When we're looking at Migraine and headache information, whether it's from our doctor, a book, or an online article, we sometimes come across medical terms that can be confusing.
Sometimes, it's easy enough to substitute another word or a short phrase for the medical term. At other times, substituting just doesn't convey quite the same meaning or takes more than a few words.
Some of you have expressed an interest in learning more of the medical terminology that comes up when discussing Migraine disease and other headache disorders. So, I'll be posting a "term of the day," probably a couple of times a week. If there are terms you'd like to have defined, please leave a comment to let me know what it is.
Today's term: Off-Label Prescribing.
Off-Label Prescribing is prescribing medications for conditions other than those for which they have been FDA-approved. This is a common practice.
We often discuss Off-Label Prescribing when discussing Migraine medications. Although there are over 100 medications in use for Migraine and headache prevention, only four are FDA approved for Migraine prevention. All medications used for Migraine and headache prevention were originally developed to treat other conditions, then found to be helpful for Migraine and headache also.
You can read more about Migraine medications and Off-Label Prescribing in:
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Preventive, Abortive, and Rescue Medications - What's the Difference?
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Migraine preventive medications: too many options to give up!
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© Teri Robert, 2010Last updated January 1, 2010
