Migraine headache is characterized by severe, throbbing headaches that affect one or both sides of your head, sometimes with accompanying nausea, vomiting and other symptoms.
Migraine can be treated using various medication options; acute treatments such as pain relievers may help manage an attack while preventive medicines may help keep future headaches away.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Pain Medications
By the time they visit a headache specialist, most individuals with migraine or headache have tried over-the-counter (OTC) treatments; on average they’ve used an average of 4.5 different OTC medicines before coming in for help.
These medications include pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen. Many anti-inflammatory medicines also fall under this category, and others, like Excedrin Migraine with its combination of acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine should only be taken according to label directions, since overdoing it increases your risk for liver damage. It’s important to read labels before taking these products in order to stay within recommended daily amounts as exceeding them may increase liver damage risks.
At the first sign of headache, over-the-counter (OTC) products should be taken immediately to help relieve symptoms and ease an attack, although they won’t stop it entirely. Some OTC drugs may make you queasy, so they should always be combined with anti-nausea medication for maximum effect. The Food and Drug Administration has approved several medication classes specifically targeted toward migraine treatment such as triptans which provide quick relief in acute migraine attacks.
Prescription Pain Medications
Migraines are headaches characterized by intense, throbbing pain in one part of the head, nausea or vomiting and extreme light and sound sensitivity that typically last four to 72 hours and affect up to one in three people. Migraine medications may ease or even stop migraine headaches from occurring altogether while consulting a neurology trained in treating migraines (known as a migraine specialist) can diagnose your condition based on symptoms, medical history review and physical/neurological examination including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like Ibuprofen (Advil) and Acetaminophen (Tylenol), provide relief for pain relief and inflammation reduction, whether taken orally (tablet, capsule or liquid form) or taken sublingually via sprays. Other pain relievers, including Ergotamines (Migrainax/Maxalt/Migrain)/dihydroergotamines/Triptans may help as well, by constricting blood vessels. These should be prescribed at the first sign of migraine attack to cause constricting blood vessel constriction to alleviate associated nausea/vomitting.
A recent generation of drugs that increase serotonin levels in your brain to ease inflammation and restrict blood vessels can help break migraine attacks instantly. They come in pill, nasal spray or rectal form for convenient administration.
Botox Injections
Botulinum toxin injections work by blocking chemical signals that cause muscles to contract, providing relief for facial wrinkles and chronic migraines in studies. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists commonly utilize this form of medication.
Migraine experts believe the drug helps ease headaches by blocking substances that cause nerves and muscles to tighten, as well as pain-inducing neurotransmitters.
Health care professionals employ fine needles to inject botulinum toxin into various areas of the head and neck using vibration anesthesia, which numbs the area prior to each injection. You may require multiple doses; see your physician if necessary for advice.
Redness, bruising or swelling at the injection site may occur after receiving this medication; this usually goes away within several days on its own. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid this treatment as well as those suffering from muscle weakness or having issues with blood vessels.
Other Treatments
There are various prescription medications that can provide acute migraine treatments or help prevent their occurrence (preventive therapies). Some even do both!
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are well-recognized treatments with strong evidence from double-blind studies. NSAIDs reduce inflammation while helping relieve pain by blocking pain signals in the brain – these meds may come in pill, liquid form, nasal sprays, suppositories or injection forms.
Triptans, an emerging class of migraine medications, work by increasing serotonin levels in your brain while simultaneously decreasing inflammation and constricting blood vessels to ease both pain and other symptoms of migraines. They may be taken in pill form, injection form, or sublingual tablets that dissolve under your tongue for easy dosing – although those at increased risk for cardiovascular issues or stroke should avoid taking triptans.
Some older migraine medicines were initially developed to treat other medical conditions and later found helpful for migraine. Examples include blood pressure medications like metoprolol (Lopressor), nadolol (Corgard) or propranolol (Inderal, Inderal LA, Inderal XL and InnoPran). Nausea medications like domperidone or metoclopramide have also proven successful at relieving nausea and vomiting in about 40% of people.
