New treatment may be solution for Canadians suffering from migraines

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – They are one of the most common causes of pain out there, we’re talking about headaches and migraines.

As we mark National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, an expert from UBC breaks down what appears to be a game-changing new treatment.

It can sure feel like a kick in the head, anyone who suffers from prolonged migraines can attest to that.

However, Dr. Sian Spacey, an Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology at UBC and Director of the Headache Clinic at the post-secondary school, says there’s a new hope.

She’s calling it a major breakthrough.

“There is a new category of drugs coming out, called CGRP Monoclonal Antibodies. They have already been approved in the [United] States and we anticipate they will be coming to Canada in the autumn.”

She adds conducted through monthly self-injections, they are migraine-specific medications that are used to prevent migraines rather than just treat them.

“Patients self-inject once a month to prevent migraines. There are other drugs on the market [now] that also act on this target like Botox and Botox inhibits relief of this neuropeptide. But because this is a very different mechanism of action, people are very optimistic.”

There are some striking differences between migraines and headaches and the symptoms impact more than 2 million people across the country, according to Statistics Canada.

Migraines tend to be moderate to intense headaches with either a throbbing or pulsating pain and are often on just one side of the head. Other symptoms people tend to feel include nausea, sensitivity to light, sounds, smells and vomiting.

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