I understand her wanting to avoid medicines - I am the same. However, when I found that Imitrex would stop a migraine in it’s tracks, I was happy.
Imitrex worked well for me for a while, and then the migraines became resistant to it. I am now in my mid-fifties also, and the migraines are few and far between. When I feel one coming on, I use Excedrine Migraine.
After sufferng migraines for 20 years (never diagnosed because I didnt have all the classic symptoms), Imitrex was a Godsend for me. She’ll have to be seen by a Dr
If it is a true migraine then the pain is caused by blood vessels dilating too much, not constricting. So anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen won’t work, she needs a vasoconstrictor, not a dilator (which is why ice works for some people)
That means her blood pressure will have to be checked periodically to keep her prescription- but oh, imagine the relief of stopping the pain before it gets started
Luckily I seem to have aged out of migraines