What Are The Four Stages Or Phases Of A Migraine Whats The Timeline
The four stages in chronological order are the prodrome , aura, headache and postdrome. About 30% of people experience symptoms before their headache starts.
The phases are:
It can take about eight to 72 hours to go through the four stages.
What Are Some Migraine Risk Factors And Triggers
Some things make you more likely to get migraine headaches . Other things may bring on a migraine .
Common migraine risk factors include the following:
- Family history: You are much more likely to have migraines if one or both of your parents had migraines.
- Sex: Women are more likely than men to have migraines.
- Age: Most people have their first migraine during adolescence, but migraines can start at any age, usually before age 40.
Common migraine triggers include the following:
- Food and drink: Certain food and drink may cause migraines. Dehydration and dieting or skipping meals may also trigger migraines.
- Hormone changes: Women may experience migraines related to their menstrual cycles, to menopause, or to using hormonal birth control or hormone replacement therapy.
- Stress: Stress may trigger migraines. Stress includes feeling overwhelmed at home or work, but your body can also be stressed if you exercise too much or dont get enough sleep.
- Senses: Loud sounds, bright lights , or strong smells may trigger migraines.
- Medicines: Certain medicines may trigger migraines. If you think your migraines might be related to your medicine, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine.
- Illness: Infections, such as the cold or the flu, may trigger migraines, especially in children.
Foods that may trigger migraines:
- aged, canned, cured, or processed meat
- aged cheese
- soy sauce
Cbd Provides For Chronic Pain Relief
Everyone has a cell-signaling system known as the endocannabinoid system .
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What Medications Are Used To Relieve Migraine Pain
Over-the-counter medications are effective for some people with mild to moderate migraines. The main ingredients in pain relieving medications are ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen and caffeine.
Three over-the-counter products approved by the Food and Drug Administration for migraine headaches are:
- Excedrin® Migraine.
- Advil® Migraine.
- Motrin® Migraine Pain.
Be cautious when taking over-the-counter pain relieving medications. Sometimes overusing them can cause analgesic-rebound headaches or a dependency problem. If you’re taking any over-the-counter pain medications more than two to three times a week, report that to your healthcare provider. They may suggest prescription medications that may be more effective.
Prescription drugs for migraine headaches include:
Triptan class of drugs :
- Sumatriptan.
- Butterbur.
- Co-enzyme Q10.
Drugs to relieve migraine pain come in a variety of formulations including pills, tablets, injections, suppositories and nasal sprays. You and your healthcare provider will discuss the specific medication, combination of medications and formulations to best meet your unique headache pain.
Drugs to relieve nausea are also prescribed, if needed.
All medications should be used under the direction of a headache specialist or healthcare provider familiar with migraine therapy. As with any medication, it’s important to carefully follow the label instructions and your healthcare providers advice.
Causes Of Migraine Headaches
Migraines are believed to arise from waves of increased activity in certain brain cells, which causes the release of the hormones serotonin and estrogen. As a result, blood vessels supplying the brain become narrowed, which leads to headache and the other symptoms.
While the exact reasons someone may develop migraines are unknown, several risk factors have been identified:
- Genetics
- Physical overexertion
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When To Seek Professional Treatment
If you get regular and very debilitating headaches, its important to be proactive about getting help. According to the National Institutes of Health , make sure to call 911 and seek emergency care if:
- Your headache is worse than any youve had.
- Youre also having problems speaking, with vision, or moving.
- Youve lost your balance.
- The onset of the headache is very sudden.
If youre living with migraine attacks, its also important to be vigilant of changes or other factors that can affect your treatment. Heres a rundown of reasons to call your doctor or primary care provider:
- Youre finding changes in your general pattern of headaches.
- Preventive or abortive medications arent working anymore.
- Youre experiencing side effects from the drugs youre taking.
- You have started taking birth control.
- You find you need pain medications three or more days a week.
- Your headaches get worse when youre lying down or leaning over.
Is Nurtec Odt Safe For Older People
Yes, it likely is. Nurtec ODT doesnt cause any side effects that can be more problematic in older people, such as drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, or constipation. The manufacturer doesnt give any warnings about older people using the drug.
But Nurtec ODT hasnt been studied in enough people ages 65 years and older. So its not known whether they respond differently to the drug than younger people.
If youre age 65 years or older, talk with your doctor about whether Nurtec ODT is right for you.
Learn more about some of the side effects Nurtec ODT may cause.
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Drugs Commonly Prescribed For Migraine
Migraine is an intense headache that can last for hours to days. Typically, a migraine headache is throbbing or pounding pain on one or both sides of your head. Sometimes, people have an aura up to 30 minutes before the headache. An aura can range from seeing flashing lights to to mental fuzziness. During the migraine, you may have other migraine symptoms, such as nausea, , or sensitivity to light or sounds.
Over 30 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. These headaches tend to happen more commonly in women compared to men. Your risk of migraine also increases if you have a family history of it. Common migraine triggers include hormone changes, stress, alcohol, and certain foods. Migraine medications cant cure migraine, but they can help control and prevent symptoms and get you back to living life.
Avoid Opioids For Migraine
Many people with migraine are given strong painkillers, called opioids, to treat migraines. Examples of opioid painkillers available in New Zealand include codeine, tramadol, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl and pethidine. However, opioids are not preferred to relieve migraines for the following reasons:
- They can make headaches worse. Using opioids for migraine can cause more headaches and chronic migraines than you had to begin with. This is called medication-overuse headache. It is possible with all pain medicines, but is more likely with opioids.
- They are not as effective as other migraine medicines. There are medicines that are better than opioids to reduce the number of migraines you have and how severe they are. This includes medicines called triptans, which work directly on the blood vessels in your head to relieve the pain from migraine.
- They can be harmful. Opioids are strong medicines that may cause you harm, including dependence and addiction. Opioids can cause serious withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking them suddenly. People who use high doses for a long time may need to go to hospital while they stop using them. Opioids, even at low doses, can make you feel sleepy or dizzy. Other side effects include constipation and nausea. Using them for a long time can lower your sex drive and cause depression and sleep problems.
Opioids may be needed in some instances.
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Develop Good Sleep Habits
Restful sleep delivers a refreshed feeling in the morning, improved mood, cognitive function, physical energy and perhaps most importantly for chronic migraine patients an increased threshold for pain.
To improve your sleep hygiene consider some or all of the following to start experiencing the benefits:
- Setup a sleep routine: have consistent bed and wake times.
- Avoid stimuli before bed: this includes LED lights which contain stimulating light and can negatively affect melatonin production. The TV, phone and computer all emit this light.
- Temperature control: Keep the bedroom cool. The body falls asleep easier when the body temperature cools.
- Eat a few hours before bed: give your body time to empty your stomach. Avoid eating sweets or sugary foods before bed that cause large spikes in your blood sugar levels.
- Exercise during the day.
- Keep your room dark and quiet.
What Are The Side Effects Of Migraine Treatment
Preventive medication does not always stop the headaches completely and medications may lead to certain side-effects.
- Topiramate may cause diarrhoea, nausea, weight loss, memory difficulties and concentration problems.
- Triptans can cause sleepiness, tingling sensations, tightness in the throat and chest, flushing.
- Ergotamines can cause nausea,
- Beta-blockers can cause depression, fatigue, nausea, low blood pressure, dizziness
- Calcium channel blockers can lead to constipation, weight gain, low blood pressure, dizziness
- Tricyclic antidepressants can cause to dry mouth, weight gain, low libido, sedation
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Imitrex And Other Medications
Below are lists of medications that can interact with Imitrex. These lists dont contain all drugs that may interact with Imitrex.
Before taking Imitrex, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Imitrex and other triptan medications for migraine
Imitrex is a type of medication called a triptan. You shouldnt take Imitrex with other triptan medications.
Triptans relieve migraine by narrowing blood vessels in your brain. However, triptans can also narrow blood vessels in other parts of your body.
Taking Imitrex with other triptan medications can cause your blood vessels to narrow too much. This could raise your risk for getting serious side effects, such as heart attack, stroke, or very high blood pressure. It could also raise your risk for other triptan-related side effects, such as serotonin syndrome . For more information about side effects, see the Imitrex side effects section above.
Examples of other triptans that shouldnt be taken with Imitrex include:
- almotriptan
- sumatriptan/naproxen sodium
- zolmitriptan
You also shouldnt take Imitrex if youve taken one of these drugs to treat migraine in the last 24 hours.
Imitrex and ergot drugs for migraine
- dihydroergotamine
It May Be As Simple As Adjusting The Dose Avoiding Alcohol Or Taking The Drug At A Different Time Of Day
One of the most commonly reported side effects of some medications is drowsiness. “Many people report tiredness or fatigue as a side effect from their medicines. However, there are things you can do to minimize the feelings of daytime sleepiness,” says Laura Carr, a pharmacist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Migraines
The primary symptom of migraine is a headache. Pain is sometimes described as pounding or throbbing. It can begin as a dull ache that develops into pulsing pain that is mild, moderate or severe. If left untreated, your headache pain will become moderate to severe. Pain can shift from one side of your head to the other, or it can affect the front of your head, the back of your head or feel like its affecting your whole head. Some people feel pain around their eye or temple, and sometimes in their face, sinuses, jaw or neck.
Other symptoms of migraine headaches include:
- Sensitivity to light, noise and odors.
- Nausea and vomiting, upset stomach and abdominal pain.
- Loss of appetite.
- Feeling very warm or cold .
- Pale skin color .
- Euphoric mood.
Medicines For Nausea Or Vomiting
Examples: metoclopramide, domperidone and prochlorperazine
These medicines are called anti-sickness medicines or antiemetics. They can be helpful to treat migraine even if you don’t experience nausea or vomiting. These are prescribed by your doctor and can be used together with other pain relievers and triptans. Seek medical advice before taking anti-sickness medicines as they are not suitable for some people.As with pain relievers, anti-sickness medicines work better if taken as soon as your migraine symptoms begin. They usually come in the form as tablets, but are also available as a suppository.
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Migraine Treatment: Whats Old Whats New
Migraine headaches are a common cause of disability in the United States, affecting approximately 27 million American adults, or 17.1% of women and 5.6% of men.1 To help better define migraines, the term classical migraine has been replaced with migraine with aura, and non-classical migraine is now referred to as migraine without aura. Chronic migraine, which affects 3.2 million Americans , is defined as having migraine symptoms for at least 15 days per month, lasting at least 4 hours, and for longer than 3 months in duration. This is in contrast to episodic migraine, which causes symptoms on fewer than 15 days per month.2 Current treatment for chronic migraine is divided into acute, abortive agents , and medications that will prevent migraine onset.
This review will highlight the current definitions of migraines as well as treatment options.
Who Can And Cannot Take Sumatriptan
Most adults with migraines can have sumatriptan tablets or injections. But the nasal spray is only officially approved for people under the age of 65.
Sumatriptan is not officially approved for children. However, a specialist doctor may sometimes prescribe it for a child over the age of 6 years.
Sumatriptan is not suitable for some people. To make sure it’s safe for you, tell your doctor if you:
- have had an allergic reaction to sumatriptan or any other medicine in the past
- have a heart problem such as coronary heart disease, chest pain , heart rhythm problems or you’ve had a heart attack
- have circulation problems in your legs
- have had a stroke or “mini stroke”
- have liver disease or other liver problems
- have seizures or fits
- are trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or breastfeeding
- are a heavy smoker or use nicotine replacement therapy
- have high blood pressure
You may be able to use sumatriptan if you’ve had high blood pressure in the past and it is now well controlled with treatment.
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Why Is This Medication Prescribed
Rizatriptan is used to treat the symptoms of migraine headaches . Rizatriptan is in a class of medications called selective serotonin receptor agonists. It works by narrowing blood vessels in the brain, stopping pain signals from being sent to the brain, and blocking the release of certain natural substances that cause pain, nausea, and other symptoms of migraine. Rizatriptan does not prevent migraine attacks or reduce the number of headaches you have.
Medications That Can Make A Migraine Worse
It might be unrelated treatments that are triggering your migraine.
With Dr. Andrew Charles, MD
Migraine is a systemic, neurological issue. While the condition starts in the brain, it involves and is influenced by other body systems as well. While environmental triggers such as stress and caffeine are commonly discussed, few tend to consider how medications for unrelated and seemingly harmless conditions can also contribute to these headache attacks.
According to Dr. Andrew Charles, MD, director of Headache Research and Treatment and a professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, medication is a common problem seen by headache and non-headache doctors alike. Any medication is on the table as a possible exacerbator of migraineyou have to always consider even something that may seem innocuous as a potential contributor, he said as part of a presentation at the virtual 2018 World Migraine Summit.
Below are descriptions of six medications that, despite little clinical evidence to prove they cause migraines, have been noted in practice by Dr. Charles as plausible triggers.
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Some Drugs Should Rarely Be Used
Migraine attacks can last for hoursor even days. They can cause intense pain, nausea, and vomiting. They can make you sensitive to light or noise, and they can affect your life and work.
To treat migraines, you may get a prescription for an opioid or a barbiturate called butalbital. These are pain medicines. But you should think twice about using these drugs. Heres why:
