Migraine Headache (cont.)
What is the proper way to use preventive
medications?
- Doctors familiar with the treatment of migraine headaches should prescribe
preventive medications.
- Decisions about which preventive medication to use are based on the side
effects of the medication and the presence of any medical conditions.
- Propranolol (Inderal) often is used first, provided that the individual does
not have asthma,
COPD, or
heart disease. Amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep) also is used commonly.
- Preventive medications are begun at low doses and gradually increased to
higher doses if needed. This minimizes side effects from the medications.
Preventive medications are to be taken daily for months to years. When they
are stopped, the dose needs to be gradually reduced rather than abruptly
stopped. Abruptly stopping preventive medications can lead to
headaches.
- In some instances, more than one drug may be needed. Non-medication and
behavioral therapies also may be needed.
What is the treatment for menstrual migraine?
There are several aspects to treating menstrual migraines:
- To abort menstrual migraine, take medications after the onset of menstrual
migraine. Generally, medications that are effective in aborting
non-menstrual migraines are effective at aborting menstrual migraines.
- To prevent menstrual migraine, take medications just before the onset of
menstruation and continue for the duration of the expected headache. Taking
hormones such as estrogens or estrogen-related medications also help to
prevent migraine.
- To reduce the frequency and duration of menstrual migraine, take prophylactic
medications (such as beta blockers,
calcium channel blockers, anticonvulsants,
tricyclic antidepressants) that are normally used on a continuous
basis to prevent non-menstrual migraines.
NSAIDs such as naproxen sodium (Aleve) or
ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) have been
used effectively to abort menstrual migraines. A combination analgesic
containing acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine (ACC) can also be used to treat
menstrual migraines. For women whose menstruation and menstrual migraines occur
on a regular and predictable pattern, NSAIDs may be used 24 hours before the
expected onset of menstrual migraine and continued for the expected duration of
the headache. Since NSAIDs inhibit prostaglandins, they have the added benefit
of relieving menstrual cramps as well. For NSAIDs side effects and precautions,
please read the "Medication therapies for migraine" section of this article.
Triptans (naratriptan, rizatriptan, sumatriptan,
zolmitriptan) have been found
to be effective in aborting menstrual migraines, as well as controlling the
associated nausea and vomiting. Sumatriptan given two to three days before and
continued for the duration of the expected headache was found to be effective in
reducing the frequency and severity of menstrual migraine. Naratriptan used in
the same manner has also been found to be effective in preventing menstrual
migraine. However, in those cases where breakthrough headaches occurred, they
were just as severe as in patients taking placebo. For side effects and
precautions of triptans, please read the "Triptans"
section of this article.
Dihydroergotamine (DHE) can be used as a nasal spray or given intramuscularly
or intravenously to abort menstrual migraines. Ergotamine (oral, rectal, or
intranasal) and DHE (intranasal, intramuscular, or intravenous) can be used
around the time of menstruation (several days before and continued for the
duration of the expected headache) to prevent menstrual migraines. For ergot
side effects and precautions, please read the "Ergots" section
in this article.
If these medications are ineffective, doctors may try daily preventive
medications such as beta-blockers, anticonvulsants, calcium channel blockers,
and tricyclic antidepressants to reduce the frequency and the severity of
menstrual migraines. The choice of the preventive medications is based on the
experiences and preferences of the doctor, the medication side effects, and the
woman's other associated medical conditions.
For women already taking preventive medications and yet still experience
headaches, the doses of preventive medications can be increased around the time
of the menstruation (some doctors use preventive medications only around the
time of menstruation). Alternatively doctors may try hormone treatment.
Since a drop in estrogen level just prior to menstruation is the trigger for
menstrual migraines, estrogen replacement before menstruation has been used in
preventing menstrual migraines. For some women with menstrual migraine,
Estradiol skin patches (such as TTS 50, TTS 100) applied 2 days before and continued for 7 days during the expected headache period is
effective. However, the dose of estrogen must be closely monitored, as too high
of a dose can actually trigger migraine in susceptible individuals.
Some women with difficult to treat menstrual migraines may be helped by using
low dose oral contraceptives to reduce the estrogen fluctuations. Other less
frequently used medications for menstrual migraines include tamoxifen,
bromocriptine, danazol and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).
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