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.