It is important that beta blockers are not used by people with asthma or other respiratory diseases. The goal of using calcium channel blockers is to disallow calcium ions from entering the muscle cells of the blood vessels, and thereby keep the blood vessels from swelling. These drugs are taken on a daily basis in the hope of preventing headaches. They act as an analgesic and may also have an effect on depression related to the headache. The most common antidepressant used is amitriptyline.
Some muscle relaxants are mixed with caffeine or codeine and can be addictive.
The content in this information page for headaches is provided by the Maharishi Ayurveda Foundation. It is for information purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice or to replace the advice given by a primary health care provider. Because of the rapid change of information in the field of medicine Maharishi Vedic Health Center does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided. Entire contents copyright 2000 Maharishi Ayurveda Foundation . All rights reserved.