Is Over The Counter Medicine The Best Form Of Treatment For Migraines?

There are many questions that commonly arise when it comes to the discussion of treating migraine headaches. Unfortunately migraine headaches affect nearly 30 million Americans with females being affected three times more likely than men. Symptoms of a migraine headache can include head pain, blurred vision, vomiting, nausea, lightheadedness, and even sensitivity to light and/or sound. Migraine headaches are not just “run of the mill” headaches and usually do not respond well to over the counter medicine options such as Advil, Aleve, Excedrin, or Ibuprofen. Another staggering statistic states that less than half of all individuals who experience “migraine like” symptoms have even received a specific diagnosis from their healthcare provider, this means that many migraine sufferers are attempting to self-treat their symptoms, and often times this self-form of treatment involves the use of over the counter medicine. However, is over the counter medicine the best form of treatment for migraine headaches? The answer in all reality is no. There are many factors that can contribute to migraine headaches including the disruption of the sleep-wake cycle, missing or skipping a meal, certain medications, bright lights, fluorescent lights, TV and/or movie viewings, excessive noise, and certain foods or over use of medications that are designed for relieving headache attacks. The important thing to remember is that the use of over the counter medicine for migraine treatment, or self-diagnosis and treatment is never the best option to go with. Migraine headaches are serious business and should be diagnosed and treated seriously.

Why is Over The Counter Medicine not helpful for Migraines?

Within the U.S. over the counter medicine (also referred to as OTC drugs) are medications that are considered to be safe by the Food and Drug Administration (also referred to as the FDA) for the purpose of being sold direction to a consumer without the need of a prescription from a physician. There are certain requirements that have been set up by the United States Federal Trade Commission that do require all over the counter medicine products to be labeled with an approved drug facts label in order to properly education consumers about the active and ingredients, purposes and indications, safety warnings, and specific uses for the over the counter medicine. There are many different over the counter medicine options that claim to help treat migraine headaches; these medicines include Advil, Ibuprofen, Aleve, as well as Excedrin. These forms of over the counter medicine were intended to be sued for the relief of temporary pain, fever, and even inflammation, but were never designed with the treatment of migraine headaches in mind. While these forms of over the counter medicine may help to take the “edge” off of a migraine headache, none of them can properly treat a full blown migraine attack and none of them can help with the prevention of migraine headaches. In fact, some studies show that the overuse of these over the counter medicine types can actually become triggers to migraine headaches.

What are the Options?

If over the counter medicine isn’t the way to go when it comes to the treatment of migraine headaches, then what are the options? The answer in the form of good news is that there are many forms of migraine treatment that are both successful in providing relief and some even help with prevention of migraine attacks. The first piece of advice is that those who are suffering from migraine symptoms should never self-diagnose nor self-treat. A proper evaluation by a certified physician should be completed to rule out any other conditions or concerns, and once the diagnosis of true migraine headaches has been given then the proper form of treatment should be discussed. The form of treatment for migraine headaches that physicians recommend most, does often times include the use of prescription medications, which can cause negative side effects or in some cases become habit forming. However while there are most certainly times when prescription medications are needed for migraine treatment there are also other options that should be considered. A few of the most successful alternative forms of migraine treatment use massage, biofeedback, acupuncture or chiropractic care to help alleviate symptoms and prevent further attacks. Another treatment option that should be considered is the use of supplements. Supplements are an excellent option for migraine treatment and a great alternative to prescription or over the counter medicine because supplements do not cause any negative side effects and they are not habit forming either.

Tags: Acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol), migraine pain, migraine relief, Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), over the counter medication, treating migraines