Writer’s note: 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,” on a regular basis. If there are terms you’d like to have defined, please leave a comment below.

When we’re given migraine and headache information, whether from our doctor, a book, or an online article, we sometimes come across medical terms that can be confusing. While it’s easy enough to substitute another word or a short phrase for the medical term, there are times when substituting doesn’t quite convey the same meaning.

Rescue Medication is one of those terms.** Rescue Medications** are those taken if _abortive medications _ fail or if we can’t take the abortive medications. Most rescue medications are pain medications. Other types of medications are also used to help get through a Migraine by reducing nausea and helping Migraineurs relax. They don’t have the ability to abort a Migraine, but will hopefully mask the pain for a few hours while the Migraine runs its course.

You can read more about rescue medications in:

• _Preventive, Abortive, and Rescue Medications - What’s the Difference? _

For more terms, see our Migraine Medical Terms Glossary Index.

© Teri Robert, 2009

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Teri Robert is a leading patient educator and advocate in the area of migraine and other headache disorders, and has been writing for the HealthCentral migraine site since 2007. She is a co-founder of the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy and the American Headache and Migraine Association. She received the National Headache Foundation’s Patient Partners Award for “ongoing patient education, support, and advocacy,” in 2004 and a Distinguished Service Award from the American Headache Society in 2013. You can find links to Teri’s work on her web site and blog and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+.