Migraine Medications Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Tips Guide

Migraine Medications Treating Your Illness

By Veronica Tripplethorn

Migraine research has made massive strides in learning what makes these headaches tick, but also in how to prevent and treat them. While many preventive measures are possible, most especially when sufferers can find and eliminate things that trigger the headaches, thus far they can't be avoided altogether.

One of the most important results of all this research, is that many excellent migraine medications have been developed. There are over-the-counter drugs for milder forms of the illness, and other heavy-duty forms for the extreme cases.

The first types of medications generally given for migraines are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS. These are more familiar to people as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.

Mild Drugs For Migraines Over The Counter

They are generally over-the-counter drugs, so people whose migraines tend to be mild can self-prescribe, and sometimes nip the headaches in the bud. Occasionally, when combined with caffeine, these can bring not just migraine relief but also relief from the nausea that tends to accompany this condition.

But when those milder drugs don't work, that's when the heavy duty prescription migraine medications are brought in. A type known as triptans, with Sumatriptan being the most common, helps work on the severity of mid-line headaches, and also eases the nausea and light sensitivity that may accompany them. This drug is marketed under names like Imitrex or Imigran.

Opiates Are Addictive

Opiates can be used as migraine drugs too, in very severe or unusual cases, but they are saved for almost a last resort, since they can become addictive. Even certain clinical depression medications can have an effect, though no one yet knows why.

Other treatments involve combining different drugs as medication for migraines, so a drug like Fioricet would have butalbital (a barbiturate) with aspirin, paracetamol (acetaminophen) and caffeine.

Refractory Migraines

Severe headaches that don't respond to drug treatments, called refractory migraines, are sometimes treated intravenously with drugs like Decadron, Phergan, Keppra, and so on. Intravenous treatment aims at rebalancing the internal fluids and electrolytes as well as easing the pain.

Migraine relief is something that is devoutly sought by both patients and doctors alike. While the researchers continue exploring and discovering what makes this illness tick and how it can be prevented from happening at all, migraine medications are still a big part of dealing with the condition.

It's fortunate for those who experience these headaches with all their symptoms that they can review the latest medications and see them work so well. Though the illness is not yet defeated, this at least is a feather in the cap of the dedicated researchers.

Please Note: All information given on this site is for information purposes and is not to replace any medical opinion or medical diagnosis given by a qualified medical doctor, a dietitian/nutritional expert or any other medical expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see your medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.

This Article was about Migraine Medications.

About the Author:
Veronica Tripplethorn is an author of health, nutrition, dieting and weight loss articles including Massage Therapy, Massages, Aromatherapy Massage, Hollywood 48-Hour Miracle Diet.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles coming soon.

More Facts About Migraines...

Can migraines lead to more serious conditions?
Migraines are definitely a pain to deal with. But it actually gets worse. Recent studies performed on mice have shown that when a migraine strikes it actually is almost like a mini stroke. Blood is diverted from another part of the brain which can leave damage behind.

This is really startling news because most physicians prior to this finding merely went on the assumption of stopping the pain and not a lot was done in regards to preventative medicine practices. With these findings there will be more research done to help prevent the migraine from ever happening. With each occurrence of a migraine the risk of brain damage and lesions rise.