With tablets, pain and other symptom relief occurs in about 60 percent of people. With the injection, relief occurs in about 80 percent of people because more medicine gets into your blood. Rizatriptan, naratriptan and zolmitriptan are available only as oral medications. Drugs such as ergotamine and dihydroergotamine constrict swollen blood vessels in the outer area of your brain and in your scalp, resulting in pain relief. This medicine is useful in relieving the symptoms of nausea and vomiting associated with migraines.
Prophylactic drugs prevent migraines or reduce their frequency and severity.
Once you're on prophylactic drugs, abortive medicines may work more efficiently during migraine attacks. Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, commonly used to treat high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, may prevent migraine. These drugs work primarily to reduce the frequency of migraines, although some people also report a decrease in severity. You don't have to have depression in order to have one of these drugs prescribed. But if you do, antidepressants can improve both conditions.