The exact cause of migraine isn't known. About 70 to 80 percent of patients have a family history of the problem. More than half of all women have attacks in the few days before, during, or after menstruation. Symptoms can be triggered by changes in the sleep cycle, skipping or delaying a meal, certain drugs, bright lights or sunlight, too much noise, and overuse of headache medication. But many need prescription drugs to relieve the pain or stop an attack.
Medications are also available to prevent a migraine.
People who regularly experience migraines need to be careful to avoid migraine triggers, such as certain foods or life-style factors. Injection of the drug into muscles weakens them. Preliminary findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Headache. In one small study 51 percent of patients reported complete improvement in migraine symptoms.