Treating migraines through medicating is a very common approach to migraine relief. Just because the treatment is a common one does not mean that it should be the only source by which treatment is sought and found. There are several different types of medications that migraine sufferers can be prescribed to help fight migraine pain and this article is designed to help elaborate on the various medications that can be prescribed to a migraine patient.
Over-the-counter medicine has its place and works wonderfully at treating some common ailments, but when it comes to severe intense migraine headaches, let’s face it there are times when over the counter medicine does not even come close to scratching the surface. When medicines such as: Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve and Ibuprofen no longer has any positive effect on the intense migraine pain being felt the need for prescription medication might be.
Over The Counter Medicines
Individuals that suffer from mild migraines on rare occasions tend to treat their migraine headaches with over the counter medications. 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.
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:
- Aspirin – examples of over the counter medication that have aspirin would be:
- Aleve
- Motrin
- Advil
- Non-aspirin – examples of non-aspirin over the counter pills would include:
- Ibuprofen
- Motrin IB
The difference is that medicine containing aspirin prevents the platelets from becoming blocked and forming blood clots. The downside to large doses of aspirin is that it increases bleeding but aspirin is often used to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Though medicating with over-the-counter medicine would be the ideal way to treat a migraine, there are those cases that need something more drastic in their approach to treating a migraine headache. This approach could include prescription medication, migraine surgery or nerve muscle removal.
Prescription Medication
When medicines such as: Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve and Ibuprofen no longer has any positive effect on the intense migraine pain being felt the need for prescription medication might be. t is important that migraines sufferers realize that medication prescribed for migraine relief is not a cure for migraine headaches themselves but are used for one of two purposes:
- Relieve Symptoms
- Prevent Attacks
Keep in mind that no prescription medication can prevent a migraine 100% but there are those prescription medications available that can help reduce the number of migraine attacks experienced as well as lessen the level of pain felt by the migraine sufferer. 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
The main prescription we are going to look at in this article is the medication known as triptans. Triptans is a new form of migraine prevention and has proven to have some success however medical professional are not quick to hand out a script for this drug and after reading the next few paragraphs you will discover why.
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. Because of triptans unique ability to attach to the serotonin receptors on the blood vessels and the surrounding nerves, they can help reduce and in some cases completely stop migraine headaches from occurring. 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.
Tags: Acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol), migraine, migraine attack, migraine headaches, migraine pain, migraine relief, Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), over the counter medication, treating migraines
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