Know The Treatments for Migraine Headaches
Chronic migraines, as with all illnesses, need to continually be researched so better treatments and cures can be found. Yet migraine prevention is also a key in dealing with this condition. A great deal has been learned in recent years about the sorts of things that trigger these headaches, and how those triggers can be eliminated to prevent the headaches from coming. But sometimes it’s just not possible to stave them off, so it’s also been important to develop effective migraine medications. Fortunately, great strides have occurred in that area as well.
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. 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.
Migraine treatment involves a bit of trial-and-error, moving from the simpler migraine medications for less severe cases to those that pack more of a punch against stronger headaches. Migraine specialists might try triptans if the over-the-counter drugs don’t touch the headache, or they could even resort to opiates. Those, of course, bring the risk of possible addiction, so they are used as little as possible. The doctors need to balance the need for a treatment strong enough to handle the illness, but not so overpowering that it creates worrisome side effects.
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. 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 the latest medications work so well. Though the illness is not yet defeated, this at least is a feather in the cap of the dedicated researchers.
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