All medicine you take, including infusion therapy for migraine, comes with a chance of side effects. While most are mild, side effects can turn serious, but there are ways to avoid some of them.
Infusion Therapy for Migraine
Infusion therapy is a type of treatment you take to avoid a migraine headache or ease migraine symptoms. You take the medicine through an IV, which is an injection into your vein. Here are two types of infusion therapy for migraine:
- Eptinezumab-jjmr (Vyepti) is a medicine you take to prevent symptoms before a migraine starts.
- Dihydroergotamine (DHE) works to ease migraine symptoms as they happen.
What Are the Side Effects of Infusion Therapy for Migraine?
Some side effects of infusion therapy are mild, while others mean you need to go to the hospital. Here are the possible reactions to look out for.
Eptinezumab-jjmr (Vyepti)
Side effects of Vyepti may include a stuffy nose and sore throat.
Dihydroergotamine (DHE)
Possible side effects of DHE are:
- Trouble breathing through your nose
- Tingling or pain in your nose or throat
- A dry nose
- Nosebleed
- Changes to your sense of taste
- Nausea
- Throwing up
- Dizziness
- Extreme tiredness
- Weakness
- Burning where the needle went into your skin
- Leg cramps
- Chest pain
- Neck pressure or warmth
Preparing for and Avoiding the Side Effects of Infusion Therapy
Before your infusion therapy session, ask your doctor about side effects you could have and how to prepare for and avoid them. Talk to them about:
- When side effects could start
- If they’ll get better on their own
- How you may be able to avoid side effects
- If you need tests to spot side effects
- How you can control mild side effects
- Which side effects are serious and when you should get medical help
- Prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products you take
- Which medicines to avoid while having infusion therapy
- If you smoke cigarettes
- Any medication allergies you have
- If you should avoid certain foods or drinks while having infusion therapy
Avoiding side effects with dihydroergotamine (DHE)
Avoid taking DHE within 24 hours of taking a triptan, which is another type of migraine medicine. Taking them too closely together can narrow blood vessels in your heart and brain and trigger a stroke or heart attack. You shouldn’t take DHE with these medicines:
- Antifungals
- HIV protease inhibitors
- Macrolide antibiotics
Tell your doctor if you take any of the following medicines so they can adjust your dose or watch you for side effects while you take infusion therapy:
- Beta-blockers
- Clotrimazole (Lotrimin)
- Epinephrine (EpiPen)
- Fluconazole (Diflucan)
- Medicines for colds and asthma
- Nefazodone (Serzone)
- Birth control pills
- SSRIs such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft)
- Saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase)
- Verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan)
- Zileuton (Zyflo)
People with certain heart conditions also can’t take DHE. Before starting treatment, your doctor will check to make sure you don’t have any of these heart problems.
A common side effect of DHE is an upset stomach. To avoid this, you may be asked to take anti-nausea medicine before starting infusion therapy.
Avoiding side effects with eptinezumab-jjmr (Vyepti)
Before taking Vyepti, tell your doctor if you’re allergic to the drug or any of its ingredients, or if you have another drug allergy.
Managing the Side Effects of Infusion Therapy
Here are some ways to manage some of the mild side effects of infusion therapy:
- Dizziness. If you’re sitting or lying down, try rising slowly to a standing position.
- Nausea. Peppermint candy or gum may help ease a queasy stomach.
- Stuffy nose. Try rinsing your nose at least once a day with a solution of salt mixed with water or an over-the-counter saline nasal spray.
- Sore throat. Gargle with warm salt water and drink plenty of fluids.
When to Get Medical Help
Sometimes the side effects of infusion therapy become so serious that you need to go to the hospital. Call 911 if you have the following symptoms:
Eptinezumab-jjmr (Vyepti)
- Face, mouth, tongue, or throat swelling
- Trouble breathing
- Rash
- Itching
- Hives
- Face flushing
Dihydroergotamine (DHE)
- Changes to your fingers and toes, including numbness, tingling, and color shifts
- Muscle pain in your arms and legs
- Arm and leg weakness
- Chest pain
- Heart rate changes (speeds up or slows down)
- Swelling
- Itching
- Cold and pale skin
- Speech changes
- Dizziness
- Fainting
DHE also comes with the chance of an overdose. Get emergency medical help if you have any of these:
- Numbness, tingling, or pain in your fingers and toes
- Your fingers and toes turn blue
- Your breathing slows down
- Stomach pain and nausea
- Throwing up
- Fainting
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Coma
Show Sources
Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images
SOURCES:
MedlinePlus: “Eptinezumab-jjmr Injection,” “Dihydroergotamine Injection.”
Barrow Neurological Institute: “Dihydroergotamine Infusion.”
HealthLinkBC: “Dealing With Medicine Side Effects and Interactions.”
American Migraine Foundation: “Dihydroergotamine (DHE) For Migraine Treatment.”
UptoDate: “Patient education: Nonallergic rhinitis (runny or stuffy nose) (Beyond the Basics).”
NHS: “Sore throat.”
