About eight years ago, life drastically changed for 40-year-old Naperville resident Araceli Hurtado. She started to experience debilitating migraine that left her bedridden — sometimes for days.
Although it’s unclear why her migraine attacks started, Hurtado learned that sometimes certain “triggers” played a role. Noise, which included her son’s music, LED lights in her office and even certain cooking odors could trigger a migraine attack. As is the case for many of the nearly 40 million Americans who experience migraine, her family, friends and co-workers didn’t fully understand the impact on her daily life.
In addition to severe head pain, Hurtado would experience nausea and vomiting, sometimes leading to trips to the emergency room. She credits her 20-year-old son with keeping their home bearable for her. But her work and social life suffered, as she had to miss many outings with friends and family alike.
“I tried to manage my migraine pain, but nothing truly worked,” Hurtado said.
Then, after learning about Nurtec® ODT (rimegepant) from social media, she asked her physician about it and decided to give it a try.
“With Nurtec ODT, I have been able to manage my migraine pain for the first time at the start of an attack,” she said. “For me, it started to work within an hour. I now don’t have to cancel plans or live in fear of the next migraine attack.”
According to Chicago Headache Specialist Dr. Merle L. Diamond, “A migraine is more than just a headache; it is a disabling neurological disease with different symptoms and multiple treatment approaches. People with migraines can experience severe head pain, sometimes throbbing, pounding or pulsating, several times a month, lasting from four hours to several days. Additional symptoms of migraine may also include sensitivity to light and sound, and/or feeling nauseous.”
Diamond adds that because migraines affect everyone differently, she works with each individual to come up with a plan, which can include prescribing Nurtec ODT. For most people, Nurtec ODT, an acute treatment for adult migraine, works within an hour and lasts up to 48 hours. It melts on or under the tongue, eliminating the need for water and making it a convenient option. A small number of patients, about 2 percent, may experience some nausea.
Hurtado is very grateful to her physician for prescribing a treatment that works for her. That’s why, during June, which is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, she’s urging people to see their physicians if they are experiencing painful headaches and other migraine symptoms.
“There are many ways to manage migraine pain, and I’m very grateful that I was able to work with my physician to find a treatment that works for me,” she said.
Nurtec® ODT 75 mg is a prescription medicine for the acute treatment of migraines in adults. Nurtec ODT is not indicated for the preventive treatment of migraine. Do not take if you are allergic to Nurtec ODT or any of its ingredients. The most common side effect was nausea in 2 percent of patients. Please visit Nurtec.com for full Prescribing Information and Patient Information.
