Migraines can have a devastating effect on quality of life, and effective acute and preventive treatments are critical in order to lessen its burden.
Triptans like sumatriptan (Imitrex, Tosymra) and rizatriptan (Maxalt) work by blocking pain pathways in the brain to ease symptoms such as nausea. For optimal safety reasons they should not be used by individuals at risk of heart attack or stroke.
Botox Injections
Botox injections work by blocking chemical signals sent from nerves to muscles that contract, helping relax facial wrinkles, neck spasms in those suffering from cervical dystonia, muscle spasticity and other movement disorders; excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), bladder control issues associated with overactive bladder, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) as well as excessive sweating caused by an overactive bladder. Jefferson Health offers brand name Botox and other forms of botulinum toxin type A injections as treatments.
Oral nonopioid analgesics can provide enough relief during an attack of migraine and lower its likelihood of recurrence for many patients, but in certain cases these drugs may not be strong enough. Dihydroergotamine (Migranal, Trudhesa) may provide sufficient pain relief. Available as either pills, injections or nasal spray, dihydroergotamine works best when taken at the first sign of migraine attack and should preferably be taken before going outside to trigger one; not recommended for those with coronary artery disease, high blood pressure issues or liver or kidney disorders as it may interfere with use.
Ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) and Rimegepant (Nurtec ODT), two CGRP antagonists, have proven successful for migraine prevention through clinical trials. These pills work by blocking the release of inflammatory chemicals which stimulate occipital nerves to produce pain in migraine sufferers.
Cold Compresses
Migraines can be debilitating conditions, yet there are several effective acute and prophylactic treatments available to manage them. Unfortunately, however, many individuals remain resistant to traditional migraine-specific drugs; therefore demonstrating the need for newer medications that specifically treat migraines.
Analgesics can provide welcome relief during migraine attacks, but it’s essential that you follow the advice of your healthcare provider about when and how often to use them – overdoing can lead to rebound headaches and dependence.
Triptans have quickly become the go-to medication for severe migraine attacks. By blocking CGRP receptors responsible, triptans provide quick and safe relief more rapidly than older prescription drugs. Triptan injections under the skin as well as nasal spray (Zavzpret) are available. Also recently approved is lasmiditan, another CGRP receptor antagonist with sedating effects that may cause dizziness; as with driving or operating machinery.
Hydration
Hydration is an integral component of migraine prevention and treatment. Dehydration can trigger migraine attacks by disrupting blood flow and chemical balance within the brain, while increasing pain intensity by further dehydrating. Dehydration also heightens symptoms such as throbbing pain.
Drinking water is the ideal way to stay hydrated; however, beverages containing too much caffeine or alcohol may have a dehydrating effect and should be avoided in order to remain hydrated. Furthermore, it’s wise to consume extra fluids before and after physical exercise in order to replenish any lost fluids.
Hydration alone won’t do the trick when it comes to migraine treatments, but there are other solutions that may reduce frequency and symptoms of headaches, including pain-relieving medications like aspirin or ibuprofen; diet changes which may help with relieving symptoms; biofeedback which helps with relaxing stress; meditation or yoga which may be effective ways of relieving migraine pain. It is also essential that you know what triggers them – then attempt to limit exposure whenever possible.
Sleep
Sleep is key in helping migraine sufferers prevent attacks, and following a regular schedule such as going to bed and waking up at the same times each day while limiting screen usage before sleeping can be invaluable in doing just that. Furthermore, practicing such healthy habits may also lessen both frequency and intensity of migraine attacks as well as symptoms.
There is an array of acute and preventive migraine medications available today. While some are specifically tailored for migraine treatment, others were originally created for other conditions and later tailored for use against migraine.
Oral nonopioid analgesics are the first-line treatment option for mild to moderate migraine pain. Aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac have all shown efficacy in placebo-controlled trials; Effervescent Acetylsalicylic Acid has an almost immediate onset of action and less gastric irritation potential than these drugs. Triptans (sumatriptan, Imitrex, Tosymra) are highly effective medicines used to block pain pathways and can be taken either orally or sublingually. Dihydroergotamine (Migranal, Trudhesa) can help those suffering from chronic migraine, but must be avoided by those with coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. FDA-approved CGRP monoclonal antibodies administered either monthly at home or every three months at an infusion clinic have shown to result in 50-75% less migraine days with minimal side effects.
