Effective migraine treatment includes both acute (abortive) and preventive medications, including pain-relieving drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Triptans work by blocking pain pathways in the brain and can be taken in pill form, nasal spray or injection form. Other medicines that may help relieve symptoms, including dihydroergotamine (Migranal, Trudhesa) and antiemetics may also be available to provide some relief.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
Migraine is an intricate condition, and finding effective treatments may require trial-and-error to achieve results.
Painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol (acetaminophen), and acetylsalicylic acid can provide effective relief from migraine headaches. When taken at the first signs of an attack they often work best when symptoms are still mild; for maximum effectiveness combine with antisickness drugs like metoclopramide or prochlorperazine to decrease nausea while increasing absorption of analgesics.
If over-the-counter painkillers don’t alleviate your migraines, your doctor may recommend triptans, which are available as tablets, injections or nasal sprays and quickly absorbed by the body. They work by reversing changes to the brain that lead to migraine headaches; thus providing effective relief during an ongoing migraine attack.
Identify Your Triggers
Migraines can vary widely depending on a number of triggers that can be managed, from food such as Stilton or Brie cheese and diet fizzy drinks, stressors such as changes to sleep patterns or light, noise or odor triggers to light sources or smells that may increase migraine severity.
Keep a migraine diary to help identify triggers. Track when migraine attacks strike, what you ate or did, and whether or not there’s been a pattern over time.
If you suspect certain foods as triggers, try gradually eliminating them to see the impact on your symptoms. If this doesn’t help, talk with your doctor as he/she might suggest other preventive strategies like biofeedback, relaxation therapy or exercise to alleviate migraine. Furthermore, if migraine symptoms include nausea or vomiting they may prescribe an antiemetic such as metoclopramide or prochlorperazine; such drugs are typically combined with NSAIDs or triptans.
Keep a Migraine Journal
A migraine journal can help both you and your physician identify triggers. Additionally, it will allow both to better understand symptoms as well as the severity of headaches.
Track what you eat and do during migraine attacks – such as taking medications – as well as your symptoms such as nausea or light sensitivity. Make a note of any triggers like missing meals, weather changes, stress levels or hormonal shifts during menstrual cycles that might make an appearance.
Keep a migraine diary to monitor whether your preventives are working. When trying out new lifestyle habits like mindfulness or exercise, track how they affect your migraines in your diary for accurate analysis from healthcare providers and healthcare experts. When used alongside clinically proven and drug-free treatments such as GammaCore non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation therapy this can provide long-term pain relief.
See Your Healthcare Provider
Medical therapies exist to either prevent or alleviate migraine symptoms, including medications, behavioral therapy and relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga. Acupuncture may also offer relief; this treatment involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body. According to studies, other drugs may help as well; examples include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen), beta blockers like propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran, Lopressor) or metoprolol (Lopressor), antidepressants like amitriptyline as well as anti-seizure medications such as valproate or topiramate.
At its core, effective migraine treatment means decreasing both frequency and severity of attacks as well as any related disability. Therefore it is vital to discuss all aspects of migraine with a healthcare provider, from their response to treatments to potential side effects and what might prevent future attacks like diet or exercise. Many patients misperceive that effective migraine therapies mean curing migraine attacks altogether when actually the goal should be reduced frequency/severity and disability associated with them.
