Migraine treatment options
A migraine is a type of (usually) severe headache that is characterised by one-sided pain often accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting and sensitivity to light or sound. It can be debilitating, and can have you out of action for a few hours or even a day or more.
Avoiding migraine triggers
Knowing what triggers migraines for you, and avoiding these triggers, can help you to manage your migraines. Keeping a food and pain diary can be helpful for working out which foods, if any, trigger your migraines.
Common migraine triggers include:
- stress;
- missing a meal;
- lack of sleep;
- certain odours;
- alcohol;
- certain foods including cured meats, chocolate, caffeine, nuts, pickled foods, monosodium glutamate (MSG), aged cheese, yogurt, onions, brown vinegar, chicken livers, among many others;
- hormone fluctuations;
- some medications used to treat other conditions; and
- overuse of pain-relieving medications.
Migraine treatment medicines
To be most effective, medicines to treat a migraine is best taken as soon as migraine symptoms are noticed.
Most usual headache medications are generally only helpful for people who have mild or moderate, rather than severe, migraine pain. Mild migraine pain may be helped by anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or by aspirin. However, when taken at the onset of symptoms, aspirin can relieve even severe migraines.
Some people find that taking caffeine, for example, by drinking a cup of strong coffee, helps stop a mild migraine progressing. This is thought to be because caffeine causes the blood vessels in your brain to narrow, which counteracts the dilation of blood vessels that is thought to cause the pain of migraine.
As nausea and vomiting are common with migraines, and may prevent absorption of oral migraine medications, it is often recommended to take an anti-nausea medication such as metoclopromide (e.g. Maxolon) along with other migraine medications.
No migraine medication is effective for all people, and those who do not respond to over-the-counter preparations may need special migraine medications prescribed by their doctor.
These medications include the triptans (e.g. Imigran, Naramig and Zomig) and ergotamines such as Cafergot (a brand which also includes caffeine). The triptans are available in a range of delivery modes such as nasal sprays and self-injection devices, which is helpful if you get vomiting with your migraines.
All migraine medications are best given at the first sign of a migraine. People who have severe or frequent migraines (more than 2-3 times a week) may need to be prescribed preventive medication.
Preventive medicines for migraine
Medications that are more commonly associated with treatment of other conditions, such as depression, high blood pressure or convulsions, are now being used to prevent migraines. This type of preventive medication is usually taken every day and is useful for people who have frequent, severe migraines or who have a condition that prevents them from taking any of the migraine treatment medications.
When to see your doctor
If you get severe headaches that are not helped by usual over-the-counter pain medication, see your doctor.
Last Reviewed: 05 February 2007
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