Self-administered injections under the skin or into muscle are still quicker acting. Drugs injected directly into the bloodstream act very rapidly but are generally used only in the doctor's office or the emergency room. Medications for headache are available using all of these routes of administration. The choice involves balancing the need for quick pain relief with other treatment considerations as well as convenience and personal preference. Pills and Capsules.
Many people find oral medicines the most convenient to take, as well as the most portable.
Because they take longer to act, however, they are not the best option for people whose severe headache pain peaks rapidly, within a few minutes or a half hour. Also, nausea and vomiting during a migraine attack can seriously interfere with the effectiveness of oral medications. Oral medications are a good choice for people who have tension-type headache, migraine without nausea and vomiting, or migraine attacks that come on slowly, allowing early treatment. Sublingual tablets or lozenges that are held under the tongue to dissolve are another approach. They are absorbed through the membrane lining the mouth and may be a little quicker to act compared to conventional tablets that must pass through the stomach and small intestine before they enter the bloodstream.