What is the Best Migraine Medication You Have Tried?
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What is the best migraine medication you have tried, and why is it the best?
Some commonly prescribed migraine medications include:
- Triptans: Triptans are a class of medications specifically designed to treat migraines. They work by constricting blood vessels and blocking pain pathways in the brain. Examples include sumatriptan (Imitrex), rizatriptan (Maxalt), and eletriptan (Relpax).
- Ergotamines: Ergotamines are another class of medications used to treat migraines. They work by narrowing blood vessels in the brain and reducing inflammation. Examples include dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45) and ergotamine with caffeine (Cafergot).
- Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors: CGRP inhibitors are a newer class of migraine medications that target the CGRP pathway, which is involved in migraine pain transmission. Examples include erenumab (Aimovig), fremanezumab (Ajovy), and galcanezumab (Emgality).
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) are commonly used to relieve migraine pain and inflammation.
- Acetaminophen: Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is another over-the-counter medication that may provide relief for mild to moderate migraine headaches.
- Preventive medications: In addition to acute migraine treatments, some medications may be prescribed to prevent migraines from occurring or reduce their frequency and severity. These may include beta-blockers, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and CGRP inhibitors.
Fioricet for Migraine
Fioricet is a medication that is sometimes prescribed for the treatment of migraines. It contains three active ingredients:
- Acetaminophen: This is a pain reliever and fever reducer.
- Butalbital: This is a barbiturate that helps to relax muscle contractions in the head and neck.
- Caffeine: This is included to enhance the effects of acetaminophen and assist in pain relief.
Fioricet is typically used for the treatment of tension headaches, but it may also be prescribed for migraines in some cases, particularly if other medications have not been effective or if tension and muscle tension contribute to the migraine.
It’s essential to use Fioricet exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider, as it contains a barbiturate (butalbital), which can be habit-forming and may lead to dependence or withdrawal symptoms if misused. Additionally, overuse of Fioricet can lead to medication-overuse headaches, which can exacerbate migraine symptoms.
Best answer:
Answer by IndyMom
I have had migraines for 30 years. None are the best. The question is in finding the best one for you. You are the only one who can determine that. Ask the Doc. to prescribe the migraine abortive medications one at a time until you find the one that works best for you.
I personally use Imitrex. I have also tried Maxalt, Zomig and all of the others that I don’t remember the names of. Imitrex has been the best for me.
The key with any of these is to take them immediately, as soon as you realize that the pain is coming or expect that it is heading to migraine level. If you wait until you have a full blown migraine, no medication will work.
Keep a daily headache diary when you try the new meds. At the end of a few days, or weeks depending on how often you get them, you will have the details for the Doctor. Help them to help you.
Best of luck.
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4 thoughts on “What is the Best Migraine Medication You Have Tried?”
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I have suffered with migraines since I was 14, I am now 39. Last year I was prescribed Lyrica for postherpetic neuralgia after a nasty bout of shingles. Since then I have had hardly any migraines at all and definately nowhere near as severe. When i asked my pain consultant about this he said others had said the same thing but it wasn’t usually prescribed for migraine. It is actually an anti epilepsy drug and my understanding is that it works by changing the nerve pattern.
It is a med that you gradually build up the dosage, the side effects are pretty extreme to start off with but they have settled now. The only way I can describe the side effects is that feeling when you have drunk wayyyyyyyyy to much, the room is spinning, the floor seems to move when you walk, you try to lay down but the bed moves and feel very nauseous! For me the benefits now made the side effects worth while to begin with!
I had tried pretty much every migraine drug available before all to no avail and my migraines would put me in bed for 2 to 3 days at a time.
I tried daily meds – the anit seizures and the anti-anxiety ones, but they didn’t really help and the side effects made me crazy – dry mouth, dizziness, memory loss, tiredness… yuck.
These were Topomax, Neurontin, Propranolol, wellbutrin,
Imitrex did nothing. Axert usually works, and Maxalt is slightly less effective for me than Axert.
I get frequent, severe migraines. I have tried numerous different ones and while they are similar I find that Imitrex works the best, I use the higher dose (although I can’t remember what that is at the moment). I take 1 Imitrex and 1 over the counter Excedrin Migraine at the same time and that really kicks it in the butt. I asked my Dr. if it was okay to take them together and she said yes.
I’ve had Migraines since childhood and I get them less as I get older. I’m sure the answer is different for everyone, but for me it’s Advil Migraine. (I know they say it’s the same thing as regular Advil but this is just what works for me.) I’ve tried other meds over the years. Many people say Imitrex works good, although it made my heart race and it didn’t work for me. I also took an ergot based medication years ago and it made me ill, although the headache went away. Good luck!