This just scratches the surface -
Treatment for migraine headaches can relieve the pain and symptoms of a migraine attack -- and prevent further migraine attacks.
Migraines can be treated with 2 approaches: abortive and preventive.
Abortive: The goal of abortive therapy is to prevent a migraine attack or to stop it once it starts. The prescribed medications stop a headache during its prodrome stage or once it has begun and may be taken as needed. Some can be administered as a self-injection into the thigh; others, as a wafer that melts on the tongue. These forms of medication are especially useful for people who vomit during a migraine, and they work quickly.
Abortive treatment medications include the triptans, which specifically target serotonin. They are all very similar in their action and chemical structure. The triptans are used only to treat headache pain and do not relieve pain from back problems, arthritis, menstruation, or other conditions.
The following drugs are also specific and affect serotonin, but they affect other brain chemicals. Occasionally, one of these drugs works when a triptan does not.
- Ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot)
- Dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45 Injection, Migranal Nasal Spray)
- Acetaminophen-isometheptene-dichloralphenazone (Midrin)
The following drugs are mainly used for nausea, but they sometimes have an abortive or preventive effect on headaches:
The next drugs are weak members of the narcotic class. They are not specific for migraine, but they can help relieve almost any kind of pain. Since they are habit forming, they are less desirable than the specific headache drugs listed above. These drugs should be used primarily as a "backup" for the occasions when a specific drug does not work.
Preventive: This type of treatment is considered if a migraineur has more than 1 migraine per week. The goal is to lessen the frequency and severity of the migraine attacks. Medication to prevent a migraine can be taken daily. Preventive treatment medications include the following:
I’ve tried several of those drugs, and others I can’t use because of the narcotic base. Anything in the pheno- family will just make my eyelids heavy and do nothing for the pain, or make it worse.
I’ve tried Midrin and Cafergot and they had no effect. I used Fiorinal and and Fioricet. I learned the hard way that I can’t take anything with codeine, whether it’s natural or man-made. I’m not willing to take anti depressants that cause weight gain and I won’t take high blood pressure meds because of the side effects.
I take benedry every night before I go to bed, but it does nothing for the headache.
As much as possible, I stay away from prescription drugs these days. With CFIDS, a regular dose of any medication, for whatever purpose, could be an overdose for me, or it could have no effect whatsoever. I’m just not willing to be a guinea pig for the pharma-giants. It’s far too hard to find a working combination that doesn’t have side effects that either mimic the CFIDS symtoms, or makes them worse.
But I really appreciate your research. It means a lot to me that you would go to the trouble for me. *HUG!*