Qulipta Side Effects, Dosage and Reviews For Migraine

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What Is Qulipta?

Also known as antogepant, Qulipta is a CGRP oral medication used to prevent migraine attacks. Qulipta was first launched by Abbvie and approved by the Food Drug Administration (FDA) as an anti-CGRP migraine medication on September 2021. It is joined by a family of migraine medication classes, known as gepants. Qulipta blocks calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptors, hence preventing migraine attacks. While that is a mouthful, what exactly is CGRP?

How Does Qulipta Prevent For Migraine Attacks?

CGRP inhibition is the mechanism behind Qulipta for migraine. CGRP is a protein in the brain that is involved in the transmission of pain and is released during the course of a migraine attack. When CGRP is released, it causes intense inflammation in the brain coverings or the meninges. While migraine pathophysiology is still undergoing research, CGRP is believed to be heavily associated with the pain of a migraine attack. This is how anti-CGRP medication, like Qulipta works.

At some point, Qulipta was the first and only oral medication used for preventive migraine medication. Nurtec (or rimegepant), which was initially approved for the acute treatment of migraine attacks, was approved by the FDA for preventive use of episodic migraine attacks in 2021.

There are other anti-CGRP medications available, such as Ubrelvy, and so on. As every anti-CGRP medication works differently, it’s important to make an informed decision, such as the side effects of Ubrelvy and some Ubrelvy reviews.

There are various anti-CGRP available that are researched through migraine clinical trials. You can answer a few questions to find out if you’re eligible for these migraine virtual clinical trials.

Qulipta is a special medication unlike other medications like Excedrin as Qulipta does not contain caffeine.

What Are Some Common Side Effects of Qulipta?

Common side effects of Qulipta include:

• constipation
• nausea
• fatigue
• weight loss
• drowsiness

The side effects that are listed here are not exhaustive. It is important to note that while Qulipta may have side effects, your doctor has deemed that the medication’s benefit outweighs the risks of the side effects of Qulipta.

Know what the side effects of Qulipta are can help you better adjust your daily routine. For example, if you experience drowsiness, make sure you take a day off, and not drive. You should not be working with heavy machinery either. Also, Qulipta may “cause” constipation so make sure you keep a look out for the side effects.

The tricky thing is to distinguish whether the side effects are from Qulipta or merely symptoms of a migraine attack.

Qulipta Side Effects: Hair Loss?

Some common questions about Qulipta’s side effects revolve around hair loss. The good news is that Qulipta does not cause hair loss. However, some other migraine medication may cause hair loss so do check with your doctor on that.

Does Qulipta Cause Weight Loss Or Weight Gain?

For some patients, Qulipta may cause weight loss due to decreased appetite.

Does Qulipta Cause Weight Loss Or Weight Gain?

Qulipta does not cause weight gain. But make sure you check with your medical provider for advice.

Does Qulipta Cause Depression

Thankfully, Qulipta does not cause depression. Check to see if there are other medications that may cause moodiness or anxiety.

Qulipta Reviews

In a clinical review published by the New England Journal of Medicine, more than half of the migraine patients who took Qulipta in varying doses found that their monthly migraine attacks were reduced by half in Qulipta reviews.

Another randomized placebo-controlled phase 3 study found that antogepant was highly safe and effective. Also, Qulipta reviews demonstrated that more than 50% participants in the groups receiving antogepant experienced 50% or more reduction in migraine days compared with 29% of participants in the placebo group who achieved this reduction.

Across the board, many users reported lesser migraine symptoms. To counter some of the side effects, such as constipation, you can try using stool softeners.

Qulipta Dosage: How Many Times Can I Take Qulipta?

The recommended Qulipta dose is 10 mg, 30 mg, or 60 mg orally, once daily. You are to consume your Qulipta dosage by swallowing Qulipta completely. However, that depends on what your medical care provider prescribes. Your doctor may prescribe a different Qulipta dosage depending on your condition. It is important to keep to your Qulipta dosing without exceeding it. 60mg of Qulipta dosage is helpful to prevent migraine attacks. You can take Qulipta anytime during the day but you should only take it once daily. Make sure you use a medication journal like Migraine Buddy to keep track how many times you’ve taken Qulipta and which part of the day did you take it.

It is important to take note that you can’t cut Qulipta into half. Qulipta is meant to be taken as a whole, on its own. However, if you find it hard to swallow Qulipta, consult your medical provider.

How Long Does Qulipta Take To Work?

Practically speaking, Qulipta should work after you take one dose a day. However, you may observe lesser migraine attacks only after 12 weeks. Everyone may takes different amount of time so be patient and keep track of its efficacy!

Pharmacokinetics: How Is Qulipta Metabolized?

Qulipta is metabolized largely through cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and has an elimination half-life of about 11 hours. The half-life is the duration after which 50% of the dose you have taken has disappeared from your body (by metabolisation (=transformation) or elimination). Your age, sex, body weight and race do not significantly affect the metabolism of Qulipta.

Qulipta Cost: How Much Is Qulipta With Insurance?

Qulipta cost for 10mg oral tablet averages around USD $1,105 for 30 tablets. The Qulipta cost stated is for cash paying customers, and won’t be covered by personal insurance. However, commercial insurance may help to alleviate Qulipta cost. With a Qulipta copay card called Qulipta Complete Savings Card, you may potentially look at getting Qulipta prescription for free. However, terms and conditions do apply but the Qulipta Savings Card is still worth applying for.

Even with Medicaid, your monthly cost for cash outlay may differ because that depends on your household income ceiling. Also, depending on which state you are from, cash outlay will also differ.

Nevertheless, Qulipta promotions may take the form of Qulipta savings, coupons, rebates, or trial offers.

Should I take Qulipta For Migraine Attacks?

While there are many patients who experienced reduction in migraine days, it is still important to consult a doctor to evaluate the suitability of taking Qulipta for migraine attacks.

By having a consistent schedule with migraine tracking with Migraine Buddy, we can better track the patterns with migraine medication efficacy. It also serves as an objective record to show your doctors.

Download Migraine Buddy now!