What Are the Best Medicines for Migraines?
The best medication for migraines varies depending on the individual’s symptoms, the frequency and severity of the migraines, and other factors such as medical history and response to treatment. Here are some commonly used medications for migraine treatment:
- Triptans: Triptans are a class of medications that work by constricting blood vessels and blocking pain pathways in the brain. They are commonly used to treat moderate to severe migraines and can help alleviate headache pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. Examples include sumatriptan, rizatriptan, and eletriptan.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin can help relieve mild to moderate migraine pain and inflammation. They are often used as first-line treatment for migraines and can be particularly effective when taken early in the migraine attack.
- Acetaminophen: Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a pain reliever that can help alleviate mild to moderate migraine pain. It is often used in combination with other medications for migraine relief.
- Ergotamine derivatives: Ergotamine derivatives, such as dihydroergotamine (DHE) and ergotamine with caffeine, are older medications that can help alleviate migraine pain and associated symptoms. They work by constricting blood vessels and blocking pain pathways in the brain.
- Anti-nausea medications: Medications such as metoclopramide and prochlorperazine can help alleviate nausea and vomiting associated with migraines. They are often used in combination with other migraine medications to provide comprehensive symptom relief.
- Preventive medications: For individuals who experience frequent or severe migraines, preventive medications may be prescribed to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. These medications include beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants (such as topiramate or valproate), and certain blood pressure medications.
- CGRP inhibitors: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors are a newer class of medications specifically designed for migraine prevention. They work by blocking the action of CGRP, a neuropeptide involved in the development of migraines. Examples include erenumab, fremanezumab, and galcanezumab.
It’s important to work closely with a healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate medication(s) for migraine treatment based on individual symptoms, medical history, and response to treatment.
How to Prevent Migraines?
Preventing migraines involves a combination of lifestyle modifications, identifying and avoiding triggers, and, in some cases, using preventive medications. Here are some strategies to help prevent migraines:
- Identify and avoid triggers: Keep a migraine diary to track potential triggers and patterns that may be associated with your migraines. Common triggers include stress, hormonal changes, certain foods or beverages (such as caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, aged cheeses, and foods containing additives like MSG), sleep disturbances, environmental factors, and sensory stimuli. Once you identify your triggers, try to avoid or minimize exposure to them whenever possible.
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule: Establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night to help prevent sleep disturbances that can trigger migraines.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated. Dehydration can trigger migraines in some individuals, so it’s essential to drink water regularly.
- Manage stress: Practice stress management techniques such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditation, yoga, or tai chi to help reduce stress and tension, which can trigger migraines.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle: Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Regular physical activity, such as walking, swimming, or cycling, can also help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. Avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption, as both can trigger migraines in some individuals.
- Consider preventive medications: If you experience frequent or severe migraines that are not effectively managed with lifestyle modifications alone, your healthcare provider may recommend preventive medications. These medications may include beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants (such as topiramate or valproate), or certain blood pressure medications. Discuss the potential benefits and risks of preventive medications with your healthcare provider to determine if they are appropriate for you.
- Regular follow-up: Keep in touch with your healthcare provider for regular check-ups and follow-up appointments to monitor your migraine symptoms and treatment effectiveness. Adjustments to your treatment plan may be necessary over time to ensure optimal migraine prevention and symptom management.
Medicines for migraines?
Any suggested drugs for migraines?
Best answer:
Answer by Kara
My sister has the disease, Daily Chronic Migraines. She’s been on everything from vitamins to sedatives and anti-histamines. Talk to a nuerologist near you, he’ll have you track all your symptoms, your migraines, what you were doing, when you ate around the time, etc etc. Trust me, you can get A LOT of help from doctors, rather than people here.
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8 thoughts on “What Are the Best Medicines for Migraines?”
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I’ve gotten them for years. I have found that if I take Excedrine Migraine at the very first hint of any kind of a headache I’m fine. I’ve never had it fail me. Good luck to you.
excedrine miagraine OTC, ergotamine RX, fioricet RX
I know that this is NOT alternative medicine, if that’s what you’re looking for… but Imitrex. It works for me every time. The injections work the fastest. I WOULD NOT recommend the nasal spray. The drip that goes down the back of your throat afterward has a TERRIBLE taste. If you are nauseated from the migraine it will likely make you throw up. The pills are effective too, they just take a long time. So if you can stand giving yourself a subcutaneous injection, I’d say us the shots. (And if you can afford them. The patent isn’t up yet so you can’t get generic… they’re quite expensive.)
try a tincture of feverfew
Homeopathic Treatments for HEADACHES, MIGRAINES,(Without any side effects or complications) :-
HEADACHE :-
With constant nausea; clean tongue Ipecac 30X, 3 hourly
With severe throbbing and rush of blood towards head Belladonna 30X, 3 hourly
Due to over eating; stomach disorders; tongue thickly whitish coated; worse bathing specially after river bathing Antim Crud 30X or 200 4 hourly(3 Doses)
Due to exposure to dry, cold wind; sudden with anxiety Aconite Nap.30X or 200X, 1/2 hourly (3 Doses)
With watering of eyes and sensitiveness to bright light Euphrasia 30X, 3 hourly
Headache; better by bending backwards; due to nerve injury Hypericum 30X, 3 hourly
Headache with humming in ears; due to nervous weakness Kali Phos.6X or 30X, 3 hourly
Hammering headache; worse during menstrual cycle going in sun; school girls Natrum Mur.30X or 200X, 4 hourly
Headache starts from nape of neck and shift over to the head; patient desires to lie down quietly; better passing urine Gelsemium 30X or 200X, 3 hourly
Violent headache due to working under gas light; sun-stroke Glonoine 6X or 30X, 2 hourly
Bursting headache; worse by stooping and movements; excessive thirst and constipation Bryonia 30X or 200X, 3 hourly (6 Doses)
Nervous headache; after grief, disappointment; worse inhaling smoke Ignatia 200X or 1M, 3 hourly (3 Doses)
Headache; due to sinusitis, pressure and pain at the root of nose Kali Bich 30X, 4 hourly
Due to eating rich fatty food, loss of thirst, better in open cold air Pulsatilla 30X, 4 hourly
Due to eye strain; disturbances of accomodation of eye sight Ruta Grav 30X, 4 hourly
After taking alcoholic drinks; sedentary habits; chilly patient Nux Vomica 30X, 4 hourly
Sun haedcahe; aggravation from sun rise to sunset; from cardiac origin Kalmia Lat.30X or 200X, 6 hourly
Of school children; crushing headache, pressure on top of head Acid Phos 30, 4 hourly
Headache localised; at the nape of neck; worse by walking and noise Pneumococcin 200X, 10 min (3 Doses)
Frontal headache; neuralgic pain above and behind the right eye; heaviness of head. Better by rest, lying down and eating Penicillinum 30X or 200X, 10 min (3 Doses)
Headache worse early morning;empty gone sensation at 10 -11 A.M. Sulphur 200X or 1M, weekly (3 Doses)
MIGRAINES :-
From mental work; cold, uncovering head, pressure, sitting upright or sun-stroke Glonoinum 30X, 3 hourly
For nervous, gastric, bilious individuals. Migraine due to mental over exertion in teachers and students. Right sided, specially Sunday migraine, blurred vision, hemiopia; blindness; often burning pain in entire gastro-intestinal tract with violent acid vomiting at the height of attack; worse hot weather; spring and fall; better after vomiting or sufficient night sleep Iris v.200X or above, 10 min (3 Doses)
For irritable hypochondriacs of bad temper; cholerics, neuropathics; from abuse of alcohol, coffee, spices, tobacco, vexation and worry, mental over exertion, business worries, sexual excesses, sedentary habits, cold dry air and winds Nux Vomica 30X or 200X 4 hourly
For pronounced vasomotor individuals (irritable and full of fear) during pre-climacteric and menopausal stage.Tired expression, head congestion, circumscribed red cheeks; pain above right eye, throbbing, stitching, rhythmic pain, often in every 8 days, early morning, beginning in nape, extending upwards, locating in the region of eye, rising and falling with the sun; sensation of heavy congestion Sanguinaria C 200X, 10 min (3 Doses)
For weak, fat and irritable patient; often apathetic, changing moods, strange changes of character (egocenteric), memory weak, due to disturbance during climacteric period, results of tobacco abuse. Person with shallow complexion, yellow saddle across the nose; pain located on left temple; throbbing, stitching pains Sepia 200X, 10 min (3 Doses)
For neuropathic persons, full of fear caused by noises, change of weather or worms; with face pale, located above left eye; specially left pupil (ciliary neuralgia); sharp,shooting, tearing, stitching, periodical pain from occiput to left eye; slowly rising in intensity with sun. Bile vomiting at the height of attack, slowly improving with setting sun.feeling as if head were open along sagittal suture Spigelia 200X or 1M, 10 min (3 Doses)
Left sided; worse during and after sleep; before menstruation; heat;during menopause Lachesis 200X or 1M, 10 min (3 Doses)
Intercurrent remedy Bacillinum 200X or 1M, fortnightly (3 Doses) .
Take the remedy which is similar to your symptoms.
No side effects or complications if taken as directed, please do not exceed the given dosage and under any circumstances do not try to mix any remedies and avoid Chocolates, Mints, Coffee, Red Meat, Alcoholic and Carbonated drinks, Spicy Rich Food while taking any Homeopathic remedies, and keep the medicines away from direct sunlight, heat strong smells and perfumes and do not store them in the fridge.
Curing without any side effects or Complications Thats the Beauty of Homeopathic Medicine
Feel free to email me if you do not understand anything or if you want to discuss anything.
Take Care and God Bless you !
I would recommend that you keep a journal of what you eat, and find the foods that are triggering migranes.
Wheat is a trigger for my migranes.
I stopped eating pasta, white bread, etc. and my frequency of migranes went from having one every week ro haveing one every 6-8 weeks.
When I feel a migrane coming on. I take the following.
1. Goody’s headache powder
2. eat a chocolate bar
3. drink a coca cola
All of these have cafeine, and cafeine resrticts the blood vessels, and reduce the pressure.
The homeopathic fellow is only offering you water. Use that to wash down the imitrex, since that actually treats the cause of the disease. See a doctor. They will offer you solutions (no pun intended) that actually work.
I would do like others said here.. Start a journal.. and see what is triggering your migraines in the first place.. Weather it be stress, or foods. or other.. you would want to know..
I am unsure of all the meds out there that can help with these.. I know my husband gets them often.. but not so much no more..
I have a girlfriend that got them every day almost.. and she was in huge pain.. I know now.. she doesn’t get them hardly at all.. She is taking a very powerful mineral drink.. and that is helping her.. I can contact her and see what all she has to say.. I can’t imagine going thru life with a headache all the time.. that would just not be friendly at all… Wish you luck..