Medications Used for Migraine Treatment

Medications Used for Treatment

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Migraine Treatments

The FDA has approved three OTC products to treat migraine. Excedrin Migraine (a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine) was the first such medication approved for the temporary relieve of migraine and its associated symptoms. Studies have reported significant relief in nearly 70% of patients. It may also help menstrual migraines. Advil Migraine and Motrin Migraine Pain, both containing ibuprofen, are also approved to treat migraine headache.

Cooling Pads. Cooling pads may help during an attack. Some products (Migraine Ice, TheraPatch Headache Cool Gel) use a pad containing a gel that cools the skin for up to 4 hours and can be placed on the forehead, temple, or back of the neck.

Ginger. In general, herbal medicines should never be used by children or pregnant or nursing women without medical counsel. One exception may be ginger, which has no side effects and can be eaten in powder or fresh form, as long as quantities are not excessive. Some people have reported less pain and frequency of migraines while taking ginger, and children can take it without danger.

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

NSAIDs are among the first types of drugs tried to treat mild-to-moderate migraines. Studies have reported the following benefits for specific NSAIDs:

• Aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen (Anaprox, Aleve) are all available without prescription, and have benefits for mild migraine. Naproxen appears to be more effective than other NSAIDs. In a study of children who had migraines, acetaminophen worked faster, but after 3 hours, ibuprofen was more effective.
• An NSAID combination, diclofenac-potassium (Cataflam), may work faster than the migraine drug sumatriptan (Imitrex) and help reduce nausea. The combination is not appropriate for people allergic to aspirin or at risk for bleeding.
• Injectable NSAIDs, particularly ketorolac (Toradol), are proving to be equally or more effective than the powerful triptan or opioid medications used for severe and persistent migraines. A 2003 study found that intravenous ketorolac provided greater pain relief than nasal sumatriptan (Imitrex). A 2005 study presented at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society reported that intravenous ketorolac was more effective than opioid drugs for late-stage treatment of severe migraine attacks.