Migraine headache sufferers, wouldn’t it be great if you could get rid of your migraines before they ever started? Well, that is the focus in today’s medical treatments for migraines. Back in the 1980’s, doctors focused on helping reduce the pain from migraines by use of drugs once the migraine began and these drugs are still used today to help with many patients. However, there is a growing sense of prevention in medical circles. Doctors want to try to stop the migraine before it happens. Here are a couple treatments available for preventing migraines before they start.
PREVENTIVE TREATMENTS
One method is using non-migraine drugs daily. These drugs affect brain chemicals and blood vessel inflammation that cause migraines.
Another is to fine tune the treatments for each migraine patient. The goal here is to use fewer drugs, have fewer side effects, and gain more control over this debilitating condition. Patients need to become aware of their body’s patterns when they get a migraine, what triggers it, and take certain drugs during the vulnerability time, that window of time in which they are most able to benefit from the drugs.
NEW DRUGS FOR PREVENTION
There is already a drug being reviewed by the FDA for use in migraine prevention. This drug, Trexima, prevents blood vessels from dilating by preventing the release of an inflammatory enzyme that causes blood vessel dilation and thus, the migraine.
However, another promising drug would prevent migraines altogether and also stop a migraine once it starts. This drug works by impeding a protein (CGRP) that is released during inflammation. Migraine sufferers have high levels of this protein.
KNOWING YOUR WINDOW
For certain patients, especially women who have menstruation-related migraines, and others whose triggers are well-defined and predictable, knowing the body’s patterns and using a drug during the preventive window would be the way to go. Studies are being conducted focusing on these issues.
Certain supplements have also shown promise is tackling the prevention of migraines. Magnesium, riboflavin (B-2), and coenzyme Q10 all meet the criteria in migraine prevention, according to at least two clinical trials that show benefit.
Moreover, patients need to get in tune with their own bodies and watch their lifestyles. There are many triggers in the environment and in the lifestyle. Stress, bright lights, weather and altitude changes, smells, cheeses, caffeine, MSG, and others can cause the onset of a migraine. Studying your own body and its reactions to these and other factors can help in prevention of future migraines.
Tags: headaches, migraine attacks, migraine treatment, Migraines, side effects, symptoms, treating migraines, vascular headachce
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