Emgality is a brand-name subcutaneous injection prescribed to prevent migraine attacks and treat episodic cluster headaches. Emgality contains the active ingredient galcanezumab-gnlm and belongs to the calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonist drug class.
For preventing migraine attacks and treating episodic cluster headaches, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Emgality for adults only. For more information, see the “Emgality Uses” section.
Drug details
You’ll find key information about Emgality here:
- Drug class: calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonist
- Drug form: subcutaneous injection
- Generic available? no
- Prescription required? yes
- Controlled substance? no
Emgality is a type of biologic drug called a monoclonal antibody. It’s available only as a brand-name medication. It’s not currently available in generic or biosimilar form.
Biologic medications are made from living cells, so it’s not possible to copy these drugs exactly. A generic, on the other hand, refers to drugs made from chemicals. A generic is an exact copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication.
Biosimilar medications are considered just as safe and effective as their parent drug. And as with generics, biosimilars tend to cost less than brand-name medications.
Emgality can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while using Emgality. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.
For more information on the possible side effects of Emgality, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to deal with any side effects that may be bothersome.
Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks and reviews side effects of the medication. Sharing your experience helps make medications safer for everyone by giving doctors and researchers more information about how the drug works in real life. If you develop a side effect while using Emgality and want to tell the FDA about it, visit MedWatch or call 800-332-1088.
More common side effects
The more common side effects of Emgality are injection site reactions. This can include the following effects at the site where you inject the drug:
- skin discoloration
- itchiness
- pain
- tenderness
Injection site reactions usually aren’t severe or lasting. Most of the side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects from Emgality aren’t common, but they can occur. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency.
Emgality may cause a serious allergic reaction. This side effect is explained in more detail in the next section.
Allergic reaction
As with most drugs, some people can have an allergic reaction after receiving Emgality. It’s not known for sure how many people using Emgality have an allergic reaction to the drug. Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:
A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include:
- swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
- swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat
- difficulty breathing
Call your doctor right away if you have a severe allergic reaction to Emgality. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency.
As with all medications, prices for Emgality can vary. Your actual cost will depend on your insurance coverage and the pharmacy you use.
Your insurance plan may require you to get prior authorization before approving coverage for Emgality. This means that your doctor and insurance company will need to communicate about your prescription before the insurance company will cover the drug. The insurance company will review the request and let you and your doctor know if your plan will cover Emgality.
If you’re not sure whether you’ll need to get prior authorization for Emgality, contact your insurance company.
Drug coupons
You can visit Optum Perks for price estimates of Emgality. These estimates are based on the use of Optum Perks coupons. Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.
Financial assistance
If you need financial support to pay for Emgality, help is available.
Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of Emgality, offers a savings card that can help you pay less for Emgality. For more information and to find out if you’re eligible, call 833-364-2548 or visit the program website.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Emgality to treat or prevent certain conditions.
Emgality for migraine attack prevention
Emgality is FDA approved to help prevent migraine attacks in adults. It’s used to help prevent both episodic and chronic migraine headaches. Chronic migraine headaches occur on 15 or more days per month, while episodic migraine headaches occur on fewer than 15 days per month.
Effectiveness for migraine attack prevention
In clinical trials, Emgality was found to be safe and effective for helping prevent migraine attacks in adults. For details of these trials, see the Emgality prescribing information.
Emgality for cluster headaches
Emgality is FDA approved to treat episodic cluster headaches in adults.
Cluster headaches are painful headaches that happen in clusters (several headaches in a short period). This type of headache is very painful and can be episodic or chronic. With episodic cluster headaches, there are longer headache-free periods in between clusters compared with chronic cluster headaches.
Effectiveness for cluster headaches
In a clinical trial, Emgality was found to be safe and effective for helping treat cluster headaches in adults. For details about this trial, see the Emgality prescribing information.
Off-label uses for Emgality
Doctors may also prescribe drugs for other conditions that aren’t FDA approved. This use is called off-label drug use.
Emgality for vestibular migraine headaches
Emgality isn’t FDA approved to treat or prevent vestibular migraine headaches. Vestibular migraine headaches are different from classic migraine headaches in that they’re not painful most of the time. Instead, people with vestibular migraine headaches will commonly feel vertigo or dizziness that lasts from seconds to hours.
It’s not known at this time whether Emgality is effective at preventing or treating vestibular migraine headaches. The drug isn’t being tested in clinical trials of people with vestibular migraine headaches, but doctors may still choose to prescribe it off-label for this condition.
Other drugs are available that can help prevent migraine attacks or treat cluster headaches. Some may be better suited for you than others. If you’re interested in finding an alternative to Emgality, talk with your doctor to learn more about other medications that may work well for you.
Alternatives for migraine prevention
Examples of other drugs that are FDA approved to help prevent migraine attacks include:
- certain seizure medications, such as:
- divalproex sodium (Depakote, Depakote ER)
- topiramate (Topamax, Trokendi XR)
- valproate sodium
- the beta-blocker propranolol (Inderal LA)
- the neurotoxin onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox)
- other calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonists, such as:
- erenumab-aooe (Aimovig)
- fremanezumab-vfrm (Ajovy)
- eptinezumab-jjmr (Vyepti)
- atogepant (Qulipta)
- rimegepant (Nurtec ODT)
Examples of other drugs that may be used off-label to help prevent migraine attacks include:
- certain antidepressants, such as amitriptyline and venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
- certain beta-blockers, such as metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL) or atenolol (Tenormin)
Alternatives for cluster headache treatment
Sumatriptan (Imitrex) is FDA approved to treat cluster headaches.
Other drugs are sometimes used off-label to treat cluster headaches. According to treatment
- zolmitriptan (Zomig)
- oxygen
- octreotide (Sandostatin)
CGRP antagonists
Emgality is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonist, which is a relatively new type of drug. Emgality was approved by the FDA to help prevent migraine attacks in 2018. It was approved to treat episodic cluster headaches in 2019.
Emgality is a type of biologic drug called a monoclonal antibody. It’s available only as a brand-name medication. It’s not currently available in generic or biosimilar form.
Other CGRP antagonists are also approved to help prevent migraine attacks. These include other biologic drugs called monoclonal antibodies. Examples are erenumab-aooe (Aimovig), fremanezumab-vfrm (Ajovy), and eptinezumab-jjmr (Vyepti).
Other CGRP antagonists called gepants may be used to help prevent migraine attacks, treat migraine symptoms as they occur, or both. Examples are rimegepant (Nurtec ODT) and ubrogepant (Ubrelvy).
This section focuses on Emgality, Aimovig, Ajovy, and Vyepti. For more information about gepants, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
How they work
Emgality, Aimovig, Ajovy, and Vyepti work in slightly different ways to help prevent migraine attacks or treat cluster headaches.
CGRP is a protein in the body that’s been linked with inflammation and vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) in the brain, which may cause the pain from headaches. To cause these effects, CGRP needs to bind (attach) to its receptors, which are molecules on the walls of cells in the brain.
Emgality, Ajovy, and Vyepti work by binding to CGRP proteins, which prevents the proteins from binding to their receptors. Aimovig, on the other hand, works by binding to the receptors themselves, which blocks the CGRP proteins from doing the same.
By blocking CGRP from binding with its receptor, all four drugs work against inflammation and vasodilation, which can help prevent migraine attacks or treat cluster headaches.
Side-by-side comparisons
The following table compares general information about Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality, and Vyepti. Also see the “Emgality vs. Aimovig” and “Emgality vs. Ajovy” sections for more information on those drugs.
| Aimovig | Ajovy | Emgality | Vyepti | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approved for migraine attack prevention | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Approved for cluster headache treatment | no | no | yes | no |
| Active ingredient | erenumab-aooe | fremanezumab-vfrm | galcanezumab-gnlm | eptinezumab-jjmr |
| How it’s administered | subcutaneous injection using a prefilled autoinjector or prefilled syringe | subcutaneous injection using a prefilled autoinjector or prefilled syringe | subcutaneous injection using a prefilled pen or prefilled syringe | intravenous (IV) infusion using solution from a single-dose vial diluted with saline |
| Dosing | monthly | monthly or every 3 months | monthly | every 3 months |
| How it works | blocks the CGRP receptor, which prevents CGRP from attaching to it | attaches to CGRP, which prevents it from binding to the CGRP receptor | attaches to CGRP, which prevents it from binding to the CGRP receptor | attaches to CGRP, which prevents it from binding to the CGRP receptor |
Prices of these medications can vary depending on your location, the pharmacy used, your insurance coverage, and manufacturer assistance programs. To find out what you might pay for these drugs without insurance, visit Optum Perks.
You may wonder how Emgality compares to other medications that are prescribed for similar uses. Here we look at how Emgality and Aimovig are alike and different.
About
Emgality contains a monoclonal antibody called galcanezumab-gnlm. Aimovig also contains a monoclonal antibody, erenumab-aooe. A monoclonal antibody is a type of biologic drug developed from immune system cells in a lab. It blocks the activity of certain proteins in your body.
While they do it in slightly different ways, Emgality and Aimovig both block the activity of a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP causes inflammation and vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) in the brain, which may cause headaches. By blocking CGRP, these drugs help prevent these effects, which may help prevent migraine attacks and treat cluster headaches.
Uses
Emgality and Aimovig are both FDA approved to help prevent migraine attacks in adults. Emgality is also approved to treat episodic cluster headaches in adults.
Drug forms and administration
Emgality and Aimovig are given as a subcutaneous injection. Your doctor or healthcare professional will show you how to give yourself injections at home. Emgality comes as a single-dose prefilled syringe or pen. Aimovig comes as a single-dose auto-injector (device that automatically administers the medication) or prefilled syringe.
Both drugs can be injected in your abdomen, front of your thighs, or back of your upper arms. Emgality can also be injected in your buttocks.
Side effects and risks
Emgality and Aimovig both belong to the class of drugs called CGRP antagonists. They’re very similar drugs and cause similar common and serious side effects.
More common side effects
These lists contain examples of more common side effects that can occur with Aimovig or with both Emgality and Aimovig (when received individually).
- Can occur with Aimovig:
- muscle cramps
- muscle spasms
- Can occur with both Emgality and Aimovig:
- injection site reactions
Serious side effects
This list contains examples of serious side effects that can occur with Aimovig or with both Emgality and Aimovig (when received individually).
- Can occur with Aimovig:
- severe constipation
- Can occur with both Emgality and Aimovig:
- serious allergic reaction
Immune reaction
In clinical trials of Emgality and Aimovig, a small percentage of people had an immune reaction in which they developed antibodies against the drugs.
Antibodies are proteins in the immune system that fight foreign substances in your body. Your body can make antibodies to any foreign substance, including monoclonal antibodies. If this happens with Emgality or Aimovig, the drug may no longer work for you.
However, because these drugs were approved in 2018, it’s still too early to know how common this effect will be and how it might affect the way people use these drugs.
Effectiveness
Clinical trials have found both Emgality and Aimovig to be effective for preventing migraine attacks. A study has compared certain CGRP antagonists, including galcanezumab-gnlm (the active ingredient in Emgality) and erenumab-aooe (the active ingredient in Aimovig). It suggests these drugs work similarly well for this use.
Costs
Emgality and Aimovig are both brand-name biologic drugs. There are currently no biosimilar forms of either drug. Biosimilar medications are considered just as safe and effective as their parent drug. And as with generics, biosimilars tend to cost less than brand-name medications.
The actual price you’ll pay for either drug depends on your insurance plan, the pharmacy you use, and the dosage you’re receiving.
You can visit Optum Perks for price estimates of Emgality and Aimovig. (Optum Perks is a sister site of Medical News Today.)
Emgality and Ajovy are prescribed for similar uses. Here are a few details of how these medications are alike and different.
About
Emgality contains a monoclonal antibody called galcanezumab-gnlm. Ajovy contains a monoclonal antibody called fremanezumab-vfrm. A monoclonal antibody is a type of biologic drug developed from immune system cells in a lab. It blocks the activity of certain proteins in your body.
Emgality and Ajovy both block the activity of a protein in your body called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP causes inflammation and vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) in the brain, which may cause headaches. By blocking CGRP, these drugs help prevent these effects, which may help prevent migraine attacks and treat cluster headaches.
Uses
Emgality and Ajovy are both FDA approved to help prevent migraine attacks in adults. Emgality is also approved to treat episodic cluster headaches in adults.
Drug forms and administration
Emgality comes as a single-dose prefilled syringe or pen. Ajovy comes as a single-dose prefilled syringe or autoinjector. Both drugs are given as a subcutaneous injection (under the skin). Your doctor or healthcare professional will show you how to give yourself injections at home.
Both drugs can be injected in your abdomen, front of your thighs, or back of your upper arms. Emgality can also be injected in your buttocks.
Side effects and risks
Emgality and Ajovy are very similar drugs and cause the same common and serious side effects.
More common side effects
The common side effect that can occur with both Emgality and Ajovy (when received individually) is an injection site reaction. This reaction can cause symptoms such as skin discoloration, itchiness, and pain at the spot where you injected the medication. Injection site reactions are usually not severe.
Serious side effects
The only serious side effect that may occur with both Emgality and Ajovy (when received individually) is serious allergic reaction.
Immune reaction
In clinical trials for Emgality and Ajovy, a small percentage of people had an immune reaction in which their body developed antibodies against the drugs.
Antibodies are proteins in the immune system that fight foreign substances in your body. Your body can make antibodies to any foreign substance, including monoclonal antibodies such as Emgality and Ajovy.
If your body develops antibodies to one of these drugs, it’s possible that the drug will no longer work for you.
However, as these drugs were approved in 2018, it’s still too early to know how common this effect will be and how it might affect the way people use these drugs.
Effectiveness
Clinical trials have found both Emgality and Ajovy to be effective for preventing migraine attacks. A study has compared certain CGRP antagonists, including galcanezumab-gnlm (the active ingredient in Emgality) and fremanezumab-vfrm (the active ingredient in Ajovy). It suggests these drugs work similarly well for this use.
Costs
Emgality and Ajovy are both brand-name biologic drugs. There are currently no biosimilar forms of either drug. Biosimilar medications are considered just as safe and effective as their parent drug. And as with generics, biosimilars tend to cost less than brand-name medications.
The actual price you’ll pay for either drug depends on your insurance plan, the pharmacy you use, and the dosage you’re receiving.
You can visit Optum Perks for price estimates of Emgality and Ajovy. (Optum Perks is a sister site of Medical News Today.)
The following information describes the Emgality dosages that are commonly used or recommended. However, be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions.
Drug forms and strengths
Emgality comes in two forms: single-dose prefilled syringes and single-dose prefilled pens. The prefilled pens contain 120 milligrams (mg) of galcanezumab-gnlm per milliliter (mL) of solution. Prefilled syringes come in two strengths: 100 mg/mL and 120 mg/mL.
Each syringe and pen is made to be used once and then discarded.
Dosage for migraine attack prevention
For migraine attack prevention, you’ll use either the prefilled pen or a prefilled syringe containing one 120-mg dose of Emgality. The typical dosage for Emgality is as follows:
- First dose: Your first dose is called a loading dose. It will be two injections of 120 mg, given one after the other. Injecting two doses allows the drug to quickly reach an effective level in your body.
- All other doses: You’ll receive the second dose a month after the first. From the second dose on, you’ll give yourself a single injection of 120 mg once per month.
Dosage for cluster headache treatment
For cluster headache treatment, you’ll use a prefilled syringe containing one 100-mg dose of Emgality. The typical dosage for Emgality is as follows:
- All doses: You’ll receive three injections of 100 mg (for a total of 300 mg), given one after the other. Injecting three doses allows the drug to quickly reach an effective level in your body. You’ll give yourself this dose once each month until your cluster headache period ends.
What if I miss a dose?
Give yourself a dose as soon as you realize that you missed one. Your next dose should be a month after that one. Remember the new date so you can plan future doses accordingly.
Will I need to use this drug long term?
If Emgality is effective at preventing migraine attacks for you, you and your doctor may decide to continue treatment with Emgality long term.
If Emgality is effective at treating your cluster headaches, you and your doctor may decide to continue treatment until your cluster headache period ends.
There is no known interaction between Emgality and alcohol.
However, for some people, drinking alcohol during Emgality treatment may seem to make the drug less effective. This is because alcohol is a migraine trigger for many people, and even small amounts of alcohol can cause a migraine attack for them. It’s also thought that alcohol can worsen headaches during cluster headache attacks.
If you drink alcohol and find that it causes more painful or more frequent migraine attacks or headaches, you should avoid drinks that contain alcohol.
Many drugs can interact with other medications. Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some can interfere with how well a drug works, while others can cause increased side effects.
However, Emgality doesn’t generally have drug interactions. This is because of the way Emgality is processed in the body.
Many drugs, herbs, and supplements are metabolized (broken down) by enzymes in the liver. Monoclonal antibodies such as Emgality, on the other hand, aren’t generally metabolized in the liver. Instead, they’re broken down inside cells throughout the body.
Because Emgality isn’t broken down in the liver with other drugs, it generally doesn’t interact with them. But if you’re concerned about using Emgality with other medications you may be taking, talk with your doctor.
Emgality is given as a subcutaneous injection once per month. When you first get your prescription for Emgality, your doctor or healthcare professional will explain how to inject the medication yourself.
The first time you inject Emgality, you may do it at your doctor’s office or at your home. Either way, you’ll give yourself two or three separate injections. After that, you’ll give yourself one injection at home each month to help prevent migraine attacks. Or you’ll give yourself three injections each month to treat cluster headaches.
Emgality comes in two forms: single-dose prefilled syringes and single-dose prefilled pens. Both forms contain only one dose and are meant to be used once and then discarded. Your doctor will discuss with you whether the pen or syringe is right for you.
For information on how to inject Emgality, see the manufacturer’s instructions for using the prefilled pen or prefilled syringe if you’re using the drug for migraine episode prevention. If you’re using Emgality to treat episodic cluster headaches, see these instructions instead.
Note: Remember that for your very first dose, you’ll need either two syringes or pens, or three syringes.
Timing
You should receive Emgality once per month. You can inject the drug at any time of day.
If you miss a dose, give yourself a dose of Emgality as soon as you remember. You should then give yourself the next dose a month after you receive that one. A medication reminder tool can help you remember to give yourself Emgality on schedule.
Receiving Emgality with food
Emgality can be received with or without food.
Emgality is a monoclonal antibody, which is a special immune system protein created in a lab. This is a type of biologic drug, meaning it’s made from living cells.
Emgality works by blocking the activity of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) protein in your body. CGRP is involved in inflammation and vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) in your brain.
CGRP is thought to play an important role in causing headaches. In fact, people who are starting to get a migraine or cluster headache have high levels of CGRP in their blood. By blocking the activity of CGRP, Emgality helps prevent migraine attacks from starting and treats cluster headaches.
While most drugs target (act on) multiple chemicals or parts of cells in your body, monoclonal antibodies such as Emgality only target one substance in the body. As a result, Emgality has fewer side effects and drug interactions. This may make it a good option for people who can’t tolerate other medications.
It may also be a good option for people who have tried other medications that didn’t help reduce their migraine days or cluster headaches enough.
How long does it take to work?
It may take a week to several weeks for you to notice any changes in your headache pattern caused by Emgality. And it may be several months before Emgality takes full effect.
In clinical trials, many people who took Emgality had fewer migraine days within a month of their first dose. The number of migraine days continued to decrease over several months. For those with cluster headaches, many people had fewer cluster headache attacks within the first week of treatment.
There aren’t enough studies to know whether Emgality is safe to use during pregnancy. Animal studies showed no harm to a pregnancy when the pregnant animals received Emgality. However, animal studies don’t always predict whether drugs will be safe in humans.
If you’re pregnant or considering becoming pregnant, talk with your doctor to check whether Emgality is right for you. You may need to wait until you’re no longer pregnant to use Emgality.
If you decide to take Emgality while pregnant, you’re encouraged to sign up for the Emgality pregnancy exposure registry. This registry collects health information about people who take medications such as Emgality during pregnancy and their infants. To find out more, visit the registry website or call 833-464-4724.
It’s not known whether Emgality is safe to use during pregnancy. If you’re sexually active and you or your partner can become pregnant, talk with your doctor about your birth control needs while you’re using Emgality.
It’s not known whether Emgality passes into breast milk.
If you’re breastfeeding or would like to, your doctor will talk with you about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while receiving Emgality. You may need to stop breastfeeding if you begin using Emgality.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Emgality.
Is Emgality a triptan?
No, Emgality isn’t a triptan. Triptans, such as sumatriptan (Imitrex), are a class of medications used to treat migraine attacks or cluster headaches when they occur. Emgality is used to help prevent migraine attacks from happening. Emgality and triptans work in different ways to affect migraine attacks or cluster headaches.
For information about triptans, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Is Emgality the same as Aimovig?
No. Emgality (galcanezumab-gnlm) and Aimovig (erenumab-aooe) are both medications used to help prevent migraine attacks, and they both belong to a class of drugs called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonists. However, Emgality is also approved to treat cluster headaches. These drugs work in slightly different ways in your body.
CGRP is a protein in the body that’s been linked with inflammation and vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) in the brain. To cause these effects, CGRP needs to bind (attach) to its receptors, which are molecules on the walls of cells in the brain.
Emgality works by binding to CGRP itself, which blocks CGRP from binding to its receptors. Aimovig, on the other hand, binds to the CGRP receptors, which also prevents CGRP from binding to those receptors.
So both drugs block CGRP from binding to its receptors, but they do it in slightly different ways. Your doctor will determine which medication is right for you.
How is Emgality different from other migraine drugs?
Emgality was one of the first drugs developed specifically to help prevent migraine attacks. It belongs to a class of drugs called CGRP antagonists, which also includes other injectable drugs such as erenumab-aooe (Aimovig), fremanezumab-vfrm (Ajovy), and eptinezumab-jjmr (Vyepti). (For more information, see “CGRP antagonists” in the “Alternatives to Emgality” section.)
Most other drugs used to help prevent migraine attacks were initially developed for different purposes, such as treating depression, seizures, or high blood pressure. Many are used off-label to help prevent migraine attacks.
Emgality is also different from most other migraine drugs because it’s injected once per month. Most other medications used to help prevent migraine attacks are tablets or pills that need to be taken daily. Botox, one alternative drug, is an injection, but it’s typically given once every 3 months in a doctor’s office. With Emgality, you’ll likely give yourself injections of the drug at home.
In addition, Emgality is a monoclonal antibody. This is a type of biologic drug developed from immune system cells in a lab. These drugs aren’t broken down by the liver, as most other migraine prevention drugs are. As a result, Emgality and other monoclonal antibodies have fewer drug interactions than other drugs that prevent migraine attacks.
Does Emgality cure migraine?
No, Emgality doesn’t cure migraine. There are no medications available at this time that can cure migraine. However, using Emgality can help prevent migraine attacks. This may mean having to manage migraine symptoms less often.
To find out whether Emgality is right for you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
If I use Emgality, can I stop taking my other preventive medications?
Every person’s response to Emgality will be unique. Some people may be able to stop taking their other preventive medications, while others may not.
For instance, if you have more frequent migraine headaches or cluster headaches, Emgality may be best used as an addition to the medications you already take.
Talk with your doctor about which medications are right for your condition.
Does Emgality cause fatigue?
It’s not likely. Fatigue wasn’t reported as a side effect in clinical trials of Emgality.
However, fatigue is commonly a symptom of migraine that people can experience before, during, or after a migraine attack. One
If fatigue is having a negative effect on your life, talk with your doctor about ways to improve your energy levels.
Injecting multiple doses of Emgality can increase your risk of injection site reactions. If you’re allergic to Emgality, you may also be at risk of having a more severe reaction.
Symptoms of overdose or reaction from multiple injections
Symptoms of an overdose or a severe reaction from multiple injections can include:
- severe pain, skin discoloration, or itchiness in the area near the injection
- flushing
- hives
- swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
- swelling of your throat, mouth, or tongue
- difficulty breathing
What to do in case of overdose
If you think you’ve received too much of this drug, call your doctor or seek guidance from America’s Poison Centers at 800-222-1222 or through its online tool. But if your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
Before starting Emgality, talk with your doctor about your health history. Emgality may not be right for you if you have the following medical history:
- History of serious allergic reaction to Emgality: People who have had a serious allergic reaction to Emgality in the past should not use this drug. A serious reaction involves a rash, itchy skin, and difficulty breathing. This can occur hours to days after receiving a dose.
- Pregnancy: It’s not known whether Emgality is safe to use during pregnancy. For more information, see the “Emgality and pregnancy” section.
- Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to breastfeed while receiving Emgality. For more information, see the “Emgality and breastfeeding” section.
When Emgality is dispensed from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the package. This date is typically 1 year from the date the medication was dispensed.
The expiration date helps guarantee the effectiveness of the medication during this time. The
Storage
How long a medication remains effective can depend on many factors, including how and where the medication is stored.
Emgality should be stored in a refrigerator at a temperature between 36⁰F and 46⁰F (2⁰C and 8⁰C). It should not be frozen. You can store Emgality at room temperature (up to 86⁰F/30⁰C) for up to 7 days. Once the drug has been removed from the refrigerator, don’t put it back in the refrigerator.
Disposal
After giving yourself injections, you’ll need to safely dispose of the needles you used. The manufacturer of Emgality has a program that can provide you with free sharps disposal containers. To find out more about this program, visit the manufacturer’s website or call 833-364-2548.
If you no longer need to use Emgality and have leftover medication, it’s important to dispose of it safely. This helps prevent others, including children and pets, from using the drug by accident. It also helps keep the drug from harming the environment.
The
Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.
