FDA Approved Anti-Epilepsy Migraine Preventive Drugs May Increase the Risk of Birth Defects

Research Looks At Popular Migraine Preventive & Discovers Possible Harm to the Fetus

WASHINGTON, DC; Updated July 27th; July 22th, 2008- In the past, Migraine tended to be managed in a way that either prescribed drugs that helped prevent attacks OR prescribed drugs that treated pain during an attack, but not both. However, the best approach to Migraine management is what MAGNUM calls a MULTIFACTORIAL approach, which involves addressing all four aspects of Migraine health care: preventive treatment, trigger management, abortive treatment, and general pain management.  What is preventive therapy you ask and why is that perticulaly impotant considering the headline?

PREVENTIVE THERAPY

Preventive or, prophylactic, medications are prescribed to prevent or reduce the number of attacks in patients who experience frequent Migraines, typically two or more per month. In general, these medications act over time to prevent blood-vessel swelling; or certain chemicals in the brain are altered the person's sensitivity to a Migraine being triggered however, they do not treat the Migraine-associated symptoms and are non-selective. Many sufferers using preventive treatments will still have to take attack-aborting medications to relieve pain and other symptoms. Examples of conventional preventive therapy include: beta-blockers, antidepressants (for their effect on serotonin, not depression), calcium channel blockers, methysergide (potential serious side-effects), and anti-epilepsy medications Divalproex Sodium & Topiramate (alter brain chemistry). Examples of non-pharmacological preventive therapy include: vitamin B2 and magnesium supplements, Tanacetum Parthenium (Feverfew Leaf), and Petasites Hybridus (Butterbur root).

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