Disease: migraine disorders
Question: for migraine disorders, migraine treatment?
Answer: Migraine can�t be cured, but your doctor can help you manage migraine attacks by giving you the tools to treat symptoms when they occur, which may lead to fewer attacks in general. Treatment can also help make migraine less severe.
Your treatment plan depends on:
your age
how often you have migraines attacks
the type of migraine you have
how severe they are � based on how long they last, how much pain you have, and how often they keep you from going to school or work
whether they include nausea or vomiting, as well as other symptoms
other health conditions you may have and other medications you may take
Your treatment plan may include a combination of:
lifestyle adjustments, including stress management and avoiding migraine triggers
OTC pain or migraine medications, like Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen (Tylenol)
prescription migraine medications that you take every day to help prevent migraine headaches and reduce how often you have headaches
prescription migraine medications that you take as soon as an attack starts to keep it from becoming severe and to ease symptoms
prescription medications to help with nausea or vomiting
hormone therapy if migraines seem to occur in relation to your menstrual cycle
counseling
alternative care, which may include meditation, acupressure, or acupuncture
If you need help finding a primary care doctor, then check out our FindCare tool here.
Medication
Medications can be used to either prevent a migraine attack from happening or treat it once it occurs. You may be able to get relief with OTC medication. But if OTC medications aren�t effective, your doctor may decide to prescribe other medications.
The severity of your migraine and any other health conditions you have will determine which treatment is right for you.
Acute medications � taken as soon as you suspect a migraine attack is coming � include:
NSAIDs: These medications, like ibuprofen or aspirin, are typically used in mild-to-moderate attacks that don�t include nausea or vomiting.
Triptans: These medications, like sumatriptan, eletriptan, and rizatriptan, are typically the first line of defense for individuals who have nerve pain as a symptom of their migraine attacks.
Antiemetics: These medications, like metoclopramide, chlorpromazine, and prochlorperazine, are typically used with NSAIDs to help decrease nausea.
Ergot alkaloids: These medications, like Migranal and Ergomar, aren�t prescribed that often and are usually reserved for individuals who don�t respond to triptans or analgesics.
Preventative medications � prescribed to people whose migraine attacks can be debilitating or happen more than four times a month � are taken once a day, or every 3 months via injection. These medications include:
Antihypertensives: These drugs are prescribed for high blood pressure and can also help with migraine attacks. Beta-blockers and angiotensin receptor blockers (candesartan) are some examples of antihypertensive drugs used for migraine prevention.
Anticonvulsants: Certain anti-seizure medications may also be able to prevent migraine attacks.
Antidepressants: Some antidepressants, like amitriptyline and venlafaxine, may also be able to prevent migraine attacks.
Botox: Botox injections are administered to the head and neck muscles every 3 months.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide treatments: These treatments are administered either via injection or through an IV and work to prevent a migraine attack from developing.