11, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "I have to say “Thank God!!” for these reviews. I was “hopeful” about trying out Emgality. I can say that after reading so many people's experiences, I feel almost relieved in a sense that I'm not the only person going through this pain. I’m in my early 30s and have suffered from debilitating migraines for 15+ years-so bad that because I've taken so much Excedrin Migraine over the years, it almost finished me off. Having my 2 young daughters watch me bleed out internally because of a bleeding peptic ulcer caused by Excedrin, you can't help but feel absolutely helpless, like there will NEVER BE ANYTHING TO HELP. It’s nice to know there are people out there who realize that “it’s not just a GD headache!” Thank you to all of you who have tried it, and I’m sorry if these drugs made anything worse for you-more pain is definitely NOT what you deserve!!! Good luck to all of you!"

• Lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 27, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I took my first dosing of Emgality about 3 weeks ago. Since then, I have noticed an improvement in my migraines. However, since then, I have become extremely depressed. I have never had such dark thoughts, etc., until now. At first, I couldn't figure out what triggered it, but now the timeline matches perfectly with when I received this drug."

• hea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "I would not recommend this at all. I have gained 20 pounds, it has not stopped any of my headaches or any of my symptoms at all. I actually feel worse. I have been on this for three months and will not be taking this anymore. I feel this should have been tested more before being put on the market."

• Ups...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 12, 2025

For Migraine Prevention "Emgality changed my life. I began getting migraines in my early 50s. I managed by taking sumatriptan to relieve the pain. You can only take this for 3 consecutive days. The side effects for me included a disrupted digestive system. Then, when I was 62, I had a series of migraines that simply wouldn't go away. I had gone to the ER in the past to receive a treatment to break the migraine, which had worked. This time it didn't. I went to the ER three times over a period of a week. I was referred to a neurologist, and after a month of testing and trying different drugs, I was diagnosed with hemicrania continua. I was placed on gabapentin, propranolol, and ubrelvy. My insurance made me try several different drugs before I was able to try Emgality. I was logging between 9 and 13 migraines a month. After four months, I had 13 migraines and told my doctor it wasn't working. She said to keep trying as it takes a while. This was my 8th month on Emgality, and I had just two migraines."

• Ser...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2024

For Migraine Prevention "This is the first time I've read more than a few reviews on Emgality. My migraines started in 2020, it's been a long road. My migraines are hormone-related. I took my loading dose in July of 2023, in a few days, it will be my 6-month mark. I wasn't prepared for the horrible burning pain during the injection, but luckily it only lasts a few minutes. The morning after my injection, my heart was racing so fast I almost couldn't breathe, it made me panic. It subsided after 30 minutes. I haven't had any other side effects, and that only happened one other time after an injection, but less intense. The first month, I had more than a 75% reduction. I felt really good too, cleaned, spent time with friends and family. Then the following months, it went to maybe a 30% decrease, a few rough months. On my 5th month, this month has been pretty good so far. I did start having odd back/spine/hip pain, not sure if it's connected, but after reading comments, it makes me wonder. It is manageable though."

• Jas...
• September 30, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I took my loading dose of Emgality a few days ago (two shots). I've been hesitant to start because of the negative reactions I've read on sites like this one. The injections were not painful or scary at all. It felt no worse than a flu shot. I just let my medication sit out for an hour before administering to let it get to room temperature. No site reaction or swelling either. No massive same-day or multi-day reactionary headaches like others have described. I have had a few minor head throbs but no full-blown migraines yet (hopefully that keeps up). No constipation yet either. My only side effect thus far is that I feel a bit more tired than usual. I just wanted to post this to help others out there who are terrified of even trying the medication due to all the negative reviews. I don't know if mine is helping because it is so early to tell, but I am still more than functional enough to continue to, and the shots didn't hurt as much as others on here are making them out to be."

• Shg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I started my loading dose of Emgality in July, 2nd dose in August. Have had no migraines since but many unexplained side effects that the doctor who pushed it stressed there are none. Have had horrible anxiety, insomnia, stomach problems, pain in the middle back, sinus drainage, sensitivity to light, sound, and smells. Been to numerous doctors and had numerous tests but no answers. I should’ve done my research before letting him talk me into taking it since I’m sensitive to meds anyways."

• Nik...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 11, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "I have been taking Emgality for 8 months now. There are side effects. For me, they are minor and preferable to my 9 or 10 migraine days a month. Slight anxiety and paranoia. As long as I keep away from my horror movies, I'm okay. Weight gain. Sucks, but I exercise more and watch my diet. And fatigue. Only bad because I am an insomniac, so being exhausted but not able to sleep sucks. Others have reported much worse and some none at all, but with no change to their malady. I wish you luck and hope you find what works for you."

• Cha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 6, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "I’ve been using Emgality for 4 months. I started experiencing strange health issues. My biggest concern is impaired cognition. I feel the same as when I was on Topamax. The side effects from Emgality for me are memory and speech problems; stuttering and stammering, short-term memory loss, painfully swollen hands and feet, shortness of breath, sore throat, always hot, 10# weight gain, extreme insomnia and panic attacks, tinnitus, balance issues, and some breakthrough migraines. My neurologist ordered an MRI to rule out anything with my brain. She discontinued Emgality and I will be back on Botox. Praying no long-term effects upon discontinuing this medication."

• Sas...
• September 4, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I would recommend people do research before going on any new medication, including the new injectable preventatives. I was desperate and agreed to do the Emgality injection with Botox without researching anything, as the doctor was being pushy about it happening that day right then. I was on this approximately 8 months and from the very start had increased anxiety and depression (was put on meds and couldn't leave my house due to the anxiety). Migraines increased, as did the severity of them, to the point where I couldn't go to work. I ended up in the ER multiple times with mini strokes (please keep in mind I am in my mid-20s). I already have chronic constipation, but this medication would make me go 4-6 weeks without a bowel movement. I paid completely out of pocket each month for this medicine ($780 every month), hoping it would help, and it only made everything worse. Not everyone is the same, and if it works well for someone else, I am happy for you! Unfortunately, it did not work for me at all."

• Aan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "Long history (7+ years) of vestibular migraine & Meniere's, followed by 6 months of traditional (headache) migraine. After several oral preventatives failed (either ineffective or bad side effects), tried 2 months of Emgality. At first, it was amazing, went from 3-4 bad migraines a week to 1 or 2 the whole month, and those were much less severe. After the second dose, though, my ears went haywire, and the dizziness is through the roof. Also experiencing extreme sadness for several days after injection, and trouble with body not regulating temperature. Hot all the time. Unfortunately, must discontinue as the dizziness is not sustainable."