Medications And The Importance Of Warning Labels

Getting rid of a migraine headache can be very difficult; in fact without the help of an effective migraine treatment it can be nearly impossible to find relief from a migraine attack. For centuries migraine sufferers have battled with chronic migraine outbreaks and finding a treatment that is both effective and safe. Over the years medical researchers have strived hard to find a treatment solution but have been unable to find an exact cure. With that being said medical professional have come to rely heavily on prescription medications as their main form if migraine treatment.

Migraine treatment through prescription medications can indeed offer up some migraine relief however it is not a sure thing nor is it always the safer treatment option. The following bits of information are going to hover around medications and how they help aid in migraine relief or how they complicate the migraine treatment process. The first type of medication we are going to look at is the use of over the counter medicine. Over the counter medicines are great tools for mild head pain. Over-the-counter medication can help relieve migraine pain temporarily and should be administered as instructed by the manufacturer. There are two types of over the counter medication.

1. Acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol)
2. Non–steroidalanti–inflammatorydrugs

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen is often taken to help reduce mild pain such as: headaches, backaches, muscle aches toothaches and even mild cold symptoms. Acetaminophen is a pain reliever that relieves pain by changing the way the body feels pain by lowering the body temperature. Caution needs to be had when taking Acetaminophen, if taken in large doses over a long period of time damage can be caused to the liver and the kidneys.

Non–steroidalanti–inflammatorydrugs (NSAID)

NSAID is typically used in conditions where chronic pain is felt. The purpose of NSAID is to relieve pain where inflammation has occurred. There are two forms of NSAID:

1. Aspirin – examples of over the counter medication that have aspirin would be:
   1. Aleve
   2. Motrin
   3. Advil
2. Non-aspirin – examples of   non-aspirin over the counter pills would include:
   1. Ibuprofen
   2. Motrin IB

Not Enough Strength

Over the counter medicines might be useful for some things but when it comes to severe migraine pain something much stronger is often needed and prescribed by a medical professional. A few of the medication that a doctor might prescribe to assist with lessening the occurrence of migraines would be:

• Anti-depressants
• Anti-Seizure Medication
• Blood Pressure Medication
• Triptans
• Ergots

Prescription medication should be one of the last treatments tried in helping relieve migraine headaches; however, until recent years, migraine sufferers had very few options in relieving their migraine pain. New prescription medication called triptans is now available on the market and is geared toward relieving migraine pressure. Triptans have two important abilities:

1. They are able to constrict blood vessels.
2. They create an upset in the process which leads into a migraine by disturbing the sequence of chemicals that inflict pain or irritation to the nerves.

Triptans

Triptans are a collection of tryptamine-based drugs. Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid that can be found in certain vegetation such as plants, fungi and animals. Triptans are used as a tool to prevent migraines from being successful in completely immobilizing an individual, however they do come with severe side effects and should not be taken out from under the care of a medical professional.

The role Triptans play in releasing migraine pain is due to the affect triptans have on the restriction of blood vessels or the narrowing of them to prevent them from enlarging and creating migraine pain. Though narrowing is part of their job, it can also have a reverse effect by not only narrowing the arteries in the head but also create a narrowing of the arteries in the heart. This becomes increasingly dangerous for those individuals that have already experienced some form of coronary narrowing. The narrowing caused by the triptans could lead to further narrowing resulting in a heart attack or stroke.

Prescription medications might seem like the easy solution to a painful ordeal but keep in mind that negative effects could be had. Take time to research every available treatment before making the decision to treat migraines with medications.

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