Patient education
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide found abundantly throughout the nervous system, particularly in the trigeminal nerve pathways. Research over the past several decades has demonstrated that.
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Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide found abundantly throughout the nervous system, particularly in the trigeminal nerve pathways. Research over the past several decades has demonstrated that CGRP levels rise significantly during migraine attacks, and that this molecule plays a central role in the initiation and propagation of migraine pain. CGRP causes vasodilation of blood vessels in the brain and sensitizes pain receptors, contributing to the throbbing, debilitating headache that characterizes a migraine attack.
By identifying CGRP as a key driver of migraine, researchers unlocked a new therapeutic target, one that would ultimately produce the most significant advance in migraine prevention in a generation.
CGRP medications are monoclonal antibodies specifically engineered to block either CGRP itself or its receptor, thereby preventing the molecular cascade that triggers migraine attacks. Unlike older preventive medications, such as beta-blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, or anticonvulsants, which were repurposed from other conditions and carry broad systemic effects, CGRP inhibitors were designed from the ground up for migraine. This precision targeting means greater efficacy for many patients and a substantially improved side-effect profile.
The FDA has approved four CGRP inhibitors for migraine prevention:
Clinical trials have demonstrated that these medications significantly reduce migraine frequency, intensity, and duration for many patients, with some achieving a 50% or greater reduction in monthly migraine days, a threshold considered clinically meaningful in headache medicine.
CGRP inhibitors are approved for adults with episodic migraine (typically defined as fewer than 15 headache days per month) and chronic migraine (15 or more headache days per month, with at least 8 meeting migraine criteria). They are particularly valuable for patients who:
Importantly, CGRP inhibitors work preventively, they are taken on a scheduled basis to reduce the frequency of attacks, not to abort an attack that has already begun. They are often used in combination with acute migraine treatments such as triptans or gepants.
At Charis Neurology, we have extensive experience prescribing and managing CGRP inhibitor therapy for both episodic and chronic migraine. Our approach begins with a thorough evaluation of your migraine history, prior treatments, and individual risk factors to determine which CGRP inhibitor, and which delivery method, is best suited for you.
For patients receiving Vyepti (eptinezumab), quarterly infusions are administered in our on-site infusion suite in Lake Mary, FL, providing a comfortable, medically supervised experience without the need to travel to a hospital infusion center. We monitor treatment response closely and adjust your plan as needed to optimize outcomes.
If you are living with frequent migraines and have not found adequate relief with standard treatments, CGRP inhibitors may represent a meaningful step forward. Contact Charis Neurology at (407) 603-1633 to schedule a headache consultation and explore whether CGRP therapy is right for you.
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