Just How “Different” is Elyxyb for Migraine?
Another drug recently approved for migraine treatment is Elyxyb. But this time, it’s a new formulation of an old medication. So what’s the story?
Many of our readers are probably aware of celecoxib, often sold under the brand name of Celebrex. If you’ve tried a lot of medications for migraine and certain other types of pain, it’s likely that you’ve been prescribed Celebrex somewhere along the journey.
Like ibuprofen (Advil) and many others, celecoxib is a type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). But every NSAID has its own pros and cons. You can read about some of the more common ones prescribed for headache, and how to decide on a dose, right here: NSAIDs – Which One Should I Take For Headache?
Celecoxib has already helped a lot of people as an abortive for headaches and migraine. Elyxyb contains celecoxib 120 mg/4.8 mL. It’s designed to be a one-shot migraine-fighter – just one dose to help stop the pain. In fact, you can’t take more than one dose in 24 hours.
In this case, it’s a dose that you drink.
Although side effects are not common, like many NSAIDs there is the possibility of gastrointestinal issues, and a possible risk of cardiovascular issues. However, the official recommendation is that Elyxyb can be taken with or without food, making it convenient to take when the migraine attack begins.
The most common side effect (though still rare) is an altered sense of taste after taking the tablet – which most people will be willing to put up with if it stops the migraine attack.
As mentioned above, Elyxyb is taken in liquid form. It’s a special formulation that is intended to be very bioavailable – it gets into your system quickly to stop the pain as quickly as possible. This is a common goal of technology when it comes to migraine medication.
So that’s it – convenient and quick – an abortive drug to investigate if you haven’t found the more common ones to be effective at stopping your migraine attacks.
Elyxyb was approved for sale in the USA earlier this month. Detailed information in pdf format is available from the FDA here – Elyxyb prescribing information.